Samuel E. Pingree, 3rd Vermont Infantry, Medal of Honor Winner and Later Governor of Vermont, Civil War Archive 

Lot includes 31 Civil War-era letters and covers, a set of Major's shoulder boards, cartridge box plate, GAR badge, GAR hat insignia, Vermont GAR appointment to Judge Advocate, and photographs of Pingree's hometown of Windsor, VT.

At the battle of Lee's Mills on April 16, 1862, Capt. Samuel E. Pingree of the 3rd Vermont Infantry was wounded twice in an assault across a creek into enemy rifle pits. Struck in the upper leg while crossing the deep creek, he regained his footing to continue leading the charge into the enemy positions near the creek. When reinforcements were not forthcoming, Pingree and his men held out against enemy counterattacks, with Pingree having his right thumb shot away before receiving orders to fall back across the creek. On August 17, 1891, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. By January 1863, he had attained the rank of Lt. Col. and commanded the 3rd Vermont.

The correspondence in this archive is from Samuel Pingree, his brother Stephen, who also rose to the rank of Lt. Col. and command of a regiment in the same "Vermont Brigade," the 4th Vermont Infantry. Two letters are from a third brother, William, who expresses the sentiment that perhaps he should leave college and also serve his country.

Notable excerpts include this early war letter, written from Camp Baxter on July 23, 1861: We had something of a mutiny in camp. It was suppressed by shooting 4 men, one of whom died instantly… A great battle was fought at Manassas and probably we were repulsed. During the Peninsular Campaign, near Flint Hill, VA, Samuel writes: We moved forward last Sunday night for the purpose of attacking the enemy but… they had commenced their retreat as soon as our right wing under Gen. Banks began to move over the river.” Many can see a speedy end of this rebellion. I cannot… we shall have to follow them through the entire breadth of the South before they are overcome.

On June 10, 1863, the Vermont Brigade was ordered to probe across the Rappahannock River to find whether Lee's army still held its defensive positions along the river: The Vt Brigade were chosen for another crossing of the river below Fredericksburg on the 6th inst.. fought the enemy out of their rifle pits before crossing the river in boats, & by killing & wounding a few of them capturing 138 of them & losing 48 in killed & wounded ourselves, took possession of the old Bernard Plantation where we have twice fought before. Lee had just begun moving the Army of Northern Virginia in his last and greatest invasion of the North, which culminated at Gettysburg.

Pingree's October 29, 1863 letter gives a fairly complete timeline of the Bristoe Campaign, noting, It is now known beyond question that in the late campaign Gen. Lee’s object was to turn our right and cut off communications & supplies and reach the defenses of the Bull Run

Stephen's letters include one written halfway from Williamsburg to Richmond, dated May 11, 1862, during the Peninsular Campaign, where he rates the performances of the various generals, and two from New York City in the autumn of 1863 where the Vermont Brigade had been ordered to suppress the draft riots. One last letter from South of Petersburg on June 23 [1864] finds Stephen eager for the recent draftees to be sent down to replenish his ranks: Our brigade has lost the most of any in the Army - over 2000 in all. - and about 100 officers, including 8 out of 13 field officers.

After the war, Samuel Pingree was active in Republican politics, as well as resuming his law practice in concert with his brother Stephen. Samuel served as Lt. Governor of Vermont from 1882 to 1884, and governor from 1884 to 1886.