ST. ALBANS — Jim Fouts, a member of the 18th Vermont Regiment, has compiled a master list of Civil War veterans whose graves lie in, or for whom memorial stones were erected without burial, can be found in the city’s historic Greenwood Cemetery.
Jim Fouts of the Eighteenth Vermont Regiment searches his records for Civil War-era soldiers laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery on South Main Street in St. Albans.
On Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, he and fellow members of the regiment, a statewide historic preservation group consisting of Civil War re-enactors, visited the cemetery to place a grave marker and flag at five Civil War veterans’ graves.
The ceremonies, to which the public was invited, coincided with Saturday events on Taylor Park during St. Albans Civil War Heritage Weekend.
Fouts participated each year in the Civil War weekend events and is a volunteer for the larger period celebration, The St. Albans Raid 150th Anniversary Commemoration, set for September 2014.
A former St. Albans resident Fouts now lives in Gettysburg, Pa. but continues to spend summers here.
Over the past few years he has explored the cemetery and military and civilian records to compile facts about more than 400 soldiers buried in Greenwood.
The 18th Vermont Regiment and its president Bill McKone in May presented funds to the cemetery for the restoration of headstones that either were ravaged by the effects of time or had been damaged by vandals in 2012. Fifty grave markers fell into the latter category.
The following Civil War veterans, Fouts provided the information regarding them, were memorialized in the cemetery located off of South Main Street.
James A Chamberlin
Lynn Sawyer places a marker and flag on the grave of James A. Chamberlin.
James A. Chamberlin was born on April 26, 1844 in Ryegate, Vt. He enlisted on Aug. 28, 1861 at the age of 17 and was mustered in as a Private in Company H, the 4th Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers on Sept. 21, 1861. Apparently a soldier’s life agreed with him because he re-enlisted and was veteranized on Dec. 15, 1863. He was promoted to corporal in June 1864 and promoted to sergeant in December of that same year. He served until the end of the war and was mustered out of the service on July 13, 1865. The 4th Regiment, Vt. Infantry took part in 25 engagements and out of a total enlistment of 1,690 men, recorded 423 deaths from all causes and 418 wounded, a total of 841 men, almost 50 percent of the entire enlistment. Chamberlin, aged 59 years and 9 months, died at his residence at 49 High St. of a tumor of the brain on Jan. 23, 1904. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Helen Sampson Chamberlin, two daughters, three half-sisters and his stepmother.
William W. Garvin
Bob Bushnell places a marker and flag on the grave of William W. Garvin.
William W. Garvin was born on Aug. 28, 1839 most likely in St. Albans. He answered President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion by enlisting on May 2, 1861 at the age of 21. He was mustered in as a Private in Company A, 1st Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers on May 9, 1861. At the conclusion of his 90-day enlistment he mustered out on Aug. 15, 1861 with the rest of the Regiment. On July 23, 1862 he re-enlisted and was mustered in on Sept. 1, 1862 as a corporal in Company I, 10th Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers. Sometime later he was reduced in rank at his request. During the battle of Monocacy on July 8, 1864, William W. Garvin was taken prisoner by the Confederates. Suffering from ill health, he was paroled on Feb. 22, 1865 but his health turned for the worst and he died of starvation on March 7, 1865. He was originally buried at Camp Parole in Annapolis, Maryland and later reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery. The gravestone located in Greenwood Cemetery is a cenotaph, honoring the service of William W. Garvin.
Darwin King Gilson
Mark Maloney place a marker and flag on the grave of Darwin K. Gilson.
Darwin King Gilson was born about 1839 in Georgia, Vt. He enlisted on July 23, 1862 at the age of 23 and was mustered in as a Sergeant in Company I, the 10th Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers on Sept. 1, 1862. He received a brevet promotion to 2nd lieutenant but was not mustered in to that rank. On Feb. 26, 1865 he was promoted to his regular rank as 1st Sergeant and four months later he received a brevet promotion to 1st lieutenant. He served until the end of the war and was mustered out of the service on June 22, 1865 with the rank of 1st sergeant. The 10th Regiment, VT Infantry took part in 14 engagements and out of a total enlistment of 1,306 men, recorded 336 deaths from all causes and 406 wounded, a total of 742 men, almost 57 percent of the entire enlistment. In the years following the war Darwin K. Gilson was a U.S. Mail agent and later a deputy collector of customs. In 1868 he married Susan Safford Gates. He died in 1904 and was survived by his wife, Susan, who passed away three years later in 1907.
Luther Annenius Greene
Jim Fouts places a marker and flag on the grave of Luther A. Greene.
Luther A. Greene was born at St. Albans on Feb. 4, 1817. Following the death of his wife, Adelia Basford in 1852, Luther answered President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion by enlisting on May 2, 1861 at the age of 43. He was mustered in as a musician (drummer) in Company C, 1st Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers on May 9, 1861. At the conclusion of his 90-day enlistment he mustered out on Aug. 15, 1861 with the rest of the regiment. On May 29, 1862 he re-enlisted and was mustered in as a private in Company F or H, (the records are unclear) 8th Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers. Suffering from ill health, he was discharged on Feb. 25, 1863. With the return to good health and still eager to serve his country, Luther A. Greene enlisted again. This time he enlisted on Aug. 29, 1863 and was mustered in on Jan. 5, 1864 as musician (drummer) in Company A, 17th Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers. He was promoted to principal musician on Oct. 17, 1864. He served until the end of the war and was mustered out of the service on July 14, 1865. Following his war service, he filed for a disability pension on May 26, 1870. Luther and his second wife Sarah resided at 17 High St., St. Albans and Luther worked as a carpenter and joiner. He died on Jan. 28, 1899 from the effects of a strangulated hernia. He was survived by his wife, Sarah, and at least one son.
Gideon D. Williams
Katherine Layton places a marker and flag on the grave of Gideon D. Williams.
Gideon D. Williams was born in Burlington, Vt. on Nov. 15, 1823. Leaving his wife, Nancy R. Mooney Williams, Gideon enlisted on Aug. 8, 1862 at the age of 38 and was mustered in as a private in Company I, the 10th Regiment, Vermont Infantry Volunteers on Sept. 1, 1862. On April 20, 1864 he transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps and served until mustering out at the end of the war on July 17, 1865. The 10th Regiment, VT Infantry took part in 14 engagements and out of a total enlistment of 1,306 men, recorded 336 deaths from all causes and 406 wounded, a total of 742 men, almost 57 percent of the entire enlistment. Following the war, Gideon D. Williams was a resident of St. Albans where he worked as a sawyer. A year after the death of his first wife, he married his second wife, Sarah Jane Farnam, on March 20, 1872. Gideon D. Williams, aged 69 years and 1 day, died of paralysis in St. Albans on Nov. 16, 1892. At the time of his death he was a farmer. His wife of eight years, Sarah, predeceased him.
This article first appeared in the Aug. 17, 2013 St. Albans Messenger.
