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I recently picked up this nice image of Judson Spofford, who served in Company K, 10th Vermont Infantry. I did some research on Spofford, and found he had a very interesting history.
I found this write-up about Spofford's Civil War service online:
Colonel Spofford was reared upon a Vermont farm, which had the usual sugar
camp upon it, and during his youth he labored many a day and night in the camp,
assisting in gathering and boiling the sap. He was but sixteen years of age when
he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in the Union army, with
which he served from 1862 until 1865. He went to the front with Company K of the
Tenth Vermont Infantry after enlisting on the 22d of July, 1862, and he
participated in all of the battles, campaigns, and hardships experienced by the
regiment until severely wounded in the attack upon Petersburg, Virginia, March
25, 1865. His old captain, writing of him, said: "He was one of the youngest men
in the regiment who carried a gun. Company K was in close proximity to my own
company considerable of the time, and I was temporarily in command of Company K
awhile. We often met on picket details, and I early made his acquaintance and
became attached to him as a clean, modest, polite, obedient and brave soldier,
such as any officer is proud of. * * * At the battle of Monocacy he was
in my detail of seventy-five men, and he there put in a day's work for our
government of which any man might be proud, if pride is allowable. He was a good
marksman and had the range of a well of water near a house in the rebel lines in
my front. The enemy were obliged to keep away from that spot all day. He was one
of the very last men to cross the railroad bridge with me, about five o'clock
when we finally retreated, with the enemy so close to us that it seemed no one
could escape. But for his extreme youth, he would have received rapid promotion
for the excellent qualities he possessed. When he was wounded March 25, 1865,
about four o'clock in the afternoon, he was taken back to the division hospital
and a surgeon glanced at his wound, pronounced him mortally wounded and left him
outside the hospital, on the ground, to die. It was a cold night: the blood
flowed profusely and his clothing and boots were stiff with it. After all the
others were attended to, he saw they did not intend apparently to do anything
for him. He asked someone passing if they were not going to take him in and
attend to his case. The surgeon said he could do nothing for him, as he must
die. 'I will not die. Can't you take me inside the hospital? Is it necessary for
me to freeze to death out here?' So they took him inside, washed away the blood,
removed the clotted clothing and examined the wound. A minie ball had entered
his right side, under his arm, gone through his body, penetrating both right and
left lungs, and was just under the skin under the left arm. The surgeon cut the
skin, removed the bullet and intended to keep it as a relic. Judson told the
surgeon if he wanted relics, there were plenty more up on the line where he
found that one, and he could go there and get all he wanted, but he could not
have that one. Mr. Spofford has it yet. With good care, good habits and a strong
constitution, he recovered somewhat and now is a fine looking specimen of
manhood, over six feet high."
I found this picture of Spofford online which graphically shows the wound he received at Petersburg on March 25, 1865:
After the war Spofford made his fortune and moved to Idaho, where he was a G.A.R. Post and Department commander. He died in 1937, and at that time he was recognized as the last living Union veteran that participated in the Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The year before his death, Spofford took part in a veteran's parade through Washington D.C. - the old veteran had to be pushed in a wheelchair, but he made it - I found this article about him online:
I also found a copy of his obituary online:
And here is a picture of his grave at Arlington:
I found this write-up about Spofford's Civil War service online:
Colonel Spofford was reared upon a Vermont farm, which had the usual sugar
camp upon it, and during his youth he labored many a day and night in the camp,
assisting in gathering and boiling the sap. He was but sixteen years of age when
he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in the Union army, with
which he served from 1862 until 1865. He went to the front with Company K of the
Tenth Vermont Infantry after enlisting on the 22d of July, 1862, and he
participated in all of the battles, campaigns, and hardships experienced by the
regiment until severely wounded in the attack upon Petersburg, Virginia, March
25, 1865. His old captain, writing of him, said: "He was one of the youngest men
in the regiment who carried a gun. Company K was in close proximity to my own
company considerable of the time, and I was temporarily in command of Company K
awhile. We often met on picket details, and I early made his acquaintance and
became attached to him as a clean, modest, polite, obedient and brave soldier,
such as any officer is proud of. * * * At the battle of Monocacy he was
in my detail of seventy-five men, and he there put in a day's work for our
government of which any man might be proud, if pride is allowable. He was a good
marksman and had the range of a well of water near a house in the rebel lines in
my front. The enemy were obliged to keep away from that spot all day. He was one
of the very last men to cross the railroad bridge with me, about five o'clock
when we finally retreated, with the enemy so close to us that it seemed no one
could escape. But for his extreme youth, he would have received rapid promotion
for the excellent qualities he possessed. When he was wounded March 25, 1865,
about four o'clock in the afternoon, he was taken back to the division hospital
and a surgeon glanced at his wound, pronounced him mortally wounded and left him
outside the hospital, on the ground, to die. It was a cold night: the blood
flowed profusely and his clothing and boots were stiff with it. After all the
others were attended to, he saw they did not intend apparently to do anything
for him. He asked someone passing if they were not going to take him in and
attend to his case. The surgeon said he could do nothing for him, as he must
die. 'I will not die. Can't you take me inside the hospital? Is it necessary for
me to freeze to death out here?' So they took him inside, washed away the blood,
removed the clotted clothing and examined the wound. A minie ball had entered
his right side, under his arm, gone through his body, penetrating both right and
left lungs, and was just under the skin under the left arm. The surgeon cut the
skin, removed the bullet and intended to keep it as a relic. Judson told the
surgeon if he wanted relics, there were plenty more up on the line where he
found that one, and he could go there and get all he wanted, but he could not
have that one. Mr. Spofford has it yet. With good care, good habits and a strong
constitution, he recovered somewhat and now is a fine looking specimen of
manhood, over six feet high."
I found this picture of Spofford online which graphically shows the wound he received at Petersburg on March 25, 1865:
After the war Spofford made his fortune and moved to Idaho, where he was a G.A.R. Post and Department commander. He died in 1937, and at that time he was recognized as the last living Union veteran that participated in the Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The year before his death, Spofford took part in a veteran's parade through Washington D.C. - the old veteran had to be pushed in a wheelchair, but he made it - I found this article about him online:
I also found a copy of his obituary online:
And here is a picture of his grave at Arlington:
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