Private John N. Langley of Company D, Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry

Private John N. Langley (1838 - 14 February 1910)

Born 1838 in Montpelier, VT.

Enlisted from Rutland, VT on 22 July 1863. He was 25 years old, married and working as a laborer.

Accidentally wounded himself in February 1864.

Discharged 20 June 1864.

His grave is at Oak Dell Cemetery in South Kingstown, RI.

Private William Jackson of Company D, Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry

Private William Jackson (1831 - )

Enlisted from Rutland, VT on 19 December 1863. He was 32 year olds when he enlisted.

Mustered out 20 August 1865.

Private Samuel Hunter of Company D, Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry

Private Samuel Hunter (1827 - )

Enlisted from Fairhaven, VT on 20 July 1863.  He was 36 years old, married and working as a laborer.

Wounded 30 November 1864 at Honey Hill, SC.

Discharged 29 May 1865 from St. Andrews Parish, SC.

Private Moses N. Dustin of Company D, Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry

Private Moses N. Dustin (27 March 1830 - 28 January 1895)

Enlisted from Canterbury, VT on 19 August 1863. He was 33 years old, married and working as a farmer.

Discharged 25 August 1864 at Morris Island, SC.

In October 1864, he enlisted with the 3rd USCT (US Colored Troops) and served in Florida before being discharged again in 1865.

His grave is at Beech Grove Cemetery in Gilmanton, NH.

Private Royal A. Briggs of Company D, Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry

Private Royal A. Briggs (27 May 1844 - 22 July 1879)

Born on 27 May 1844 in Hampton, NY to mother Eliza (Hunter) of VT and father George J. Briggs of VT, a shoemaker. He grew up in Vermont with five siblings: George W., Charles H., Loyal A., Cecilia and Floyd.

Enlisted from Rutland, VT on 25 December 1863. He was 18 years old.

Mustered out 20 August 1865.

His grave is at Cedar Grove Cemetery at Fair Haven, VT.

Private Chauncey Briggs of Company D, Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry

Private Chauncey Briggs (1843 - 25 March 1865)

Enlisted from Castleton, VT on 20 July 1863. He was 20 years old, married and working as a farmer.

Died 25 March 1865 of disease in Charleston, SC.

Private Francis Anthony of Company D, Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry

Private Francis Anthony (1838 - )

Enlisted from Rutland, VT on 21 December 1863. He was 25 years old.

Mustered out 20 August 1865.

Private George F. Storms of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Return to Company G

Private George F. Storms (1840 - )

Enlisted from Rutland, VT on 16 December 1863. He was 23 years old.

Mustered out 20 August 1865.

Last known location was Worcester, MA.

Private John W. Williams of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Return to Company G

Private John W. Williams (1839 - )

Enlisted from Brattleboro, VT on 5 December 1863. He was 24 years old when he enlisted.

Mustered out 20 August 1865.

Private Marshall Porter of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Return to Company G

Private Marshall Porter (1845 - )

Enlisted from Pownall, VT on 4 January 1864. He was 18 years old when he enlisted.

Mustered out 20 August 1865.

Private Amara A. Peters of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Return to Company G

Private Amara A. Peters (1842 - )

Enlisted from Bristol, VT on 5 November 1863. He was 21 years old when he enlisted.

Mustered out 20 August 1865.

Private Wheeler Johnson of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Private Wheeler Johnson (1837 - )

Enlisted from Rockingham, VT on 16 December 1863. He was 26 years old when he enlisted.

Mustered out on 20 August 1865.

Possible grave at the Philadelphia National Cemetery. More research needed.

Private Henry P. Jackson of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Private Henry P. Jackson (1831 - )

Enlisted from Rutland, VT on 1 December 1863. He was 32 years old at the time he enlisted.

Mustered out 20 August 1965.

Private James Hazzard of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Return to Company G

Private James Hazzard (1833 - )

Enlisted from Woodstock, VT on 29 December 1863. He was 30 years old at the time of his enlistment.

Mustered out 20 August 1865 in Woodstock, VT.

Private George Hart of Company G, Massachusetts 54th Voluntary Infantry

Return to Company G

Private George Hart (1842 - )

Enlisted from Rutland, VT on 5 December 1863. He was 21 years old.

Mustered out on 20 August 1865.

Possible grave in Ohio engraved "Private George K. Hart." Needs more research.

An Ancestral Highway in 18th century Vermont

I am in the good fortune of having an extraordinary book of my family's genealogy from my dad's aunt, my great Aunt Dot. I was re-reading it recently as an adult - the last time I did a complete read I was only 10! - and, of course, reading through it made me curious about several new things with adult eyes and a far more profoundly useful internet at my fingertips than what was available in 1987.

One point of curiosity was: my earliest patrilineal confirmed descendant, John Ramer, bought some land to build a highway in the forests of Vermont. My aunt found the land record, which recorded the following scintillating details in 1798:

John Ramer bought NE 1/4 pt of UR7 -50A+ for making a road from Sunderland through Stratton to Newfane.

Curious, I wandered over to Google Maps to see if there was any evidence of a highway or even a road from this intended endeavour. Nothing but green, baby.

Sunderland to Stratton, VT

But also, something useful: the land in question is largely within the boundaries of the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. In very little time, I'd even found a web form to email the rangers who work on the ground there. We live in the future, y'all.

Thus, this Sunday, I wrote with only a little hope of getting a response (if the web form miraculously worked, which it did! Go Forest Service!):

I was reading an old genealogy book on my family and encountered this description of a land record from 1798: "John Ramer bought NE 1/4 pt of UR7 -50A+ for making a road from Sunderland through Stratton to Newfane." I was curious and looked up the area on Google maps but didn't see any evidence of a modern descendant of this road. Is there any remaining evidence that a road was built with this path? I figured if anyone knows, it's the forest rangers :)

To my great delight, I had not one by two replies in my email this morning!

First was the gentleman who received the initial email, Jeff, who re-routed my inquiry:

Good morning, Tim:
I had the cheek to label this "high importance, " simply because it seems to me one of those historical things  that we ought to be able to tell people, and I am hoping that as Forest Archaeologist you will suppose that an abandoned road is in your province (no pun intended).  If you tell me to turn elsewhere for information on this issue, then the person inquiring will know that there may be longer to wait or that the riddle may go unsolved.  Thank you in advance for your response, either way.

There are Forest Archaeologists? Guys, my world is a better place. How cool is that? I want to be a Forest Archaeologist when I grow up. And I bet we have them where I live in Washington state. New goals!

Tim responded in quick order and as with the first, this new email and correspondent made me smile. I imagine these are the kind of gentlemen I could happily listen to the 99% Invisible podcast with and expect lively conversation about it afterwards.

Greetings and salutations!
This is of "high importance" in my book!  1798, hmm.  This would be "too new" to be portrayed on the Whitelaw's map of 1796.  Maybe try looking at some of the later maps.  There is a map by McClellan from 1856 and the 1869 Beers Atlas for that area.  There is a good chance that the road was still in use by the locals in the 1860's. I only have the overview versions of these maps, there are more detailed ones out there.  You could most definitely try your local library or the historical society to have a look at what they have, that's where I would start.  I would also check the roads records from Sunderland, this could help a bit.  Good luck!

So, next stop: an excuse to look at some very old maps! (Yes, Europeans, I know you think we Americans are cute with out "19th century is old" business. Just smile, nod and pat us on our proverbial little heads, heh.)