From The Connecticut River Valley in Southern Vermont and New Hampshire: Historical Sketches by Lyman S. Hayes, Tuttle Co., Marble City Press, Rutland, VT., 1929, page 236:
THREE BELLOWS FALLS RESIDENTS BECAME GENERALS IN THE CIVIL WAR
When the Civil War broke out there were three young men living in Bellows Falls who became during its progress prominent in military circles, and each retired holding commissions as generals. Lewis Addison Grant became a major general, and both Edwin Henry Stoughton and his brother, Charles Bradley Stoughton, became brigadier generals, each giving conspicuous service to the government.
Major General Lewis Addison Grant had lived here since 1857, practicing law in company with Hon. H. E. Stoughton, the firm name being Stoughton & Grant. He was born in Winhall, Vt., a son of James Grant, a native of Wrentham, Mass., and Elizabeth Wyman of Peru, Vt. His education was in the common school and before the open fire place of the Winhall home in the long winter evenings, at Leland & Gray Seminary at Townshend, and at Chester, Vt., Academy. He taught school several years in neighboring towns, and in Washington, N. J., Harvard, Mass., and in Boston. While teaching he began the study of law with Mr. Stoughton, then in Chester, Vt., and was admitted to the bar in Windsor county in 1855, and the supreme court of the state in 1857.
At the outbreak of the war he entered the volunnteer service, his first commission being that of major in the 5th Vermont regiment, Aug. 15th, 1861. He organized the regiment which was mustered into the U. S. service at St. Albans, Vt., Sept. 16, 1861. He was rapidly promoted, his commission as lieutenant colonel [237] bearing date or Sept. 25th, 1861; colonel or the same regiment Sept. 16, 1862; in February, 1862, he was given the command of the" Old Vermont Brigade," and with this most noted organization he made a record which was equalled by few brigades of the army. He continued in command of this brigade, and or the diviision to which it belonged, during the remainder or the war, being brevetted as a major general on October 19th, 1864, the date of the battle of Cedar Creek where he commanded the division that checked and held the rebel advance and saved the day.
The "Old Brigade" was in 30 battles, in all of which he was in command except two. He was wounded twice, at the battle of Fredericksburg and again at the battle of Petersburg. He was honorably discharged August 24th, 1865, and returned to Bellows Falls for a time, later removing to Chicago and becoming interested in various improvement and investment companies in the West. He was appointed assistant secretary of war in 1890 under President Harrison's administration, serving also during a portion of President Cleveland's term. During 1888 and 1889 he traveled extensively in this country and abroad.
The last years of the general's life were spent in Minneapolis, where he was for several years president and manager of an investment company. He died there March 20, 1918, in his 90th year. He left a daughter, S. Augusta, who married George W. Stone of Minneapolis, and two sons, Ulysses Sherman, a prominent proofessor of geology in the North Western University at Evanston, Ill., and James Colfax, a practicing attorney of Minneapolis. The General was twice married, 1st to [238] S. Augusta Hartwell of Harvard, Mass., and 2nd, to M. Helen Pierce, of Hartland, Vt. The latter died March 20th, 1927, in Minneapolis at the age of 80 years. During his later years he made a visit to Vermont and the legislature being in session he was entertained in a remarkable manner by the state and its government officials.
Of the three Bellows Falls citizens who became generals in the Civil War, Lewis A. Grant, Edwin H. Stoughton and Charles Bradley Stoughton, the last two were sons of the Hon. H. E. Stoughton, one of the leadding lawyers of Vermont in his day. Their home was what has in later years been known as the Hetty Green place near the intersection of' Westminster and Church Streets. The father was an ardent "Union" Democrat, always outspoken in favor of sustaining the Union, in striking contrast to the large number of Democrats who opposed the prosecution of the war. He was a cripple from seven years and studied law on a cobbler's bench. The family came here from Chester, Vt., in 1853.
The son, Edwin H., was born in Chester in 1838, entered West Point Military Academy in 1854 ,and graduated in 1859. He was appointed then a lieutenant in the 6th Infantry of the regular army, located at various military posts in the West, surving there until the war broke out. He then returned to Bellows Falls, after having resigned his position in the regular army, and organized and drilled the 4th Vermont Regiment. He was appointed its colonel and his record, as well as that of his regiment, was a brilliant one, taking part in numerous engagements, and they were often commmended in general orders.
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He was promoted to brigadier-general of volunteers in 1862, and assigned to the command of the 2nd Verrmont Brigade. In March of 1863 the Rebel Captain, John S. Mosby, with a party of 29 men, raided his headquarters in the village of Fairfax Court House, Va., access to the village being gained through a gap in the picket line. The capture occasioned much criticism in military circles, it being at first reported that his headquarters were established outside the Union lines, and that he was rash in thus establishing his position. General Stoughton's mother and two sisters were with him in the village, in a house a short distance away, and they were not disturbed. They had spent the previous evening with him in his room, not leaving until a late hour. The general had retired immediately, and Col. Mosby awakened him by entering his room about 3 A. M., having captured Lieut. Prentiss, the guard, who opened the door when Mosby knocked.
With the general were captured about 25 men and 55 horses. He was taken to Richmond where he was accorded all the courtesies and privileges that could be allowed a prisoner by his old class-mate at West Point, Gen. Fitz Hugh Lee. He was confined in Libby prison, from which he was exchanged May 7th, 1863, but he never returned to the army. He studied law with his father in Bellows Falls and was admitted to the Winddham County bar in 1864. He later removed to New York city, where he practiced law with his uncle Hon. E. W. Stoughton. He never fully recovered from the effects of his confinement in Libby prison and died of consumption on Christmas Day of 1868. His remains are buried in the family lot in Immanuel Cemetery in [240] this village. He was a popular officer with his men and when the Grand Army Post was organized in Bellows Falls it was named "E. H. Stoughton Post" in honor of a brave officer, which name it has always borne. The general never married.
In 1906 in a personal letter to the writer from General Mosby, who was then employed by the governnment in Washington, he wrote that "great injustice has been done him (Stoughton). He was entirely blameless. If anyone was to blame it was Wyndham, who commmanded the cavalry outposts and let me slip in." Gen. Mosby also wrote a facetious account of his finding Gen. Stoughton so sound asleep that he turned down the bed clothes and awakened him with a smart slap.
General Charles Bradley Stoughton, a brother of Edwin H., and the third officer to be raised to the rank of general credited to Bellows Falls, was also born in Chester and came to Bellows Falls with his parents in 1853 at the age of 12 years. He attended the local schools, fitting for college here and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1861. He was active in drilling troops for the Civil War and was commissioned as adjutant of the 4th Vermont Regiment in August of that year, his brother being colonel of the same organizaation. He was made a lieutenant colonel in July of 1862, colonel in November of the same year when only 21 years of age, one of the youngest officers in the service. He was often referred to by his superior officers as "espeecially distinguished on the field of battle." By a wound received at Funkstown, Md., July 10, 1863, he lost the use of his right eye. He was honorably discharged in [241] 1864, and brevetted a brigadier-general in 1865 for "gallantry on the field."
After the war, with his brother, Edwin H., he studied law in the office of his father in Bellows Falls, and later practiced in New York with his uncle, Hon. E. W. Stoughton. He died January 17, 1898, and is buried in the family lot in Immanuel church cemetery here. He married Ada Ripley, daughter of Robert C. Hooper of Boston. They had six children.