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The St. Albans Raid: Confederate Attack on Vermont
In October 1864, approximately twenty-one Rebel soldiers took over St. Albans, Vermont, proclaiming that it was now under Confederate government control. This northernmost land action of the Civil War ignited wartime fear and anger in every Northern state. The raiders fired on townspeople as they stole horses and robbed the local banks. St. Albans men organized under recently discharged Union captain George Conger, F. Stewart Stranahan and John W. Newton to chase the Rebels out of town. The complex network of the Confederate Secret Service was entangled with the raid and conspired to unravel the North throughout the war. The perpetrators later stood trial in Canada, causing international ramifications for years to come. Michelle Arnosky Sherburne leads readers through the drama, triumph and legacy of the Confederate raid on St. Albans.
- GenresCivil War
194 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 6, 2025
"Lieutenant Bennett Young fired shots into the air to signal the start of the "Vairmont Yankee Scare Party." He turned to several men on the hotel porch and stated, "I am an officer of the Confederate service who is going to take the town,,,I take possession of this town in the name of the Confederate States of America.'"
The St. Alban's Raid was the furthest attack by the Confederacy in northern territory. A band of Confederates attacked this small Vermont town in October 1864. They had guns and "blue fire" to terrorize the citizens. This was seen as revenge by the plundering of the North in the southern states. These men were led by Bennett Young. He believed attacking from Canada would force the Union to send troops to defend its northern border. The book covers the events before and after.
The Civil War series was written for the 150th anniversary of the war. They are short books and provide the basic details of the various battles. I recommend this series if you want to get a basic idea. I liked this book because there is not much out there on The St. Alban's Raid, so it was refreshing to read something different.
The St. Alban's Raid was the furthest attack by the Confederacy in northern territory. A band of Confederates attacked this small Vermont town in October 1864. They had guns and "blue fire" to terrorize the citizens. This was seen as revenge by the plundering of the North in the southern states. These men were led by Bennett Young. He believed attacking from Canada would force the Union to send troops to defend its northern border. The book covers the events before and after.
The Civil War series was written for the 150th anniversary of the war. They are short books and provide the basic details of the various battles. I recommend this series if you want to get a basic idea. I liked this book because there is not much out there on The St. Alban's Raid, so it was refreshing to read something different.
February 9, 2019
I’m from St Albans VT so clearly I’m biased but I loved this book. Just the right amount of details for the most northern battle of the civil war without getting overwhelming like some civil war books can get.
May 27, 2015
I now live in the St. Albans, Vermont area so the St. Albans raid is much more famous here than in other parts of the country. Natives of St. Albans seem to be the only ones who learn about the raid. That is unfortunate. Much of the Confederates' last and clever attempts at winning the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression, depending on who you talk to), including Jubal Early's raid on Washington, go unlearned and forgotten in schools nowadays. Yet those stories are the most fascinating. The St. Albans Raid deserves that classification: fascinating.
Sherburne's treatment of the raid is well done. The book is thorough yet not an unnecessary five hundred pages. You'll learn everything you need to learn about the raid and not be bored. I would have liked a little more information in the epilogue of the various figures involved, especially of the raiders, but oh well--we don't get to write every book in the world, do we?
What I most like about the book is that it covers the developing relationship of the United States and Great Britain and Canada. I often think that U.S. citizens nowadays don't even know about the War of 1812. They certainly don't seem to know that the U.S. and Great Britain didn't suddenly have a good relationship after the War of 1812, let alone that the U.S. and Canada haven't been best buds since the dawn of time. Our relationship with Canada, partly because of our relationship with Great Britain, was and often still is tenuous. It's a good bit of reading.
Sherburne's treatment of the raid is well done. The book is thorough yet not an unnecessary five hundred pages. You'll learn everything you need to learn about the raid and not be bored. I would have liked a little more information in the epilogue of the various figures involved, especially of the raiders, but oh well--we don't get to write every book in the world, do we?
What I most like about the book is that it covers the developing relationship of the United States and Great Britain and Canada. I often think that U.S. citizens nowadays don't even know about the War of 1812. They certainly don't seem to know that the U.S. and Great Britain didn't suddenly have a good relationship after the War of 1812, let alone that the U.S. and Canada haven't been best buds since the dawn of time. Our relationship with Canada, partly because of our relationship with Great Britain, was and often still is tenuous. It's a good bit of reading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews