Josiah O. Livingston

Wounded, He Set a Bridge Ablaze to Cover the Retreat

Wounded under fire, he set a bridge ablaze to cover a retreat. Josiah O. Livingston was a United States Army officer and Medal of Honor recipient who distinguished himself during the American Civil War. Serving as a First Lieutenant and Adjutant in the 9th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment, he earned the nation's highest military decoration for his actions at Newport Barracks, North Carolina, on February 2, 1864, when he helped protect a retreating Union garrison despite being wounded.

Livingston was born on February 3, 1837, in Walden, Caledonia County, Vermont. Before entering military service, he pursued a legal career and was admitted to the Vermont bar. His association with Marshfield, Vermont, was recorded in his military service documentation.

On June 30, 1862, Livingston entered Union military service as a First Lieutenant in Company I of the 9th Vermont Infantry. The regiment had been organized as part of Vermont's contribution to the Union war effort. On June 4, 1863, he was appointed Adjutant of the regiment, a position involving the administration of military orders, correspondence, personnel records, and communication within the command.

By early 1864, Livingston was serving with the 9th Vermont Infantry in North Carolina. The regiment formed part of the Union defensive forces protecting the transportation routes and military installations around New Bern and the surrounding coastal region.

On February 2, 1864, Confederate forces under Brigadier General James G. Martin attacked the Union position at Newport Barracks in Carteret County, North Carolina. The Confederate operation formed part of a wider attempt to disrupt Federal positions and transportation links in eastern North Carolina.

The Union defenders, including soldiers of the 9th Vermont Infantry, resisted the Confederate advance but faced a numerically superior force. As the fighting continued, the Federal troops were gradually driven toward the Newport River. With the Confederate advance threatening to overwhelm their position, the Union command ordered a withdrawal across the river.

The retreat required the defenders to preserve their remaining escape route while preventing Confederate troops from immediately following them. The railroad bridge became an important part of this effort.

Livingston remained involved in the defense as a small Union force held back the advancing Confederates. Despite suffering a wound during the engagement, he personally set fire to the railroad bridge to obstruct the enemy's pursuit.

His actions did not end there. While wounded, Livingston assisted another wounded Union officer across the burning structure. The official Medal of Honor citation specifically recognized both his destruction of the bridge and his assistance to the injured officer during the withdrawal.

The retreating Union troops succeeded in crossing the river, although Newport Barracks was abandoned. Confederate forces temporarily occupied the position and obtained some supplies before withdrawing following the failure of the broader Confederate operation against New Bern.

Livingston's conduct during the engagement demonstrated his continued performance of duty under direct enemy pressure and his willingness to assist another wounded officer while facing the danger of the burning bridge.

Following the Newport Barracks engagement, Livingston continued his military career with the 9th Vermont Infantry. Later in 1864, he was promoted to Captain of Company G, establishing the highest documented rank of his military service. He remained with the regiment until his muster-out in 1865.

After the Civil War, Livingston returned to civilian life in Vermont and pursued his legal profession. In November 1866, he married Alice May. He relocated to Montpelier in 1872, where contemporary historical records identify him as a practicing attorney.

Livingston also maintained connections with fellow Union veterans. He was among the charter members of Brooks Post No. 13 of the Grand Army of the Republic, established in Montpelier on April 28, 1873. His later membership in the Vermont Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States further documents his association with Civil War veterans' organizations.

On September 8, 1891, more than twenty-seven years after the fighting at Newport Barracks, Livingston received the Medal of Honor. The award formally recognized his conduct on February 2, 1864, when he set fire to the railroad bridge during the Union withdrawal and helped a wounded officer cross despite his own injury.

Livingston lived for more than five decades after the end of the Civil War. He died on July 23, 1917, at the age of eighty, and was buried in Robinson Cemetery in Calais, Vermont.

Josiah O. Livingston's military record preserves the actions of an officer who continued to perform his duties after being wounded and helped another soldier escape during a difficult retreat. His Medal of Honor remains the official recognition of his service at Newport Barracks, while his subsequent promotion to Captain and postwar legal career form part of his documented life of military and civilian service.