The monument at Antietam to the 2nd US Sharpshooters Companies E&H (Vermont) is north of Sharpsburg n the north side of Cornfield Avenue next to the State of New Jersey monument. (Cornfield Road West tour map) It was dedicated in 1900.
There is also a monument to 2nd US Sharpshooters Companies E&H (Vermont) at at Gettysburg, and a monument at Antietam to another Vermont Sharpshooter company.
The United States Sharpshooters
Two regiments of U.S. Sharpshooters were recruited in 1861 by engineer, inventor and champion marksman Hiram Berdan. Berdan’s regiments were unique to the Army of the Potomac, using different uniforms, weapons, equipment and tactics from the “line units”. Although operating as United States Army units, each company within the regiments was formed of recruits from a single state, with eight different states contributing companies. Company F was one of two companies recruited from Vermont.
Each recruit had to qualify by passing a shooting test. Each had to place ten shots in a ten inch circle from 200 yards away. The sharpshooters wore a distinctive green uniform with no brass in order to blend into the terrain, and used light infantry skirmishing tactics that were very different than the rest of the army.
Text from the monument:
Second Regiment
U.S. Sharpshooters
Sept. 17, 1862
Company E
Capt. Homer R. Stoughton
Company H
Lieut. Albert Buxton
VERMONT
Location of the monument
The monument is at the corner of Hagerstown Turnpike and Cornfield Avenue (39°28’51.2″N 77°44’52.8″W).