Norman Puffer
1847-1912
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Norman Puffer, one of the more renowned citizens of Bennington, was one of the youngest to serve in the Civil War. In 1861, at only 14 years old, he was among the earliest Vermonters to enlist.
He was a drummer boy in the Second Vermont regimental band and later in Company E of the 10th regiment. He served during some of the most savage battles of the war alongside men twice his age. He was at Appomattox Court House with the Union troops as General Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9th, 1865. And, just days later, he was at Ford's theatre in Washington on that fateful night when President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
Back in civilian life, Puffer worked as a laborer at the Valentine Knitting Company where, after numerous promotions, he eventually became the treasurer. He served as a director of a local bank, as village trustee and president, and was prominent in the state and local units of the Grand Army of the Republic, the organization of Civil War veterans.
As with many veterans, Norman Puffer had no memoir, made no speeches and there is no record of him recounting what he saw. His post-war life remains largely undocumented, shaped by quiet rather than ceremony.
