A high school social studies teacher's research project has led to the remarkable discovery and return of a historic Civil War painting to Vermont. Tyler Alexander, who teaches at Champlain Valley Union High School, uncovered Julian Scott's 1872 masterpiece "The 4th Vermont Forming Under Fire" while researching material for a new book, ultimately bringing the long-lost artwork back to its rightful home in the Vermont Statehouse.
The discovery began when Alexander found an image of the painting during his Civil War research but quickly realized that no one in Vermont seemed to know the actual artwork existed. Internet searches proved fruitless, and it took several months before Alexander received his first substantial lead. The breakthrough came through Vermont art historian Robert Titteron, who had previously written a book about Julian Scott and still possessed written communications from years earlier when a Texas insurance company had asked him to appraise the painting's value.
Titteron's records revealed that the University of Houston was the last known owner of the painting. When Alexander contacted the university, he discovered not only that they still possessed the artwork, but that they were preparing to auction it off. With time running short, Alexander immediately reached out to David Schutz, Vermont's State Curator, who quickly brought Vermont historians Howard Coffin and Kevin Graffagnino into the urgent situation.
Faced with less than a week before the scheduled auction and no possibility of securing state funding in such a short timeframe, Coffin and Graffagnino turned to Lyman Orton, owner of the Vermont Country Store and collector of the state's largest private collection of Vermont art. Orton successfully won the bidding war for the painting and generously agreed to loan it to the state for permanent display in the Statehouse's Cedar Creek Room.
The Cedar Creek Room was already home to four other Civil War paintings by Julian Scott, including the impressive 10-by-20-foot mural "The First Vermont Brigade at the Battle of Cedar Creek, Oct. 19th 1864," which was commissioned by the state legislature and unveiled in 1874. The newly acquired painting would join this distinguished collection, creating a comprehensive display of Scott's Civil War artwork.
On October 29, 2025, exactly 151 years after the original mural's unveiling, a ceremony was held to officially unveil "The 4th Vermont Forming Under Fire" in its new home. The event brought together all the key figures involved in the painting's rescue: Alexander, Orton, Coffin, Schutz, and Graffagnino, along with a uniformed contingent from Vermont's Civil War Hemlocks reenactment group and scores of other Vermonters interested in the state's historical heritage.
During the unveiling ceremony, each participant played a special role in honoring the painting's significance. Alexander read a vivid description of the Civil War battle depicted in the artwork, drawing from letters featured in his upcoming book. Coffin provided historical context about the specific battle portrayed in Scott's painting, while Orton spoke about his deep passion for collecting and preserving Vermont art. Schutz reminded the audience of the poignant connection between the Statehouse and the Civil War, noting that the building opened just two years before the war began and was, in essence, baptized by that transformative national event.
Julian Scott's personal story adds another layer of significance to the painting's return. Born in Johnson, Vermont, Scott joined the Civil War effort at just 15 years old, serving as a drummer and fifer. During his military service, he made numerous camp and battle sketches that would later inform his artistic work. After the war ended, Scott pursued formal artistic training and became a renowned painter, with his Civil War experiences providing the foundation for many of his most celebrated works.
The rediscovered painting has found new life beyond its display in the Statehouse. "The 4th Vermont Forming Under Fire" now graces the cover of Alexander's new book, "If I Can Get Home This Fall: A Story of Love, Loss, and a Cause in the Civil War," published by University of Nebraska Press in 2025. This placement ensures that Scott's artwork will reach an even broader audience and continue to educate people about Vermont's role in the Civil War.
The successful recovery of this important piece of Vermont's artistic and historical heritage demonstrates the power of academic research, community collaboration, and private philanthropy working together. What began as one teacher's quest for historical accuracy has resulted in the permanent preservation of a significant cultural artifact that might otherwise have been lost to the state forever.
