Litchfield enquirer., 1865-05-04

ssfss 4el tEis NJ si l's3s sition of that exact add thorough knowledge of drill that shortly made him complete mas ter and instructor of others in the whole sys tenn of army tactics and regulations. Here, also, became manifest that care Tor all the wants of his.Mea-.and that kind and dignifed bearing towards themA that attached the com pany with which he served his entire military. career to him with afunanimous and unwaver Ing devotlon, seldom eqnalled in the relations of men to their ofhcer in the history of the volunteer service.
 On the evening of thel lst of August. 1861 having just left the swehering box cars, that had shut us in for two days like cattle, having left the full rations of Connecticut, and having scarcely hard cracker.t to the man. we climbed the east side of the Maryland Heights, and made our first bivonac, with scant wheat stub ble for our beds, with tbe sky and stars above us for covering, and .nothing more. From that time to the lst ofSNarch following we filled M the winter with long and muddy march ings and cold and dreary picke,ipgs beside the P6somac. till we kneE the lords and ferries of it for near hundfed miles. from Muddy Branch to St. Johns Run, by actual expert ences So various that ~we shall soon forget them We had entered upSn new life. Home influences and position ceased to prop empty heads. Every one camsrto be valued for them, selves alone. Hardih hood, fortitude. generosity and geniality began to be prized in the pos sesson. Though the tedious winter Lieuten. ant Dutton became conspicuous and beloved for his constant exercise of these qualities.
 While many an officer shrank the severity of the duty on accepted details, furloughs, or were on the sick List, so that for qnite a time only four. s.lieutepants of the twenty on the regimeutal roster were reported as liable to duty as officers of the picket, which duty consequently recurred every fourth night, he was constantly on hand, and found his pleas ure in the faithful performances of all the tasks imposed upon him. He became favorite at the camp fire at night, and at our halts upon the marches by day knone could tell more amusing stories; none could repeat more snatches of poetry from ancient or modern authors;' none could sing song better; none sickness and blues asAe.
 Court Martial in dur Military Division was Advocate, and won golden opinions from his colleagues for the ability with which he con ducted the large amount of business. that had accumulated for disposal, for which his legal attainment had eminently fitted hlm. From the first day of March. 1862. to the 24th day of May in our advance beyond Harrsonburg and our return to Fishers Hill, scarcely an accident occurred to recall the memory. Co.'S B and c made an excursion during this time upon the Katoctin range to drive of rebe signal party, on which occasion Lieut.. Duttor received universal commendation for his gal lant bearing. On the~24th, amid confusion and cavalry attacks, front, Hank and rear. We eli back M t6 1f a aaF gade our byoua without rations, in clover Held on fhe Qll Royal road, about mils out of Winchester.
 Sunday morning. tue 25th, we had our first opportunity of all standing up in the open field together before storm of rebel bullets, and passing judgment on our avn uHtried courage and that of our comrades how well the Fifth endured the trial; the reports that give a rebel loss of seventy-thfee in our front, against third of that number for ourselves, abund- antly attest We'll dol recollect amid that wild storm of the rebel charge, when their ad- vance forced itself almost up to our lines. the splendid bearing of Lieutenant Dutton as he maintained the line of his company, and with upright form and sword gieaming through the smoke, encouraged his en,until Ewel's whole division fell back repnlsed before three scant regiments. The Colonel did not forget his gallantry in his report osthe engagement.
 During the long march, of over forty miles, that followed that day, Lieut.. Duttou was par ticularly active in aiding his men. and so well did he succeed that scarcely one of his conpan, but einuIating his endurance, held out and came safely over the'P Potomac that night.
 The excitement of the engagement lasted him all the day, and amid general despondency and fatigue the buoyancy of his spirits. as walked by his side, shoftened many, weary mile, and burst forth all 4he day long in glee ful laughter and winning story.
 It was long past midnight before the tedious crossing in the hlackhess. of the night was ac cemplished, and as boat load after boat load ! Of exhausted, half-starvsd soldiers reached the north side of the Potomac they dragged them selves up the rugged banks and cast themselves upon the first vacant yard of earth or shelving l rock and slept until the/ morning sun had 1 blisteree then, into waksfuluess, thankful fol the rolling river behja them, and greeting Maryland, My Maryland. as we had never done before.
 At Hartford. and during the fall and winter in Maryland, Lieut.. Dutton> had been one evel l present memDer OD 1iI COnVWIhl RdLuerIURS Ol the officers, and had led with the rest of us the somewhat careless life 50 common at that time among officers of the service. From our first crossing into Virginia lhowever,he had become 1 tqradually changed. Books became the com panions of his leisure. hours, or alone with some esteemed comrade, he gave voice to that thorough religious and heroic spirit that lay l beneath the sparkling surface, and told of his glorious aspirations for thef future life, and hil 1 bright hopes for the Jfuturs of his country. Al Front Royal, about ,ihs1ast of June, in com pany with him, I attepded the last little praye
 meeting which assembled in the regiment pre vious to his death, andeas he did our singinl that day. could not bit, feel that not th
 lips only, but the heart, entAred into the spirl of the hymns. Soon after, lhe became for time, a tent-mate, and my interchange 0 views with him led me mere than ever before to admire in him the man, the hero and tn christian. And in this change he was no alone. It seemed as ifthe sacrifices were al ready preparing for their offering. Majo
 Blake was always, at holne or in camp. al earnest, devout Christiank but Lieut. -ColoDe
 Stone and Adj. Smith had mingled in all ou wild, ceaseless hi]ariH and reyelry that ab lserbed many. rainy day and almost ever.
 evening of our early hhtory, with great zest ' but they, too, had changed. Amid and con ttrary to the whole tendr of surrounding ln j Auences. we well recolleEt that these three hat lI.- .o 1oft o11 cnr karouaa ls--had for tht