River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-08-30
WITH SHERIDAN.
Through Seven Engagements In the
Shenandoah.

Hartford Post.
1T was at Winchester" remarked an
old soldier in thoughtful sort of way a.
he recalled Phil Sheridan's valley cam
paign in '64, "that Commander Fay woI
his shoulder straps. And when l heard
,f lays promotion in Nathaniel Lyons,
post" he continued, ''it made my heart
glad, The old Hartford post never had
4 Drawer man in it, nor one more willing
TO shoulder his full share of the hard
ships Of war He enlisted in the ranks
Of New York artillery command, the
old Fifth, believe, under Major Urban
now Colonel of the Thirteenth Brook
Ign, and was advanced step by step until
he won a Lieutenant's commission, sent
to him by New York's war Governor,
Fenton."
How did it happen?" inquired q
group of veterans surrounding the
spokesman.
"Well, you see," he commenced,
Fay has been doing good service, and
had received a number of recognitlons
from his superior officers. At Winches-
ter his command was pushed into the
thickest CT the fight. He had Oeen APP
pointed color bearer of the Second bat
tallion, and was carrying the flag. The
iercer the contest ragged the more reso-
lutely Fay kept the color in place. the
very sight of it cheered forward the
men to deeds OF heroism and daring.
Four members of the guard with Fay
were shot dead in their tracks. 1t re-
Quired heart of steel 10 stand by the
colors, the list of dead and dying in
creased every momeut. The danger
had not escaped Maj. Urban's eye, and
when the engagement was through with
he rewarded his color bearer with the
well-earned insignia of rank.
BY the way" added one OF the veter-
ans in the company, Lieut.. Fay must
have borne q kind of charmed life.
him. The battles of Harper's Ferry,
Halltown, Berryville, Winchester, Fish
er Hill and the couple of engagements
at Cedar creek all occurred between the
Fourth of July and the goth OF October
in "a. In the last of these struggles
Fay was captured with the most of his
command and was removed to Libby
prison. Then he escaped being sent to
AndersonviIle through the Intervention
of lady, when he had befriended
while in the Union lines. The Confed-
crates wanted to send him away, but
the lady's lnterces sion finally prevailed q,
and he was retained there until his pa
role. The battle of Winchester occur
red September 10, but owning to his in
generation the commission from Gov.
Fenton did not reach him until early in
the spring of '65. He
never makes parade of
the honor, and it isn't probable that half
a dozen men knew of his achievements
when he was elected commander of the
Nathaniel Lyon post. have known of
men to be shot within foot of COM
rade, but [ never knew of four being
shot by color bearer's side and him
self escape without a scratch of any
kind. Yes, Fay was marble cutter
down in New York when he enlisted.
When the war was closed he returned
to his old occupation, and represented
the firm of Fourshear. & Co. in which
James G.. patterson was partner, at
the Centennial. There he sold mantel
to ar agent of Emperor William of Ger
many for s., 800. He has been in Hart
lord for several years back, and has q
first class marble yard and works on
Retreat avenue. He was daring and
gallant soldier in the war, and toyed
with danger as one would with play
hing"