The National tribune., 1883-08-23
IN THE VALLEY.
Some Interesting Recollections OF New York Fifth
ArtiIlerymsn.


To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
j have been scanning the pages Of your paper
in the hope of hearing from some one connected
with my company or regiment, but have failed
so far to hear from any of them. i belonged TO
the Fifth New York heavy artillery regiment.
My company HI was mustered into the service
March &, 1862, and served during the war, par
ticipating in the following engagements: Har-
pers Ferry, Va, July 4, 1864; Hall Town, Au-
gust %; Berryville, September 3; Winchester,
September 10; Fishers Hill, September %;
Cedar Creek, No. /, October ID; Cedar Creek,
No. 2, October 10, 1864; in all of which engage
ments we were acting as infantry, the Govern
ment declining our services either as heavy or
as light artillery, on the ground that we We're
not needed as such.
Our regiment was composed of three bat
talions. The first sent out under Gen. Hunter,
suffered severe loss: the second was under
Gen. Sheridan, and the third did garrison duty
around Washington and at Maryland Heights.
1t was recruited in New York City and Brook
Ign, and the posters calling for recruits pic
tured fortress and solid stone walls, with
massive guns protruding. Conspicuously print
ed underneath was the inscription: No
marching and no carrying knapsacks!" Hay-
ing been out in the Thirteenth New York in
fantry, and having had a slight experience as
infantry, / concluded the artillery service
preferable and enlisted therein for three years
or during the war. Many a time, as the sec
ond battalion was marching up or down the
Valley as infantry, was that quotation from
the poster shouted out by men who were bound
to be jovial under all circumstances, and who
seemed to relish the manner in which we had
been yictimized as we tOiled along, weary and
foot-sore, marching at one time a distance esti-
mated at twenty six miles, from Harrisonburg
to the foot of Mount jackson. We started by
starlight, and kept up the march until the stars
appeared again, the men satisfying their hun
ger with hard tack and raw pork, and eating
it while on the way
We belonged to Crooks command, Army of
Western Virginia, and on the 18th of October,
1864, were part of that picket line which was
fianked and captured by the Johnnies, who had
been re-cnforced by Kershaw's division of
Longstreet's corps. In my company alone q
loss of sixty-nine men-kilied, wounded and
missing-was reported on that occasion: many
l of whom were taken to Andersonyille, and
there suffered and died
BAGGED BY EARLY.
Six days previous to this, October 18th, hav-
ing fallen back from Harrisonburg to Cedar
Greek, we were shelled by !. rebel battery while
we were in camp. Part of two brigades, under
the command OF Colonel Wells, of the Thirty
fourth Massachusetts, volunteers started out
on a reconnaissance and advanced under fire
about a mile, and was then confronted by
Eaflys army, thanked and put to flight, with a
loss reported of from two to three hundred
men, among the killed being our commanding
officer.
The writer was taken prisoner in this en-
gagement and IN company with about eighty
more, was taken to Richmond and confined in
Libby Prison; from thence l was sent to the
prison hospital, and, after four months So
| jonrn in the capital of the Confederacy, was
| finally paroled from the hospital, and, in COM
pany with three or four hundred other men
! who were thought to be unable to take the
| field again, was sent into Buffers lines, and
| then to Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md.
AS look back upon my imprisonment and
| the inhuman treatment accorded to the Union
! soldiers, tortured and dying daily, and this
within sight of the rebel capital, / cannot help
/ but feel that our Government made great
mistake IN not hanging the so-called President
OF the Confederacy as we'll as Wirz who was
/ but his tool or employee. Knowing from OBJ.
seryation and experience the sufferings of ouI
| men in these rebel hels. / sincerely hope that
success may attend you i'll your endeavors tc
secure the passage of the bill pensioning ex-
| prisoners of war.
| Hoping that ADLER pens than mine may re.
sumo the story, and that through them may
hear from some of my old comrades in arms
| who may further chronicle the deeds of the
| Army of the Shenandoah and give us personal
| Incidents exciting and interesting, in regard
| TO the calnpa en- in the Valley,
| remain, respectfully,
JoTHAM Ii. ORR,
NEW HAVEN, Conn. 5th n. Y. H'y Art