The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-05

80 At@s W itl'ifs Jul I TIA
a Few discrepancies. seems 10 have been
written in very good part: "Time sof,ens
all aSperltics" has passed into n proyerb.
and a striking illustration of Il will occur
nj Niagara Falls on May 2Sd. when the sur
vtvors OF the Twenty-eighth regiment New
York volunteers win meet and entertain as
then guests the survivors OF the Fifth
regiment OF Virginia volunteers. The
last meeting Of these organizations was
late IN the afternoon Of Agust O., 1862.
In the bloody conflict at Cedar Noun
tain, Virginia. This engagement, out
OF which no substantial advantage came 10
either side, was fought between Banks's
corps OF about 5000 men and the divisions
OF jackson, Ewell, and Hill, numbering
" regiments, II 1000 men. But OF these we
are told that "only about one half were
seriously engaged in the actual fight. Two
thirds OF the loss, indeed, fell upon ten Of
the regiments Of Jackson and Ewell." The
battle was p~recipitated by Banks in iguo-
rance OF the numbers opposed TO him, and
the desperate charge of his divisions across
the whcat-ficld NJ the base Of the mountain
was ct first successful, the Confederate
left being turned and charged in the
/ rear. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES were brought
into action, the Confederate line re-
Stored. and the Union forces crowded
or the field. which was occupied hy the
enemy. During the battle the artillery of
the latter was posted on the side Of the
mountain, and caused much loss 10 both
friend and foe. The losses on both sides
were Scyere-Union about $500 killed
wounded, and missing; Confederate about
1900. This was the initial engagement Of
POpe'S disastrous Virginia campaign. and
for II so entirely barren Of results il
was fought with remarkable bravery and
StubbornneSS on both sides. In this ac-
ton the Twenty-cighth New York bore
a conspicuous part, and lost heavily in
killed. wounded, and prisoners, its colo
mel. Dudley Donnelly, and its adjutant,
Charles Z. Sprout, being among the killed.
LieUtenlnt-Co lenel Brown, lately governor
OF the Soldiers Home at Dayton, Ohio. lost
IN arm. This regiment also lost it, colorS in
the savage melee of the evening, and came
ont Of the fight pretty much broken up.
Its loss in prisoners was large, and as the
captures OF this field were the first in any
large number following the order OF the
Richmond War Department that any OF
General Pope's officers taken should be
treated with rigor. in retaliation for the
ill-adyiSed proclamation OF that General on
taking command about headquarters in
the saddle" and "subsisting on the
country" the captured officers Of the
Twenty-eighth, in common with others,
experienced some severity Of treatment
on their way to Richmond, by way Of
Staunton, and after their incarcera-
ton in the Libby. OF the captured colors
OF the Twenty-cjghth nothing was heard
until the summer of 1881, when Lieuten-
anti Colonel Brown, happening to be in one
OF the rooms of the War Department ut
Washington, TO his establishment. found
the old fllg of his regiment there with some
Others. Inquiry developed the fact that
these colOrs had been found i'm the recepta-
Gle devoted TO such trophies in the Rich
mond War Department on the Union Occu-
patton Of the city in April, 1865, and thence
brought TO Washington. Secretary Lincoln
Immediately hOnOrcd the application Of
Colonel Brown for the return of the flag,
and at the twcnty-tirSt anniversary Of the
mustcr-in OF the regiment at LockpoTt, one
year ago. it was presented 10 tie survivors.
The Twenty-cighth NeW-York was or
ganized MAY %, 1861. being amongthe first
of the twO-year regiments. 1t was recruit
ed i'm the counties OF Niagara, Orleans, Cen
esee, Ontario, and sullivan. 1t psrtici-
pated also in the early operations OF 1852
i'm the Shenandoah Valley, and fought at
Antietam. the second Bull Run, and Chan
cellOrsyiIle, its term expiring soon after the
latter battle. When, two days before the
first battle OF Bull Run. General Patterson
withdrew his army from the front OF john
ston, near Charlestown, leaving the COnfeG-
crate leader at liberty to pass through Ma
nassaS Gap and gain the day at Bull Run.
,,lTf. D.sf.r1,, .nH1Crfprufy .. naeltni91 -
Harper's Ferry, Colonel Donnelly fairly
clowed with anger aud or%deredthc colorS Of
the Twenty-eighth New York folded up and
placed in 4 wagon, saving that that was the
proper place for them on such a retreat.
Amid all the controversies relating to the
wisdom or necessity of this retrOgade
movement Of General Patterson, the sur
vivors of the Twenty-eighth have always
steadily maintained that it was both unnc-
ccssary and uniustilable; that the COM
mand wanted and expected to fight at
Cbarlestown, and that whether victory had
been gained there or not. Johnston would
have been held in the Valley by the fight
Ing and a Union victory at Bull Run Sc
cured.
As soon rs the fact was aScertained, du-
ring the past summer, that the Fifth Viz
ginia was opposed to the Twenty-eighth
New York at Cedar Mountain, an invita-
ton was extended by the Association OF
the latter regiment to its ancient foes to at
tend the tWenty-second anniversary OF the
muster-ln Of the Twenty-eighth, at Niagara
Falls, on May Odd. The invitation was
cordially accepted by the survivors OF the
Fifth Virginia. and at their meeting at
Staunton on April oath arrangements were
made for their attendance. They expect
TO leave Washington for Niagara on May
18th. They will OF course be the guests OF
the Twenty-elghth while at Niagara, and
have invited to accompany them General
Walker, eX-Lieutenant Governor OF Nlr-
ginia, and the last commander OF Jackson's
..Stonewall brigade" which was at Cedar
Mountain: and il is hoped that General
Jackson's widow and daughter will accept
an invitation to accompany the party. Ma
jor j. w. Newton will be the senior officer
OF the Fifth Virginia present. Invitations
have been sent by the Twenty-eighth to
Generals Grant, sherman, Sheridan, and
Banks. The president OF the Association
OF the Twenty-eighth for the present year
is Captain Ben. Flagler, United states col
lector OF customs at Suspension bridge, q
veteran in whose hands this novel reunion
is sure to be abundantly successful and en-
ioyable.
Brief New Items.
A..lc T~ovIaburv Mass \ ~alnnsbouSp in