The National tribune., 1885-09-24
THE 22d NEW YORK.
n Interesting Account of its Doings by Member.

To THE EDITOR Reading in The NATIONAL
| TRIBUNE various accounts ofthe different organ
| izations which took an active part III the field
during the rebellion, have looked in vain for
an account of the gallant old 22d n. Y. Are
| the members afraid to advance to the front and
| give an account of their gallant deeds? or are
| they, like me, waiting for some ADLER pen to do
| SO? They were raised chiefly i'll Warren and
| Washington Counties and mustered into service
| June e, 1861, for two years. Tue first year OF
| their service was made up of camp and picket
! guard duty, company, regimental, brigade and
| division drill, with an occasional skirmish with
| the enemy's pickets, which all helped to dlsci-
| pline the men for active service when the time
| should arrive. The I'D, 9th, and Both n. Y,
| with the 18th Brooklyn, composed the First
| Brigade, First Division, First Corps, Army OF
| the Potomac, in 1852. The brigade, under COM
mand Brighten. Augur, with portion OF the
| I'd Harris Light Cav, had the honor of driving
| the rebels out of Falmouth and Fredericksburg,
| Va, in April, 1862 The first general engage
| ment the regiment was called to participate in
| was the second battle of Bull Run, Aug. 29 and
50, 1862. Many of the First Brigade will
readily remember that after crossing Bull Run
where stood Mai Gen. Mcdowell and staff we
filed to the left into field, formed line OF bat
tie, regirnental front, and advanced steadily up
| the hill, just as night was closing her sable
| folds around u.s. Neither will they forget
| how, all unknown to us, the rebels were lying
| behind the road embankment which ran along
| the brow of the hill, and when we were at close
range they opened OH US perfect volcano OF
| fire by division of infantry, while artillery
| opened on our right with grape. Never will
the lurid glare of that 29th Of August be eff
faced from memory. In the darkness regi-
ment supposed to be Wisconsin troops rushed
| into our line, which threw both lines into con-
| fusion. In the darkness nothing could be
| done and we were obliged to fail back, leaving
many killed and wounded on the field and
| many prisoners in the hands OF the enemy.
| Among the killed was the gallant Capt. Robert
L. Mccoy, Of Co. b, who received two bullet
wounds in the body and one in the head The
| writer, with others was detailed the next MORN
ing Aug 30) to bring the body Oft the field and
| bury it. We found it stripped of coat, vest
pants sword, watch, and revolver. We Won
| dered the rebels did not take his shirt and
| drawers We carried the body back to the
| stone house which was used that day for a Held
| hospital, and with such in mplements as we could
| get we dug grave. Lieut.. James W. Mccoy,
| the Captains brother, made rude collin OF
cracker boxes, in which the body, after being
wrapped in blanket, was inferred, while the
| thunder of battle was raging in front and shot
| and shell were falling thick around US. do
not remember that the Lieutenant shed tear
or scarcely spoke word during the sad trial |;
| his soul was too full for utterance. Scarcely
| gan its retreat towards Washington. When we
| arrived at Uptons Hill, where we had camped
| the Winter before, we found Col. Walter T.
| Phelps, jr., who had been home on leave OF
| absence. The Colonel was justly proud OF his
| regiment, and the men loved their commander
Soon after we had broken ranks and were busy
| getting things In order, the First SergeantS
call sounded. We expected orders to move i'm
mediately, but were happily disappointed, when
each Orderly came back loaded with tobacco,
| gift from the Colonel to the men, an act none
but tobacco-loving soldiers can fully appreciate.
| After few days rest we were ordered forward
to intercept the rebel forces which were lnvad-
| ing Maryland. We encountered them at
South Mountain Sept Ia, where sharp and, in
| some Instances, a band-t hand engagement
| took place. iii which we drove the enemy from
the field Our loss was not heavy. Well DO
remember Lieut.. John j. Baker clinching a
rebel soldier and pulling him through rail
fence lie sent him TO the rear the most for
| lorn- looking butternut L ever saw. At Antle-
tam, Sept II, 1862, we occupied a position in
the corufeld one of the most hotly-contested
| points in that hard d-fought battle. The mettle
| of the regiment was severely tested several
times. They charged across the open field
| while exposed to a deadly shower Of shot and
shell from the rebel infantry and artillery IN
the woods beyond. Col. Phelps was continually
speaking words of encouragement. The regi-
ment lost heavily in killed and wounded. Alter
q few days rest, and receiving supplies, we
| crossed the Potomac and marched through Nlr-
ginia back to Bell Plains. where we remained
! until the battle of fredericksburg, Dec. Is,
| 1862. / would like to hear from some OF the
boys who helped to plow all night OH the plain
back of the city. long rope was attached to
| plOW, some 80 or more men would grasp II, and
away across the field and back in silence, turning
up iurrow after furrow. Many more were busy
shoveling out dirt and throwing up breast
| works, behind which we found grateful shelter
from the enemy's shell the next day while
| supporting our batteries. After Burnslde's I'M
successful attealpt to dislodge the rebels at this
| place we remained in Winter quarters until
| Hooker commenced his campaign in April,
| 1863, when we crossed the RappahannOck be-
low Fredericksburg and engaged i'll supporting
| batteries for several days While here we were
moving from one position to another; often
| back to our first. / well recOllect my KNAPP
sack becoming burden. left it in the breast
works, intending to get it when l returned; /;
| but, much to my chagrin it was not to be
found. If the soldier who got 1t Is still living,
and should chance to read this, l would like
him to write me with the gold pen which he
must have found in my portfolio, telling me
what he did with some pictures and letters
that belonged to Gurden Veilie, who was shot
at South Mountain.
| We recrOSSed the river, marched up stream,
| and crossed again and joined the forces at
Charlottesville. Retreat was soon the order.
While passing Medical Headquarters barrel
Of whisky was broken open and turned into
the ground. The most of it ran into a little
hollow. The boys could not resist the tempta-
tion to fill few canteens. After crossing the
river a heavy rain set in, but a number were
| watertight.
We were discharged in June 1868, but the
| love for the old flag and the fires of patriotism
were still burning, and most of the old 22d,
not disabled for service, re-enlisted for the
war. No doubt, many could write interesting
accounts of their experiences afterwards. We
should like to hear from them. Some time l
| hope to give an account OF our march, counter
march and victory at Cedar Creek Va, Oct. 19,
| 1864. Col E. u. G. Judson, whose article on
moral Courage" was read with pleasure, was
resident of this town in 1861, before he en-
tered the U. S. service-JAMEs ID. FORBES,
Co. b, 22d N. Y, Indian Lake, n. Y.
| Last Battles Of the War.
To THE EDITOR: My attention has fire..