The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-12

donned our white vests and sat in the shade discussing the chances of being mustered out in month or two. Soon there were rumors of an advance by Jackson, and all at once the Union reg iments faced toward Winchester, the band playing: "0h dear! What Can the Matter Be?" The regiment was or dered to leave knapsacks in pile by the roadside, and the rebels soon pass ing along the road, the guard was obliged to heap rails upon them and burn the pile. These contained among other things, new clothes, daguerreo- types, portfolios, diaries, money and some watches; all burnt up grimly." Banks was obliged to fall back before Jackson's superior force and on May 25th, 1862 there was a battle at Win chester for the possession of the Shen- andoah Valley The Fifth was under fire for the first time, facing the Twen- ty-eighth North Carolina. The result was that Banks was largely outnum- bered and fell back to the Potomac. The Fifth made a forced march of for ty-three miles in fourteen hours under most trying circumstances. During the fight at Winchester twelve of the Fifth were wounded and seventy five were taken prisoners,
 Banks having been reinforced by Fremont the Fifth rapidly advanced again to Winchester, Front Royal and the Luray Valley. When Fremont was again driven back, after the defeat of Shields the Fifth moved across the state and In the latter part of July, 1862, reached Culpepper Court House.
 At Cedar Mountain the Fifth had a murderous baptism of fire when 1t charged an exposed battery. The bat tery in front belched grape and canis- ter, while the guns concealed by under growth and upon hills hurled storm
 of shot and shell; a terrible infantry fire was also encountered.
 Very few times during the war was a regiment the focus of such fire; the narrow field being swept by all the en- zines of destruction. The regiment was broken in pieces, but 1t pushed bravely across the slope towards the
 unseen foe, and maintained something like order until reaching a small brook that flowed through the field. Here 1t wavered and became scattered and
 
 being stricken down within three min utes. The wounded kept behind rocks and wheat stacks, where some of them were shot again and again. Most of the companies had lost their leaders and struggled back to the woods whose protection they had left. A large num-
 Der borne forward by the impetuosity of the charge, rushed into the midst of the enemy concealed among the sap lings, and were there slain or captured.
 All the field officers were killed or made | prisoners; and all the other officers ex- cept five were wounded. Other regi- | ments plunged into the deadly breach, but the battery was not taken and night proclaimed a truce. The next | day Stonewall Jackson retreated across the Rapidan; while Pope, Banks and | Siegel debated as to who was responsi- l ble for the useless slaughter. Major Blake Adjutant Smith, Lieutenant
 Dutton and eighteen enlisted men lay dead on the field. Lieutenant-C Colonel 1 Henry B. Stone was prisoner and soon died of his wounds. Colonel l Chapman was also in the hands of the enemy. Major Blake was killed in stantly by a rebel bullet as he had grasped the colors from the hands of dying men to bear them on. Lieuten- ant Dutton fell pierced by volley of rebel musketry.
 While Lieutenant Colonel Stone was a prisoner at Charlottesville, Va, he l wrote to a friend in Danbury: T am l lying here on my back suffering con- | tinual pain. patiently waiting for my ! wounds to heal. I suppose If every | thing goes on as usual, shall have to | lie in this position four weeks longer, | when they will take my leg out of the l splints and allow me to move about
 more in bed. How anxious I am to | hear about the regiment" Not having proper care inflammation set in and he died while patiently waiting" He
 was captain of the Danbury Wide
 awakes in 1860. Among the others
 killed were Color Sergeant Elijah B.
 Jones of Wilton, Color Corporal l.. Smith of Bethel, and Corporals Oliver G. Brady of Norwals; Blair of New Ha- | ven; Bailey of Berlin; and Thompson l of Windham.
 | After the battle of Cedar Mountain l Captain H. w Dabol1, previously of I the Eighth, captain In rank, of Groton,
 succeeded to the command of the regi-
 ment; all his superiors being either
 killed. captured or disabled. He was in
 the hospital on sick leave before the
 battle.
 August 18th, 1862, the Fifth fell back with Popes army to the line of the l Rappahannock, and, as Jackson s
 movement around the right flank pro- | gressed; receded still farther, remain | ing to protect the baggage trains near
 Bristow station, while the rest of the army advanced to the second battle of
 Bull Run. When the rebel army, sup ] ported by three Federal generals had
 succeeded in defeating Pope, the Fifth was withdrawn nearer Washington
 thoroughly exhausted by the campaign Tn Jaunary, 1864, a large number of | the men re-enlisted and came home for
 a short furlough, being received in
 Hartford with honors and an address by the Hon. Henry c. Robinson; but previous to this the regiment had done
 excellent service in Tennessee, at Chat | tanoosa and on other memorable fields.
 April 30, 1864. the Fifth joined the forces under General Sherman at l Bridgeport, Ala, and from there
 moved with the column against the
 rebel army under General Joseph E. l Johnston At the battle of Resaca the | Fifth's color bearer was disabled by
 wounds when Adjutant c. Jay Du Bois
 seized the colors and gallantly carried |