The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-08-04
ANNUAL REUNTON
OF The FIFTH EESTVIRGINIA BENTRY
ATCHARLESTON.
Editor Ceredo Advance

Inc annual reunion OF tue 9tn W
Va. Infantry, will be held at Charles
ton, Sept. 10, 1909. This being 50
close to The t5th anniversary of the
great battle of opequan, which was
fought on Sept. 9,ls6l, in which the
5th W. Va. had its full share, / feel
tempted to hand you for publication
a few facts that have not heretofore
appeared in print, as hereinafter de-
tailed.
This engagement had much to do
with the overthrow and collapse of
the Southern confederacy. The great
battle of Mission Ridge and Lookout
Mountain, fought above the clouds,
covering period of two days and
with larger force on both sides than
that of Sheridan, as per statistics on
file at the war department, show a
list of casualties on the Union side
of about 5000, while the list of
killed and wounded in Sheridan's
army at opequan was in excess OF
$500.
The advance guard of the Union
army came in collision with the out
posts of the rebel army about four
o'clock a. M, Monday, Sept. 10,
1864, and continued with almost un-
abated fury until nightfall, This con-
Aict resulted in sweeping victory
for the Union cause.
The flower of Lees army there,
Stonewall's veterans, their leader
then sleeping his last long sleep at
Lexington, Va, now under GeSeral
Early, their firm set batallions tow
er of strength; Breckenridge and
Fitzhugh Lee were there, too, to
strike another blow for the Lost
Cause" Their strength has been es-
timated at from $4,000 to 1900
men with = frIl comnlemcnt of ar
tillery. The Sixth Army Corps, 49,
900 strong, and the Nineteenth
Army Corps, with 10000 tried vet
Grams, led the advance of the Union
host. These two corps bore the bur
den and heat of the day from early
dawn until o'clock p. m. Victory
and defeat alternated for these long
ten hours between the embattled
hosts.
Sheridan had in his rear $, 900 sol
diers, 4 miles back ofhis line ofbattle,
under Gen. Crook, known as the Army
of West Virginia; as fine body of
soldiers as marched onto the battle
field. Far to the right and miles
away near Martinsburg pike, and
marching to the fray was the grand
est fighting machine the world ever
saw (Napoleon's Old Guard never
equaled them)- ten thousand cayal-
rymen under Custer and Forbet and
Merritt. Every man in that gallant
host was superbly mounted. Every
one of them could fire II times be-
fore reloading their pieces. A brace
of fye-shooting Colts revolvers hung
over their saddle pommels: breech-
loading, seyen-fring carbine slung
to their shoulders and a trusty sabre
at their sides.
Major Mckinley, afterwards Presi-
dent, swept down the road on his
mettled steed, ordered Gen. Crook to
close in with his eight thousand;
another messenger was dispatched
in hot haste to hurry up that cav
airy" And now General Crooks
eight thousand are on full swing for
the field of battle. Crossing the
opequan Ga stream near the size of
Twelve Pole) and mounting its pre-
cipitous heights, magnificent, thrill
ing and awe-inspiring sight met my
range of vision, such as | had never
before witnessed. Probably more
than one hundred cannous with their
deafening reverberations timed the
wild tumult. The very heavens SEEM
ed to be filed with bursting bombs.
History records that men, women