Started on the march, passing through Hyattstown, Urbana, joining the company at the Monocacy river, crossed the river and marched to Jefferson, where we encamped at 10 o'clock, night. 29th.-Marched; passed through Knoxville, Harper's Ferry, and encamped on Bolivar Heights. 30th.-Came back from Bolivar Heights, passing through Harper's Ferry, and Knoxville; marched until 2 o'clock, the morning of the 31st, when we encamped near Frederick. 1st-Remained in camp. 2d.-Marched one mile and encamped. 3d.-Passed through Buckettown, forded the Monocacy, and encamped on the bank. 4th,-Divine Service in camp. 5th.-In camp. 6th.-Took up the line of march at 10 o'clock; marched all night, and the 7th, encamped on Bolivar Heights. Remained in camp until the 10th, when we started on another raid after the Johnnies, passing through Berryville, and Charlestown. Halted for the night at 5 o'clock. 11th.-Marched up the Shenandoah Valley, encamped at 6 o'clock for the night. 12th.-Marched until 9, evening, passing through Newtown. Halted for the night. 13th.-Marched to within four miles of Strausburg, passing through Middletown. The Johnnies made a stand, and we popped away into them. We fired into their rear all of the way from Berryville up the valley. We remained in camp until the 6th, when we returned to Harper's Ferry, destroying grain and hay, gathering up cattle and horses. Our boys foraged all the way back; at Winchester we burned a large flouring mill. The Johnnies followed us to Harper's Ferry, or rather to Bolivar Heights, where we made a stand, and captured, during last week, some 1,500 prisoners. 18th. They fell back, and we followed them as far as Charlestown, where our cavalry attacked their rear. We don't want to fight them, but bother them, in order to keep them from going to Richmond, to reinforce Lee. Well, my friend, I am tired, and I think you will be, by the time you get this letter read." "If you choose, you may read this to Cothren, and my brother Fred; also to Capt. Sperry. Remember me to all inquiring friends, especially Mrs. T." Yours, fraternally, Sergt. W. J. ORTON." "COLD HARBOR, Va., 12th June, 1864. "FRIEND TROWBRIDGE:-I received your letter day before yesterday, and I was happy to hear from you. Time has made several changes since I last wrote to you. Our regiment marched day and night, commencing May 18th, up to June 1st. We marched all night of May 30, and up to June 1st, at 10 o'clock, and about 5 o'clock of the same day made a charge on the rebel rifle-pits, taking three, but owing to the want of support could not hold but two of them. Our Colonel was killed, after receiving four wounds. He led the charge. Our loss is 380, killed, wounded and missing. Old soldiers say that our regiment was whipped three different times, but our men did not know it, and continued to fight. Our regiment took between 5 and 600 rebel prisoners. They came in fast, for a while. Almond D. Galpin was killed, also Friend F. Kane, at the commencement of the charge-Galpin by a shell, and Kane by a ball. Briggs was wounded two days after in his tent, by a ball from the rebels striking him on the foot, I think that is all of the old men. L. H. Hotchkiss is wounded in the hand; some eleven of the men were slightly wounded. I have forgotten Corporal Wellman, he was wounded in the face, also in the arm. Several of our boys are sick with the summer complaint. We have communication opened to the James river, and we shall get our supplies from there. Balls and shell whistle all of the time. Our company are out on picket. My duty does not take me away from camp. The rebels that I have talked with say, this is the last campaign. They also say that that Ewel, Beauregard and Lee make speeches to the men every night. Some think we are sure to win. They admit that they cannot tell anything about Grant's movements. Well, I must close, as my duty will not permit me to longer indulge in writing to my friends. Yours fraternally, "We left camp Sunday, at 8 o'clock, and marched all night, and all day, until seven, and out of the time we marched thirty-two miles, and only rested three hours, out of the twenty-three. Yesterday we marched about eight miles, and we now are near the banks of the James river. Burnside's army crossed last night. They say our destination is Petersburg, south of Richmond. Grant says we must have Richmond by the 4th of July. But our men have got to fight before they get it. Grant keeps making flank movements, and gets nearer Richmond every time he moves. He stops in one place until he gets the whole rebel forces in the position that he wants them, then starts off in the night and leaves them behind. Our boys are tired out, foot sore, sick, and completely worn out. A sick man has got to march, as well as the well men. We have got a regular officer for a Colonel, and he is so strict that he abuses his men. We never shall have another man like Col. Kellogg. You may show this letter to Captain Sperry, and it will answer the place of two letters. It is hard to write in the army. I have got some postage stamps. Remember me to all inquiring friends. I remain yours, fraternally, W. J. ORTON. Our soldiers serving in the south had a variety of vicissitudes and experiences, besides fighting the enemy. Major Frye, writing from Pass Marchal, says:— "The moccasins and rattlesnakes are quite abundant, and apparently old settlers, as we killed one with nine rattles. They are quite a protection against a flank movement of the enemy through the swamp; and the aligators actually stick their noses into the tents, in hopes of stealing a biscuit or a piece of pork. And then, all night long, the soldier is lulled to sleep by the most infernal croaking of tree-toads, and kept asleep by the buzzing and biting of myriads of mosquetoes and yellow flies. One knows not how it is; but though every soldier has a musquito bar, still daylight will find as many inside as out: and then innumerable green lizards about four inches long, harmless, but sportive, gambol and catch flies and mosquitoes freely upon your face and body." And so the fourth year closed with a general waning of the rebellion, and a tightening of the cords by which the traitors were becoming bound, as with hooks of steel, under the magnificent valor of the union armies, and the splendid generalship of Gen, Grant. 1865. The year opened auspiciously, and as soon as army movements could be made, there was a combined movement and determination on the part of all, officer and man, to squelch the rebellion, and that right speedily. And the campaigns of the year were begun with the hope and expectation of soon bringing the war to a successful close. In this final grapple, we had Grant before Richmond, Sherman in the south-west, and Terry in the south-east, respectively, working at the rebels trunk, and giant limbs, while officers and men, and all were in their best fighting trim. As the people of our State looked on the struggle, they recalled, with pardonable pride, the fact that these three soldiers, -Grant, Sherman and Terry,-who had become the supreme hope of the nation in its hour of agony, had all sprung from a long line of ancestors, who were born upon the soil, and trained in the district schools of Connecticut. And old Woodbury had the proud satisfaction of having furnished the lineage of two of themGrant and Sherman.1 Nearly all the Woodbury soldiers who were now in the war, except those who were serving in the grand old 5th Connecticut under Sherman, in his ever-memorable and glorious "March to the Sea," were in the regiments which were concentrated around Petersburgh and Richmond, under Grant, and were soon to witness, and assist in the fall of these two strongholds, after a deadly siege, which had existed some ten months. The war had far advanced, and there was an urgent need of men before even the northern mind could be educated up to the point of employing the services of colored troops. At length it was permitted, and Gov. Buckingham issued his call for the 29th Regiment. It was readily filled, as was also the 30th. The 29th contained a considerable number of Woodbury colored men, and it was now employed in the siege of Petersburgh and Richmond, being placed nearer Richmond than the white regiments. On the preceding October, Grant had made a last effort to turn the Confederate right, and in this movement, the 29th was engaged: "Stubbornly was the advance contested; but from tree to tree, from bush, rock, and rifle-pit, the rebel skirmishers were driven, until they broke, and fled into the woods. The brigade remained in the woods while the 29th pushed forward, nearly six hundred 1 Samuel Grant, Jr., of Windsor, married Grace Minor, daughter of Capt. John Minor, of Woodbury, and the father and ancestors of General Sherman were natives of Woodbury, from the first settlement of the town, in 1672. strong, until they had made their way close up to the breast works, from which poured a heavy fire. At this time, the enemy opened upon the 29th from a battery in an angle of the works; sweeping the line with shot and shell, and threatening to render it untenable. A well-directed rifle-fire silenced it. The gunners fell at their guns. Comrades attempted to crawl up; but they were shot down or forced back, and the guns remained as silent as if spiked. The blacks exhausted their ammunition, but replenished their supply from the dead or wounded. They vied with each other in deeds of daring. In a lull of battle they would call out, 'How about Fort Pillow to-day?' 'Look over here, Johnny, and see how niggers can shoot!' They exposed themselves with the utmost recklessness and indifference; and Capt. Camp was obliged to restrain them from useless exhibitions of their courage. "During the afternoon, various points of the rebel works were assaulted, but without success. The 29th remained in front, firing until the muskets became so foul that the charge could not be rammed home. Nightfall found the regiment still engaged with unwearied enthusiasm where they had been for fifteen hours. By eight o'clock, the firing gradually slackened, and finally ceased; and the regiment remained on the skirmish-line till daylight. A violent storm drenched the men completely; but they were vigillant until relieved. "By this time, our negroes had showed that they could fight, if anybody had sincerely doubted it. On the skirmish-line this day, the 29th had lost twelve killed and sixty-seven wounded. Among the latter was Capt. James C. Sweetland, During the advance of the morning, Sergeant Jacob F. Spencer, of Clinton, ran far ahead of the line, and captured, single-handed, two armed rebels, and brought them back prisoners. They afterwards declared that they would never have surrendered to him if they had known'he was a 'nigger. Gen. Weitzel presented Spencer with a medal for gallantry. "Adjutant H. H. Brown said in the regimental report, Though twenty-three hours on the skirmish line, and the men excessively fatigued, I beg to call especial attention to the fact that there are none missing. When we returned to camp yesterday afternoon, we brought every man we took out, excepting those killed and wounded.'" And in the final success of the union arms, in the surrender of Gen. Lee and his army, we find this regiment conspicuous: |