JOSEPH and SOLOMON LATOUR – 5(th) CAVALRYTWO BROTHERS IN 5th CAVALRY - On January 2, 1864, two brothers, whowere born in Sorel, Quebec, enlisted in the 5th Cavalry in Champlain onJanuary 2, 1864. Joseph and Solomon, both under 5’ 6” with dark eyes,dark hair and dark complexions, enlisted under the name Lature. Theirparents, Solomon Latour, dit Balard and Angeline Hus dit Paul, came toClinton County after their birth and settled in Beekmantown for a fewyears.Seven men enlisted in Champlain during that recruitment and all receiveda $200 town bounty when they enlisted. They probably got to Virginia intime for the first engagement of 1864, the skirmish at Ely’s Ford on theRapidan River. It was the regiment’s 89th engagement since they beganwith their first skirmish at Port Republic on May 2, 1862. On the 8thengagement after Ely’s Ford, they found themselves at Palmer’s Store onthe day before the Battle of the Wilderness. During the battle at thestore, they had 14 men killed, 23 men wounded and 22 men who wentmissing or were captured.Joseph was one of the men captured and was recorded as "Missing inAction" on his Muster Roll Abstract. His family had to accept that hedied there.Solomon, the elder brother, went on to the regiment’s 99th engagement onMay 6th – the Battle of the Wilderness. The Rebels under General Leeadvanced on the Union Army almost to Grant’s headquarters which waswithin musket range of the enemy. In the History of the 5th NY Cavalry,by Louis Boudrye, he writes – “Grant resolved to fight it out on thisline and his band was quickly advanced into the woods as far aspossible, where it struck up Yankee Doodle. The exhausted men wererecharged and, inspired by the notes, and with a wild should of battle,they charged the enemy and drove them back to their former lines.”For the next several months, until the end of the war, the 5th Cavalrywas in 81 more battles and skirmishes and had their 171st and lastbattle at Appomattox Court House on April 9,.1865. On July 19th, Solomonwas mustered out and returned home from Winchester, VA.He lived in Plattsburgh after the war, and sometime after 1870, livedalone in Wisconsin. In 1890, he started receiving a pension there. Inlater life, Solomon went to live in Pittsfield, MA, to work in the millsthere. He died on February 3, 1915.
