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Death of a Veteran

Orrin B. Egbert died near Soquel May 29,1917, aged 75 years. He was a Civil War veteran of Company C. Fifth New York Artillery. Since coming to this county he has lived up in the mountains near Skyland because of asthma. He was not known by the veterans of Santa Cruz because he rarely came to town. It was his desire that some of them should attend his funeral. Thursday afternoon some of them went to Soquel and officiated at his burial in the presence of a goodly number of citizens who gathered at the cemetery to pay respect and honor to him.

He leaves a brother, his only relative in California, to mourn his loss. Thus another veteran is mustered out and "his tent is pitched on fame's eternal camping ground.

Editorial Notes from Robert L. Nelson (January 26, 2004)

Residence was not listed; 20 years old. Enlisted on 8/13/1862 at Horseheads, NY as a Private. On 8/21/1862 he mustered into "C" Co. NY 5th Heavy Artillery He was Mustered Out on 6/22/1865 at Harper's Ferry, WV.

C company of the 5th NY Heavy Artillery was recruited principally at New York City, Brooklyn, Monterey, Big Flats, Valhalla, Catskill, Horseheads, Elmira, Armonk and Quarrytonville NewYork. The company organized, and served in New York harbor at Forts Hamilton, Lafayette, Wood, Gibson, Richmond and Schuyler, from March 11, 1862; at Baltimore, Md., and other points of the Middle Department, from May 28, 1862. The 1st Battalion, Companies A, B, C and D, served with the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Army of West Virginia, 8th Corps, served in the field from May, 1864 until it was relieved by the 2d Battalion, July 29, 1864, and returned to Harper's Ferry. The regiment served both as infantry and heavy artillery, and on July 19, 1865, it was honorably discharged and mustered out at Harper's Ferry, W. VA.

Date of Birth: 1842

Date of Death: 1917-29-05

County: Santa Cruz

Cemetery/City of Burial: Soquel Cemetery

Local Address: (Skyline)

Last City: Soquel

Native of: NY

Enlisted: 1862/08/13

Discharged: 1865/06/22

Military Unit: NY_ 5 HvA_ Co C

Rank: Pvt

Military Notes: E-Hrshd_ M/O Hrprs Frry

GAR#: N/R

Available records used to obtain information:
Cemetery records
Santa Cruz County death records
Military records
Santa Cruz and Monterey newspapers
Voter Records

CW Reference: Cemetery Survey