The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-11-21

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upon my time has prevented my fulfill
ing the promise / made to you before
leaving Dowagiac, and though have
not the vanity to suppose that you
or your readers have lost seriously by
my neglect to write as soon as my
friends implied / should, still l will re-
new the obligation and try to be more
punctual in the future, and furnish you
from time TO time such accounts of the
situation of our Sixth Regiment, and
the occurrences connected with it as /
may think will be worth publishing for
the interest and information of those of
your readers who have friends in it.
We are still occupying McKim's Hill
where we first encamped on reaching
Baltimore, with no present prospect of
our being ordered to any other point.
The force now stationed about in the
immediate vicinity of the city (some
eight Regiments is not considered by
the Union citizens and military authori-
ties, any larger than is necessary for the
safety of the city and State, so long as
the great Southern army occupies such
an advance and threatening position as
it now does, while at the Same time
nearly or quite one half of the popula-
ton of Maryland are supposed to be in
favor of the secessionists.
In the event of any important sue
cess by the Rebel army in Virginia, it
is apprehended that the secession ele-
ment in this State would be again
aroused from its present dormant state
and encouraged to make demonstra-
ton of its strength, and another effort
to attach itself to the Southern Con-
federacy. Hence the necessity of, and
the reasons for so many Northern Reg
iments being kept here. If you wonder
why the Maryland Regiments are not
employed in defending their own State,
that question is answered by the fact
that Government long ago refused to
equip or recognize any force raised in
the State except upon the condition
that they should be organized under
the law of Congress, and be subject to
do duty in any of the States where
ordered-on this condition recruiting
has not been very brisk, and Beaure-
gard can show as many Marylanders
in his confederate army as Mcclellan
can in Uncle Sans. Besides this, the
loyal people here show decided pre-
ference to Northern troops as their pro-
demonstrating themselves and their
cities in the safe keeping of Yankee"
soldiers. rather than their own.
From all outward appearances, how
ever, it is difficult for one to believe that
the presence of single Federal soldier
is necessary to sustain or defend the
cause of the Union, or it's friends in the
city. From all zoe can see, our pres
ence here is no more necessary to sus-
tain the Government, than it would be
in Detroit or Chicago, while at the
same time probably one half of the
population are praying for the coming
of jeff" regarding us, as they call all
Northern soldiers, their subjugators. u
The Union people on the contrary
are lavish of their hospitality and kind.
ness toward us. If all their invitations
to the enjoyment of the social circle,
and all their offers to take to their homes
and provide for our sick could be &C.
cepted, hardly a soldier would be in
camp of an evening, and the Hospital
would be without patient. In
spite of every precaution to prevent it,
the good people have in many eases
came to camp and toated off the sick
and bestowed upon them all the care
and attention that they could have had
at their own homes in Michigan.
Our company ("D") have had a
large share of sickness-probably more
men reported at the hospital than any
other of the Regiment. Our moral
condition, however, is better than our
physical in comparison with other com.
panies, which is shown by the fact that
practically none, with only one excep-
ton, of our men have yet seen the in
side of the Guard House.
The routine of duty at our camp
though strictly according to Army
Regulations, is not severe, and is per-
formed by the men with all the formal
| ity and correctness of old time soldiers.
Our camp is dry and airy-having
rather too much of the latter quality in
windy weather-our tents are of the
most approved kind, and supplied with
floors. Straw is not furnished by the
quartermaster, and as it is indispensi-