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

NC dSeiSueo W nonue Otuei brigade. VI
course we are anxious and impatient
to know what is to be done with us but
wherever we may be ordered, or what
ever duty assigned to, you may conf
IDENTIFY rely upon the Sixth Regiment
adding honors to the noble State she
in part represents. ve qt-
Our Colonel has most of the time
since our being stationed here, been on
detached duty, as President of Court
Martial at Fort McHenry. To those
who knew Colonel Curtenius, as many
of your readers do, it is hardly neces-
sary to say that he is held in the highest
regard and esteem by the whole Regi-
ment. During his absence, the COM
mand devolved upon Lieut.. Col. Clark
and Major Bacon, who have shown
themselves (at least to our understand
ing) to be possessed of the highest or
der of military ability. M =
The experience gained by your
friend, Col. Clark, during the war with
Mexico, added to his natural qualities
for the profession, renders him high
ly efficient and valuable officer. 1A
Our company has been on special
duty for the past week, doing guard
duty over the Powder Magazines about
three miles from camp McKim, at a
point just opposite Fort McHenry on
the north side of the Patapsco River
at the entrance of the Harbor.
We call our little camp after the au-
thor of "The Star Spangled Banner"
A little to the left, and about two miles
out in the River from our camp, is
where the British fleet lay at the time
of the bombardment. On board of the
vessel KEY was held prisoner, and on
a morning, after a night of terrific FIR
ing, he discovered the Stars and Stripes
still flying at the Fort flag staff, and on
the inspiration of the moment COM
posed the song, SO the story goes.
The blockade of the Potomac, by
Rebel batteries, compels the immense
army supplies for Washington to pass
through this city, taking the Railroad
from here. The consequence is, that
for several days past, ever since the
blockade began to be respected" from
its efficiency" the Harbor has been
crowded with vessels, unloading as
fast as an opportunity would offer, at
the Railroad Depot. If the Potomac
blockade is not raised before cold
weather sets in, and ice begins to i'm
pede the navigation of the Chesepeak
Bay and Patapsco River, General Nc
Clellan may find some difficulty in pro
curing his supplies.
The Baltimoreans begin to feel lit
tie impatient at the long delay by Gov.
eminent in opening the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, about one hundred
miles of which is still under the man
aqenaeaat of the secessionists. This
blockade of their main dependence fol
the trade and produce of the west, has
damaged Baltimore to the amount Of
millions of dollars. The general ap
pearance of the city, from the almost
total loss of the large trade, is dull and
sombre in the extreme. The limited
necessary business transacted is con.
fined to small portions of the city, and
in others, where in the time of peace
gone by, the hum and hustle of trade
gave evidence of the life and vitality oil
great nation, II now is still and
quiet as a 'rural district" and green,
fresh grass actually springs up and
flourishes along the pavements and on
the sidewalks. But smiling peace will
come again to Baltimore, and to Mary
land, and her citizens will some day be
free from the thraldom which so emf
nently threatened them during the
early stages of the rebellion, and from
which they consider themselv es hardly
yet safe. &
The result of the Election on the 9th
inst, (the returns Of which you will
find in the Clipper which 1 send you)
is not considered a full test of the
strength of of the two parties in the
city if it was, there would be no ne
cessity of any force being stationed
here. The reason of the secession vote
being so small is, that individually, the
members of that party have not the
courage to so positively identify them
selves with it as they would, by openly
voting for its candidate. You will see
by the Police Report that several ar
rests were made of suspected parties
on their attempting to vote the seces-
sion ticket.