The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-05-29

HEApouARrERs Co., NJ. FIRsr MICHIGAN
CAVALRY, HARRIsoNBuRe. Va, May 4, 1852


HEApouARrERs Co., NJ, FIRsr MICHIGAN
CAVALRY, HARRIsoSBURG. Va, May 4, 1861
FRIEND CAMPBELL Once more
beautiful sunny Sabbath has dawned
upon us, and its enlivening, genial in
fluences, after the dreary, dismal
weather we have been having, are most
s,rikingly felt and appreciated. This
clear, beautiful sunshine-the life-giv-
ing principle to all created matter, in
fuses Into ones soul all those elments
so essentially requisite to a calm, peace
full and happy life. None can more
fully appreciate the inestimable value
to both soul and body-of good
weather than the Soldier, because none
are more exposed to the elements than
they; and none are more ready and
willing to offer thanks, and "bless the
glorious giver who doeth all things
WELL" for boon so dear and richly
priced, especially by them. This
place, (Harrisonburg,) is the County
seat of Rockingham County-is very
pleasantly situated and contains some
very good buildings-better than any
other town we have heretofore passed
through. The valley in this vicinity is
very rich and fertile, and can hardly be
surpassed for grazing purposes. Nearly
fifty thousand head of cattle were
driven into this valley by the rebels to
Craze, number of thousand of which
fell into our hands, this giving Uncle
Sans boys plenty of the very finest
kind of beef.
COLUMBIA BRIDGE, May 10, 1862.
You will see that commenced this
while at Harrisonburg. / intended to
have closed it before getting mp from
my seat, but marching orders pre-
vented. Days have gently passed
away into the vortex of eternity since
my last letter was penned, but the
march of time is SO rapid with us sol
diers that a few days, and even weeks,
pass away almost unconsciously and
| can hardly realize that so long pc.
riod has passed since writing You my
last letter. | believe l last wrote you
from Strasburg or New Market. Since
then we have been on the move almos,
constantly, having penetrated as far NJ
the valley as Mount Crawford, beyond
Fl arrisonburg, to the North Branch Of
the Shenandoah river. Our forces fell
back from Harrisonburg OH Monday
the 5th inst, to New Market. Owing
TO want OF transportation we were
obliged to leave quantity of commits
sary stores, such as hard bread, flour
beans DC. Company F, of our rcgi-
ment was compelled to leave number
of tents, also a portable blacksmith
forge. Ashby, upon entering the place
after our withdrawal, saw this forg,
upon the summit of the hill where WI
had encamped, and, supposing it to be
some internal machine of yankee con
trivance, Immediately turned his two
parrot guns upon it and xhaled away
SCATTERING the old forge most unmerci
fully. No doubt but that he was some
what shagrinned upon learning the ma
, ture of the object upon which he ha,
been reaking his summary vengeance
Our forces arrived at New Marke
Monday night, a distance of eighteen
miles from Harrisonburg. On Tuesda,
+ Gen. Shields Brigade, in whose com
nand We now are,-passed through
. Swift Cape, over the Mannasutt:
Ridge, into what is called Mannasutt.
Valley" Here our forces are Ell
: camped OH the banks Of the Shenan
doah and near the Gordonsville Pike
We are here, it is supposed, to check
mate any movement of portion o
Jackson's troops under Gen. Ewall
who recently reinforced him, and who
is now stationed about ten miles from
our lines up the valley. A portion o
the 18th Indiana, aud two companies
of the Vermont cavalry had quite ;
severe skirmish with the rebels on tn,
/ 18th inst. last. The rebels were i'm larg,
force, and our boys were driven bacl
with loss of one or two killed, som,
prisoners and few missing. The Yer
monters were compelled to swim tn,
; river TO keep from beingstaken prison
ors. Our force was but small, not NOR,
than two or thwe hundred. and on
merely to reconnoiter, and, advancing
too far were surrounded, or nearly so
: by the enemy in force, and it is rather
. surprising. all things considered, tina
they were not entirely cut off and takeI
, prisoners. Yesterday our company
e with company X, made a reconnois
E ance in the Immediate vicinity of tn,
SElrmiShiur trrouo1 Wo fnupd ono =,