, 1862-10-04
The Sixth Michigan Regiment and
the LaIe Gen. Williams.

The Sixth Michigan Regiment and
the LaIe Gen. yV1liiams.
We afe requested by number Of friends OF
the. 9Th Michigan regiment. of Baton Rouge
fame, to copy from the Berrien county Fee
man lengthy article concerning the trent.
ment which the regiment suffered at the
lands Of the late Gen. Willtams- We are
obliged to decline publishing the whole. Of
the Article, which is ably written, and, SO far
rs ne know, entirely fruitful, on account Of
its length. We copy, however. the following
paragraphs as illustrative Of the whole, pre-
eunif9 that the writer gives the facts to the
public MI for the purpose of vilitying the
dead but to Tindieats the living:
Willie the general was at Ticksburg, q con-
traband came off In 4 small boat to thX:
steamer on which the 9th Has, and brought
full and accurate information respecting the
f.bel works, and their strength. So well
pleased W6s the general with the frankuess
and intelligence of the slave, that be told
him to cone On board and he would protect
him. He accordingly took refuge On the
boat, and came with the troops to Baton
Rouge, and took the lead Of the working par
ties Of contrabands- He showed himself to
be 3 faithful and superior man. Il was but
short time, however. before s1aYe nunter,
notorious rebel by the name of Lobdell,
claimed the slave as pretended agent OF tue
owner BE applied to Williams for an order
to deliver him up Williams, In violation Of
his Surrender: The poor Terrified eisvetook
refuge on the steamer, and concealed himself
in tie hold On searching he could not be
found. An order Was thereupon given that
steam be turned into the hold, aud Ihua drive
intended effect, and the wretched msu, escap-
ing from the boat, fed for projection to the
barracks Of the 9th. Lobdeu pursued him
and with a club, fell upon him at the
gate, Just as Capt. Bacon was en-
te1ing. He knowing what was going
en- ilterfered and threatened to shoot LOB.
dell on the spot, If he struck the negro az aia,
and thereupon Lobdeu dessted- The slave
was then protected In the barracks. Upon
learning what had taken place, Williams or
the co}onI retusedto do SO. Thereupun tne
colonel WAS arrested, and tue regiment WIS or
dertd to leave the barracks and encamp with
cut tent OK shelter in the outskirts of the
town. The officers obeyed, and marched the
men TO the appointed spot Of ground, and
! and dew, with no shelter but bushes and
trees-al this was done as punishment
This took place about the middle Of Ju4e,
| The troops we're crowded iuto transports to
| 20 to Vicksburg, and were on them for TWEEN
ey-one days, on half fations, as it Was called.
|
| beet sud coffee, and rhis Was all. They
had NO means Of cooking, except at the
t1ues under the boiler, and this afforded but
| ecaLty mtars to make coffee- Williams re.
fused to let them go; ashore, although the
boat vas then titd up to . tree BY the Ievee.
| TIE officers entreated Williams TO a'1o the
tufft,1rE men to 60 ashore. he refused HI
Was tod they were starving, and being made
sick 1y eating raw beef. His reply was
"Gcd u-m them, they are hogs and eat toe
muci.; they Dc nothing but eat and -
At last the re- froept returned to Baton Rouge
TIE men and officers were covered with y0r
min, and tick with scurvy and fever.
In July the general again ordered the 6tt
regiment to leave their barracks, to m .kt
rooE for the 9Th Z Gnnscueus, and encAml
and a halt from the river, aud there sta!
without tent or shslseE. From fifty to 1O
| men were then sick In the barracks
Some were convaleecens, some yet had fever
The weather was hot, the vertical rays Of tn
sun could hardly be endured. Col Ci,rk r.
moustra ted-ntreatsd d, but In vain. H. TIL
the general that the men wero sick, ind tha
they could not endure the exposure. William