The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-06-11

ne had rather capture Manassas than
be President of the United States in
1865, he ordered an immediate advance
upon Manassas. The advance took
place without confusion or dismay, and
on the following morning Capt. William
Brown electrified the whole nation with
the magical words:
" We have met the enemy, and they
are hours-ahead of u.s.
"The backbone of the Rebellion be.
ing thus broken, the General of the
Mackerel Brigade wrote to Honest Abe
at Washington, as follows:
DEAR ri have at length sue
oessfnlly surprised the stronghold of
Manassas, and consider myself strong
enough to continue the war, if you can
send me few more troops. If you
can spare 10000 under Sergt. O'Pike,
and $4,000 under Colonel Wobert
Wobinson, from the defence of Wash
lDgton, | can wait for the other hundred
thousand until push forward again.
THE GENERAL OF THE MACKEREL BRIGADB.'
"This was on the 4th of April. Ow-
ing to the continual storms, and the
difficulty encountered in procuring um-
brellas for the troops, the Mackerel
Brigade was enabled to advance but
thirty-thres and half feet during the
ensuing four months, during which
time several State elections took place.
On the 4th of July the Honest Abe ad-
dressed the following note to the Cen
sral of the Mackerel Brigade:
GENERAL by your plan OF
drawing troops away from Washing
ton, the Capital would be left with
fewer soldiers than it now possesses ;
and if the capital is weakened, it fol-
lows, very clearly, that it will not be
strengthened. My plan is directly the
reverse of your plan, so that your plan
is Immediately opposite to my plan.
Allow me to ask you the following ques-
| tiOns
"I.-If your plan is different from
my plan, how can my plan be the same
as your plan?
'II.-If my plan does not agree
with your plan, wherein does your plan
assimiate with my plan?
III.-If your plan and my plan
are not the same plan, how can my plan
and your plan be one plans
"IV.-If my plan by opposing your
plan, shows that my plan is not at all
like your plan. how can your plan, by
differing from my plan, save Washing
ton accordingly to my plan, which is
not your plans "'H. ABE
Both plans were adopted, and in
the course of the succeeding two
months, the Mackerel Brigade shot a
couple of Confederacies. Shortly after
this, it was decided that an advance
should be made upon the city of Paris,
by way of Duck Lake, the iron plated
squadron of Rear Admiral Head being
detailed from the blockade, to take
the Mackerels across, as soon as a
heavy rain should make the lake too
deep for navigation by personal wa
ding. The troops were at the landing
at the appointed time, and were about
to embark in good order, when it was
discovered by the negro servant of one
of the officers, that they had forgotten
to bring any ammunition with them,
and that the iron plated squadron had
not arrived. This unfortunate discov.
cry made it necessary for the Mackerel
Brigade to fall back thirty three and a
half feet, and the General thus wrote
to the Honest Abe at Washington:
"'DEAR IR:-The safety of this
Army depends entirely upon its imme-
diate reinforcement by all the troops at
Washington, as my plan is entirely diff
ferent from your plan, and your plan
differs somewhat from my plan. The
importance OF saving Washington by
your plan is nothing when compared
with the opposite tenor of my plan !;
which might, after all, be the saving of
Washington by my plan, though my
plan does not agree with your plan. /
will stay with this Army, and die with
it, if need be, by my plan. ef
"'THE GENERAL OF THE MACkEREL BR1GApE.'
"Both plans were put in force, and
during the period elapsing between this
date and the middle of November, the
troops were busily engaged in fortify-
ing themselves-against the inclemen-
cy of the weather. Arrangements be-
ing made and completed for the decent
interment of such troops as should die
of old age before the next great move
ment took place, the General of the
Mackerel Rrioade had inst onaned a