The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-07-02
From the First Michigan Cavalry.
HEADQUARTERS FIRST MICHIGAN CAVALRY,
Fairfax Court House, Va,
June 18th. 1853.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST MICHIGAN CAVALRY,
Fairfax Court House, Va,
June 18th, 1858.
Everything has been uncommon live
ly in this Department for the last few
days. Perhaps / ought not publicly
call attention to any movements COM
ing under my observation or to my
knowledge at the present juncture of
military operations, lest some master
ly piece of strategy" should be interl
fered with, as consequence. Little
danger, however, do l fear of such a
contingency; nevertheless "wise men
keep their own counsel" The good
people of the North, may rest assured
that Hooker will not be caughtnapping.
Heis fully alive to every emergency,
and atsshe proper time you will hear of
his-Asstreabouts.
The weather for the past few days
has been exceedingly hot. A smart
shower this afternoon, however, has
proved perfect God-send to the over
taxed energies of many a care-worn
and tired soldier.
The incursion of the rebels into
Maryland and Pennsylvania creates no
surprise or alarm among the soldiers
here. They lock upon the movement
as one calculated, rather, to raise the
latest energies of the people at the
North, which has of late been devoted
and by far too much absorbed in politi-
cal discussions and party Vaccinations,
to the more lively sense of the impor-
tence Of the great work to be accom-
plished and the necessity of prompt,
united and vigorous action. We epine
that they will not penetrate far into the
loysl States, even if that be their pro-
gramme,-whieh we are inclinen to
doubt-ere the Union army will hurle
upon their traitorous heads and against
their polluting eareasses, such show
er of iron hail as to cause even more
percipitate retreat than it was once
their misfortune to make.
Last week the First Michigan Cav.
airy made a 6: big raid" the main fea-
lures of which will endeavor to state.
1 had intended to give detailed &C.
count of our operations while out, as
they were of a nature calculated to ex-
cite no little interest, but on account of
my inability to write at an earlier date,
a glance at the main features of the
expedition must suffice.
We left camp Saturday, June 9th, 4
O'Clock p. NJ, with about one hundred
and seventy picked men and four days
rations, accompanied by squadron of
the Cd Penn. Cavalry. The destina-
ton of the column of course was known
only by the officer in command-Major
Brown, of our regiment. 1t was whis-
pered about, however, that we were
going to Winchester, If zoe could get
there, which proved to be the case. On
the afternoon and evening of the first
day we marched to point some three
miles beyond Gainesville, Virginia
helmet, situated on the pike leading
from Alexandria through Centreville
and on to Warrenton, proper. Here
we 6ioouacked for the night, having
crossed Bull Run and the celebrated
battle field bearing that name. Some
picket firing occurred during the night,
the I'd Pennsylvania, being on post.
They were sent along as sort of an
escort and to do picket duty the first
night out and were to return the next
day, which they did.
Sunday morning we were in the sad
die and on the march at half.past 5
o'clock. The column moved off at a
good fast walk, passing through War
renton and other places of less porten-
tious mein. Meeting with no opposi-
ton until we came to q little place
known as Waterloo, but which is put
down on most maps as Blackwell. 1t
is well upon the North fork of the Rap
pahannock river and at the Southern
terminus of the Bull Run range OF
Mountains, where we met force OF
the enemy one hundred and fifty strong.
A brisk skirmish soon ensued but we
were not to be stopped by any force
which we could cut our way through,
we soon cleared our front and passed
on. 1t was our wish to pass over the
Mountain through Chester Gap before
night, if possible, but this delay Of
about two hours made that out of the
the question. We were aware that the
success of our expedition depended
upon our celebrity of movements, and