The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1864-03-10
From the First Michigan Cavalry.
The DHcultu at EZnira.

ITO A.UeOesey w LZWtHu
Special Correspondence of the Detroit Free Press
HEADQUARTERS OF TsE FIRST MICHIGAN
CAVALRY, Eimira, N. Y, Feb. 25.
As there will doubtless he many mis-
statements made with reference to an
unfortunate little affair which unfort-
unately occurred to-day in this place,
and in which the First Michigan Cav.
airy figured somewhat largely, take
the liberty of stating to our friends
through the columns of your paper, the
exact facts in the case
The regiment left Kalamazoo on
Tuesday morning, and proceeded " 18th
little delay TO this place, which we
reached this morning, having been
forty eight hours OH the cars, many OF
them of the poorest description, partc-
ulasly those from Cleveland to Dunkirk,
au,l the men subsisting altogether on
cold meat aud bread. | mention this to
show that the men were not i'm the best
possible condition or spirits.
On reaching Elmira this morning
the cars were Immediately vacated by
order of the Superintendent, and the
men told to wait about the depot the
arrival of the cars which were TO take
them to Baltimore, which were hourly
expected. AS the day wore on and the
cars failed TO arrive, the men began to
straggle about town TO get something
to eat A small party entered noto-
riously disreputable tavern called the
Franklin House, where they satisfied
the wants of the inner man and went
away peaceably. After some time the
same party returned to the same house
and called for something to drink, which
was refused, for the reason as the pro.
prietor stated, that they had'ut paid
their previous bills. This led to some
words, which resulted in the proprie.
tors calling the boys lying sons of BIS,
and at the same time striking one Of
them on the head twice, with a large
dinner bell, inflicting two serious
wounds, and tracturing his skull. This
was Immediately taken up by the bal.
ance of the party, who proceeded to
demolish the furniture pretty freely.
This done they retired. About an hour
subsequent to this a portion of the
party, together with few more who
had no hand in the matter before, re-
turned to "bave it out" About this
time couple of battalious of the In
valid Corps were mached up to the
scene of the disturbance and ordered
to arrest the belligerents, instead of
doing which however, as they easily
might have done, not man among
them having weapon of any kind ;
they began to amuse themselves by
using their bayoneis and swords on
whoever was nearest to them. This
amusement not proving sufficiently ex.
citing, they soon commenced an indis
criminate firing on the crowd. One of
the First Michigan men, who had
taken no part in the riot, Sam'l Severns
by name, was shot in the had, killing
him instantly. Hearing the disturbance
captain, two lieutenants and an order
ly sergeant who were playing billiards
directly across the street, rushed out to
see what was the matter, when some
valiant Invalid shot the Orderly Ser
geant in the breast, inficting danger
Gus, If not mortal wound. The mill
now became general, and so needless
were 'nese heroes where they aimed,
nat nearly as many of their own num-
Der were wounded as of ours.
After short time quiet was again
restored, and those valiant warr;ors
held undisputed possession of the fold
l cannot now give the names of tho
wounded with the exception of the Ser
geant, whoes name is Charles Crooks.
This is a plain unvarnished state
maEf of the facts In tho case