The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-06-27


CHAPMAN, of Reading. 1t will doubt
less be read by many of our readers, VIII
have friends and relatives in that Re 81
with much interest:
CAMP NEAR LENoAH, TESN.,l
1 June 9th, A. u. 1865
DEAR FATHER I'VE have once
more returned to the land of com
munication, and determined, upor
this, the first opportunity in severa
weeks, to inform you Of my where
abouts and the doings of the It'll
Mich. Cavalry during the closing scenes
of the rebellion. / am heartily glaG
to again get back where / car
address you and other dear friends il
" Gods land" and whereI can receiv,
letters from you and them. If there
is any one thing which will cheer The
heart of a soldier in his solitary hours
after months of excessive marching
and fighting, it is to receive letters
near and dear friend at "Home, sweet
Home"
/ shall not attempt to give you hut
brief description of the proceedings
of the Eleventh for the past three
months, as 1 have not time, at present,
to 90 into minute details. We started
from Knoxville ON the morning of the
18th of March last, all wondering
where we could be moving to, but nc
one except our commander could tell,
and he did not seem inclined to con-
verse with us upon the subject, or sat
isfy our curiosity on that point. We
went as far as Strawberry Plains where
we encamped until the morning of the
10th, when we again took up the line
of march and went as far as Messy
Creek, where we again went into camp
and halted until the 23d, when we
again " "struck" camp and moved to
Morace Town. Here our easy times
rnded, For the next two days We
moved very fast until we got to Bob's
Mills, where we had a skirmish with
the enemy, without the loss of a man
on our part, although we "took in
several of the Johnnies. We moved
on from here until the 2ath without
any opposition, when we came upon a
body of Rebs, about seventy-fve in
number, just being organized, whom
we ordered to surrender, but they
" couldn't see it," and fired q volley
upon us, but we soon silenced thom
with few shots from our Spencer Car
hines; killing their Captain and render
ing several of their privates incapable
of doing further military duty. From
there we again moved OH to place
known as Peterson's Factory where
we again met small squad of the
enemy, but they took leg bail for Sc
curity and as it was about midnight
we could not see to pursue them, and
they escaped unwhipped of Justice
On the 3oth we charged town called
Wilksborough and scattered the rebs
in every detection and taking a goodly
number Of prisoners. The way the
boys went for the stores here was be-
yond description. The main thing
they wanted was tobacco, and almost
every san Of them might be seen
with from 40 to 60 lbs. strapped to his
saddle, feeling as "big as life" over
his prize. From there we marched
about twenty-five miles to place call
ed Jonesville, where we took a good
number Of prisoners. Here we got
information of Rebel wagon train
loaded with flour and grain, and that
was just what we wanted for we were
entirely out of catables. We again
took up our line of march about two
o'clock in the morning and marching
all day arrived at Mt Vernon where
we got some .rations, but we did not
stay here long rs we had an object in
view. Letting our horses rest about
two hours we again moved on. About
three o'clock p. NJ, we overlook and
captured the wagon train numbering
in all 80 wagons we'll loaded. Here
we went into camp expecting to stay
for the night, feasting ourselves and
horses upon captured luxuries. We
had not been there over two hours
when shoots and saddles" sounded,
and we were obliged to saddle up and
move on. We burnt all the wagons
also all the provisions that we could
not take with us. Marching all night
and the following day and night we
arrived at Christiansburg, Va, Here
we commenced our work of destruc.
ton, tearing up and burning the rail
road at q fearful rate for the distance
of about forty miles. After two days
hard work rail-roading we were an
ticipating good nights rest, but We
were ordered to move out, and orders
must be obeyed,-wc marched abou,
20 miles before we stopped, when We