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Regiment: 6th Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: James E. B. Stuart
Camp Gray March 1st
Dr Father & Mother
When your letter arrived
here in Camp I was absent. We had march
ing orders last Wednesday night at 12 oclock
to be ready by 2 oclock that morning so
we went to work rolling up our blankets
and puting up feed for our selves and
Horses. I had not shut my eyes that
night for I was quite unwell and I heard
the officers runing around giving orders I
mistrusted what was up so after awhile I woke
some of the boys and told them that
we had marching orders they would
not believe it for they had not heard
a word of it so in a few minutes a Sergeant
came in to and orders us to get ready for
a march I could not speak loud I was so
hoarse but I though I would go I felt
as though I did not want to stay behind so I went
to work and got ready and by two oclock
we was mounted and started for dixie
and to make things worse it commenced
to rain just as we started and it kept it
up most of the day though it was horad
it was a kind of a fogy, drizly day we
cross long Bridge and was in to
Virginia before daylight we dismounted
to wait for the fifth Mich. Cavalry to wait we had
there about on hour and to make it worse
there was snow on the ground and such
roads I never saw before our horses was covered
as well as ourselves there was five of
our Company out and 10 of the fifth so
that made us a thousand strong so on we
went we passed through Alexandria
I did not se much of I was among the ad-
-vance guard and we rode through there on
the gallop we past through Fairfax
that look is it as though it had witness
some pretty hard fighting it is the most
desolate looking country that I have seen
for as the eye can see fences all gone and
houses torn down and what few is standing
are mostly deserted
My horse stood first rate, after I had
led him and made him as comfort
-able as I could under the circumstances
would permit. We could not get any
wood to make a fire that is what
we could get cleared to get round
I was pretty sleepy and tired loaded
down with one thing and another
I laid my rifle on my saddle took
of my belt and revolver unstrap my
poncho and blanket from my
saddle and two more of the boys
concluded we would lay down so
we laid our ponchos down on the
snow three of them and then we
had three blankets to throw over
us I slept three hours sound as ever
I did in my life I was call up to
stand guard over the horses. Every man
stood one hour at a time and then
was relieved so while I was watching
them I took my curry comb and
brush and went to cleaning my
horse and got him looking quite
nice. When my time was out I went
to the bed and it was all water Geroge
Washburn my chum was still laying
down so I let him lay and sleep
as long has he could stand it
all right I went to the fire that
they had but I got more of the smoke
than I did of the fire it was about
12 oclock and commenced to rain
again so I went to George and told
him if he did not want to drown
out he had better get up so he got
up and we went to work and roll
our blankets up and strap them to
our saddles again and put our
saddles on our horses to keep them
out of the wind it rain more or less
untill daylight
I was sitting on my saddle before
daylight for I had got tired of standing
around Just as daylight began to peep
the order came to mount and to
take three days rations for our horses
one of the men next to me on my
left in the same tent that I am
he was sick when we started he
spoke up and said he thought
we had better go back to camp for
he did not think that we could
stand it ride that day and
keep up so I told one of the Sergeants
that I did not think I could
stand it to keep up for my lungs
was so sore that I could not bear
my belt around me and I knew that
they was going to Warrington 20 miles
as quick as they could make it one of
the Sergeants was coming home so
we travel all that day stop once
the other side of Fairfax to feed our
horse some grain we had not more than
ten minutes the order was fall in and
of we went again we did not load our
our rifles untill we pass Fairfax then
the order was left in to line dismount
load well that excited us we was not long
in loading when we mounted and
rode faster than before we reached Centerville
about sundown it is not much of a place
There is a large fort regular pickets there
we went through the fort and encamped
for the night a nice place to encamped
the snow and wind we got our horses in line
and hitched them together put our saddles
in front of the horses and fed them
the rest of the grain that we had brou
ght the poor horses was pretty tired for
they had been on the go for 15 hours
So the Cap. said those that could
not stand it go on was to take the
horses that was not able to on and leave
our with them so I had to my horse
and bring back to camp one that was
lame we started we could not ride so
a walk we stop and call for some dinner
we wash up and eat some dinner
ham and eggs and biscuit and some
good coffee for which we paid 50 cents
for mounted our horses much easier than
we did that morning and made our
way to Washington we pass through
Fairfax coming back they was comeing
in with seven prisoners they was dress
in gray clothes. They put them in
jail to await what was before them.
we arrived in camp that night at suns
-et tired out yesterday I was quite sick
I took a dose of pills last night
they are slow to work but I feel some
better to day. I am taking Dr
Jaynes Expectorant. so I guess I have
given you a brief history of our first
introduction in an enemys country
and for the first time I call it
pretty rough but if I had been well
I could have stood it I heard this
morning that our Cavalry had got
Stewarts Cavalry cornered he had
cross the river I hope it may
be true The night that we left there
was 30,000 troops cross long Bridge
for Virginia and a large portion
of them was Cavalry I hope that
our boys will have good success
I should like to be with them
but I must close as I want to write
a few lines to Alfred I was glad to hear
that the money was all right my love
from your son William G. Whitworth
I wrote a letter to Emily last Sunday
Today it is a wet nasty day My thoughts
are with our boys that are out on a scout
[On Envelope:]
Mr. George Whitworth
Laphamsville
Kent Co
Mich
