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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp of the 3rd Mich. Cav.
Lagrange, Tenn
June 21, 1863
Mr. Editor:
Thinking that perhaps a letter from this part of our Good Old Uncles dominions would be of some interest to some of your numerous patrons, I have concluded to write a description of a nine days raid into the ill fated State of Mississippi. On the 16
th inst a force of cavalry twenty five hundred strong consisting of the 3
rd Mich the 2
nd Iowa and two or three regiments of Ills. Cav. Left this place under the command of John K. Mizner Col of the Third Mich and Chief of Cavalry for the 16
th Army Corps. We proceeded south until we reached Hudsonville, a small place near the Cold Water and situated seven miles north of Holly Springs. From here we moved in a southwesterly direction for several miles and halted to feed our horses and eat dinner on the banks of the Cold Water. After a rest of a couple of hours we resumed the march and after a ride of fifteen miles we camped in the woods for the night. The second Iowa which was in the rear was fired into by a small party of Guerrillas who were following up the column and one man was so severely wounded that he had to be left behind at the house of a citizen. 17
th early in the morning we were again in the saddle. A ride of fifteen miles brought us to Wyatt a small town on the banks of the Tallahatchie River. We found the bridge across the stream had been destroyed and the river was not fordable. A detail was at once made to build a foot bridge which was soon accomplished. On this the men carried over the saddles and equipment while the horses were crossed over by swimming. But we succeeded in getting safely over with the loss of one mule. The whole force got over the stream that day with the exception of the 11
th Ills. It was eleven o’clock before our regiment was all over and to add to the uncomfortableness of the situation a drizzling rain commenced falling just before night and the night was very dark and the roads were muddy.
After we had all crossed in safety we moved forward a distance of four miles and bivouacked for
the night on the plantation of a wealthy old secessionist who had fled and taken with him as many of his darkies and mules as he could as soon as he heard of our approach. Just here I will relate an incident that occurred on this plantation. At least the boys all say it is so, and there is nothing improbable about it. The lady of the house seeing that the soldiers were taking possession of her mules that were left went to Co. Mizner and asked him to prevent them from seizing her property. Said she “Col., the men are taking all my mules and I wish you would stop them from doing so,.” Said the Col, “I can’t stop them.” “Oh yes you can,” replies she, “You can command them to do anything else and surely you can stop them from taking my mules.” “Madam,” answered the Col, “I am going to take every mule and horse that I can find in this country.” The lady said no more.
We resumed the march at ten a.m. of the 18
th. Co. “C” of the 3
rd Mich being the advance of the column. We captured several men during the day who pretended to be citizens but as they fled upon the approach of our column we thought they were rather suspicious characters and so took them into custody and mustered their horses into the service of the United States. A little before sunset we fell in with the rebel pickets who were driven from their position by a gallant charge of seven men of Co. “C.” There were thirty rebs on the picket post and they were so frightened that they fled like a flock of sheep without so much as firing a single gun. The result of the charge was the capture of four rebels with their horses and arms. They were so badly scared that they left guns blankets and saddle bags filled with clothing indeed they were glad to escape themselves without carrying anything away with them. This transpired eight miles from Panola a small town on the south shore of the Tallahatchie and on the railroad running from Memphis to Granada. From the prisoners we learned that there was a force of five hundred secesh in Panola. On the morning of this day Mayor Hudson of the 3
rd with a small detachment of men had been sent to cut the railroad between Panola and Granada. This he succeeded in doing after a short skirmish with the rebs who were guarding the bridge which resulted in the killing of one of the rebels and no loss to us.
19
th. We took up our line of march for Panola at an early hour in the morning but found when we reached the place that the bird had flown, the Confeds have skeddaddled as usual. We halted here about three hours and then recrossed the Tallahatchie on a flat boat and took up our line of march to the northward. Capt Latimer of Co. C 3
rd Mich who had been sent out on a scout to the southward of Panola fell in with quite a large force of the enemy under the notorious Forrest who were moving towards us. We had a brisk little skirmish with them which resulted in no loss to ourselves and the killing of a Lieut for the enemy. From panola commenced the destruction of rebel property and during a march of three days we carried the sword in one hand and the torch in the other. Everything in the shape of forage was burned. Corn,. field of wheat in the stack, fences, cotton, cotton gins and mills all shared in the general conflagration. I could not but think how different things would have been under similar circumstances only a year ago. Then instead of burning and destroying we would have guarded the property of the secesh and instead of living on the country as we did we would have marched through the country half starved rather than have lived on the effects of our “Erring Brethren.” But thank God the conciliatory policy is played out. We are fighting now and not playing war.
But to return to my narrative. After crossing the river we moved forward a few miles and camped. We resumed the march soon after sunrise on the 20
th and reached Senatobia after a ride of twelve miles. Here we sent all the darkies we had picked up and there was a good many of them, and all of our led horses and mules to Lagrange and turned to the westward in pursuit of old Chalmers and his rebel bands. While halting at this place a citizen came running up to Col. Mizner saying, “Col. Don’t burn the field of wheat. I am interested in it.” “So am I,” replied the Colonel briefly as he ordered the torch to be applied to it. We had observed in advance of us during the day a small party of rebels and our advance had given chase to them once or twice but without capturing any of them. At last as our advance was passing by a strip of woods they were fired upon by this party and two of them were severely wounded and the Confederates succeeded in making good their escape. A little before night we struck the famous Mississippi bottoms. It is a low level country heavily timbered and covered with a thick undergrowth of canebrake that makes it almost impossible outside of the beaten track. We moved cautiously forward until nightfall when our advance having reached the Cold Water they were fired upon from the opposite side and one man killed. We opened a brisk fire upon them but owing to the increasing darkness we could not tell whether it was effective or not. Of course we had to suspend operations until morning.
That night we bivouacked in the canebrake. Early the next morning the 21
st we were ready for an advance, but we found not unexpectedly that there was no enemy to oppose us. They had left under the cover of the night. We crossed the Cold Water on a flat boat and continued the pursuit for a few miles farther but seeing the hopelessness of getting the enemy to fight it was deemed advisable to abandon it. A small detachment of the 3
rd had a skirmish with a company of the enemy who were in a blockhouse soon after we crossed. We succeeded in dislodging them with the loss on our side of one man wounded and of the rebels three or four wounded or killed. When the pursuit was given up, we were within eighteen of Helena Ark. From this point we moved to the northwest and camped for the night within four miles of the Mississippi River. 22 men were in the saddle by seven o’clock and proceeded towards Memphis until we were within twenty miles of that place and then changing our course to the southward we touched at Hernando where we found a flag of truce from Memphis which was no doubt the salvation of the town. We bivouacked for the night five miles east of Hernando and fifty miles southwet of Lagrange.
23
rd. We resumed the march at an early hour in the morning and after a march of twenty five miles camped for the night near a little town known at Mt. Pleasant. 24
th. Boots and saddles sounded as soon as it was daylight and we took up our line march for our camp. We had not gone far when we were met by an orderly who bore dispatches that the rebels were about to attack Laghrange. Col. Mizner instantly sent all the contrabands and led animals to the rear and we pushed rapidly forward through a heavy rain until we reached Moscow a small town ten miles each of here. Here the Col telegraphed and learned that there was no danger of an attack. There was but a small force of the rebels and they had left for a more congenial place. We reached camp about the middle of the afternoon after a ride of twenty miles through as hard a rain as I ever saw having been in the saddle for nine days. We captured a large number of horses and mules, carried off several hundred contrabands and made up a drove of seven or eight hundred beeves. Now we are here safe in camp ready for another raid as soon as Col. Mizner shall see fit for us to move. Till then I remain Yours,
O.W. Rowland
1st Sergt Co C
3rd Mich Cavy
