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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp of the 3
rd Mich Cavy
LaGrange Tenn.
June 25
th 1863
Aunt Sophia:
Since I last wrote to you we have participated in some exciting scenes. I will not
make any apologies for not writing any sooner for after you read my letter you will
readily excuse me for you will see that I hve not had a great deal of time to devote to
letter writing. I received your letter and have also received several papers from you one
of which you said was stolen or as we soldiers would say was jayhawked confiscated or
mustered into service. One of them contained my letter that I wrote to you. Enclosed in
this you will find a description of a raid that we have mad into Miss. i WILL WRITE IT ON
purpose for publication and if Mr. Wickhause thinks it of sufficient interest to appear in
his columns he will confer a favor on me by putting it in print. You have read long
before this of the evacuation of Jackson and Bolivar and the removal of the troops that
garrisoned those towns to points further into Dixie. The 3 was the last regiment that left
the place. We came directly to LaGrange fifty miles south of Jackson at which place we
are now stationed. We had been here but a few days when we were ordered on a scout
but I am getting along too fast. I will write about the scout to the newspaper man. I am
enjoying the very best of health and so were all the folks at home when I last heard from
them which was not many days ago. My wife is teaching school in Van Buren County as
I presume you have heard before this time. I have refused the chance of a captain in a
colored regiment. I did it not because I was ashamed to serve my country in such a
capacity or because I am in any opposed to arming the Negroes but because I have as
good as the promise of a commission in my own regiment once of these days and of
course I had rather be here than in any other regiment white or black. I am foolish
enough to believe that our regiment is the best cavalry regiment in the whole army and
that Co “C” is the best company in the whole regt. We have recently received a couple of
twelve point howitzers which adds a good deal to the efficiency of the regiment. But as
the raid will take up a good deal of room I will write no more at present
I remain as ever
Your Nephew
O. W. Rowland
