the rebels falling back to a branch of the Cripple Deer creek, distant about four miles. On arriving at the branch we found that the rebel cavalry had rallied at a house situated on an elevation four hundred yards distant and commanding the road. The advance, under Sergeant H. D. Cutting, company K, charged up the road at full gallop and drove them from their position into the woods; but the enemy rallied, two squadrons strong, and forced the advance to retire. Sergeant Cutting's horse was shot, which was the only casualty occurring to my command in this instance. A number of shots were fired into the head of the column, killing a lieutenant on Gen. Hamilton's staff. I at once wheeled the cavalry into line on the road side and uncovered a column of infantry, which moved to the front and deployed on either side of the road, and drove the enemy from the cover of some buildings behind which they were sheltered.

"A column of infantry then moved in advance, and position having been taken at a point about one and a half mile from Iuka, pursuant to orders received from Col. Mizner, I immediately moved with four companies, viz: Company K, Capt. Newell; company E, Capt. Latimer; company F, Capt. Kiese; and company A, Capt. Dyckman, to the front, and moved out to the right of Constable's Ohio battery; Lieut. Adams commanding the advance guard.

"After proceeding about one half mile, Lieut. Adams, perceiving a body of cavalry on a hill directly east of the battle-field, attacked and drove them away with considerable loss. I then formed my men behind the brow of the hill, dismounted a portion, and poured an irregular fire into the enemy's left flank and upon those who showed themselves in our front with considerable effect, twenty-two dead having been afterwards found, who must have fallen by our hands. During the time that we were in this position the enemy occasionally gave us a heavy volume, but the nature of the ground was such that no casualties had occurred until near sundown, when the enemy seemed to manifest a disposition to gain our position. I immediately dismounted all the men that could be spared, sending the horses into the woods in our rear, and opened a destructive fire upon them. They immediately fell back, and made no further attempt to advance upon us. We took a first lieutenant, bearing the stand of colors belonging to the 3d Louisiana infantry. Capt. Latimer was wounded in the shoulder, also two privates slightly. Six horses were lost. After dark I moved my command to the left of the road, in rear of the infantry, where I was joined by the other four companies of my command, which had been employed in reconnoitering on either flank during the afternoon."

General Rosecrans, ever ready to acknowledge the merits of the soldier as well as the officer, says in his report of this important battle:

"During the action, five privates of the 3d Michigan cavalry, beyond our extreme right, opened fire, captured à rebel stand of colors, a captain and lieutenant, sent in the colors that night, alone held their prisoners during the night, and brought them in next morning."

The battle of Iuka was sanguine, the firing heavy and rapid, and the ground was being hotly contested, when, night coming on, became masters of the field, and closed the scene of carnage. Morning revealed the fact that during the darkness of the night the enemy had left the field and was rapidly moving southward, while the Union troops made a vigorous pursuit for many miles, becoming several times hotly engaged, and causing him repeatedly to form line of battle to check the Union advance.

The 3d was actively occupied with the enemy after the affair of Iuka. Being in engagements at Corinth October 3d and 4th; at Hatchie October

6th; Hudsonville November 14th; Holly Springs November 19th; Lumkin's Mills November 30th; Oxford December 2d; Coffeeville December 5th; Brownsville January 14th, 1863; Clifton February 20th; Panola July 20th; Grenada August 14th; Byhalia October 12th; and Wyatt's Ford, Tallahatchie river, October 13th. In addition to these principal engage ments, the regiment has participated in a large number of skirmishes of minor importance. In the affair at Grenada the 3d was in the advance. It gained possession of the town after a sharp engagement, and immediately commenced the destruction of the enemy's machinery and rolling stock accumulated at this point. Over sixty locomotives and more than four hundred cars were destroyed. At Byhalia and Wyatt's Ford the regiment was warmly engaged. In these actions the enemy were completely routed with large loss. The 3d cavalry aided largely in driving the notorious rebels, Richardson, Dawson, and Cushman, from West Tennessee, together with numerous bands of guerrillas that infested that section, and who were destroyed or dispersed by it.

During November and December, 1863, this regiment was almost constantly engaged in scouting and in various expeditions through Northern Mississippi and Western Tennessee, visiting most of the important places in that section. It had frequent encounters with the enemy's forces under Generals Forrest and Chalmers. Engagements and skirmishes in which the regiment participated occurred at Ripley, Mississippi, November 29th; Orizaba, Mississippi, November 30th; Ellistown, Mississippi, December 3d; Purdy, Tennessee, December 22d; and Jack's Creek, Tennessee, December 24th.

During the months of November, 1864, and February, 1865, this regiment constituted the garrison of the post at Brownsville Station, on the Memphis and Little Rock railroad, and was also occupied in scouting along the line of that road, making several expeditions as far south as Arkansas Post, on the Arkansas river, collecting large droves of cattle, and thereby furnishing nearly all the beef required for the supply of the entire army then serving in the Department of Arkansas. At Brownsville. Station the regiment erected a complete set of winter quarters and stables, so neatly and tastefully arranged as to present the appearance of an important town, which attracted so much attention as to result in a change of its name from "Brownsville Station" to "Michigan City." The very active duty of the regiment at that time was so conducive to the health of the men that 1,008 were daily reported present for duty, and less than three per cent. were on the sick list. Early in February the regiment was selected to constitute part of a division then being organized for active and important service in early spring, and was assigned to the 1st brigade, 1st division, 7th army corps, and moved to Brownsville. On the 14th of March the brigade was transferred from the Department of Arkansas to the Military Division of West Mississippi, to join the troops under MajorGeneral Canby, designed to operate against Mobile, and the regiment proceeded by steamer to New Orleans, arriving at Carrolton, La., March 23d, and embarked for Mobile early in April. After the fall of Mobile, it was employed on outpost duty until the surrender of the Confederate forces east of the Mississippi river, when the regiment was selected as the escort of Major-General Canby on the occasion of his receiving the formal surrender of the rebel General Taylor and his army. It left Mobile May 8, and marched across the country to Baton Rouge, La., reaching there on the 22d. When Major-General Sheridan assumed the command of the Military Division of the Southwest, the regiment was selected and ordered

to report to him for duty, and was immediately prepared to join the expedition to Texas, and left Baton Rouge for Shreeveport, June 10th, and commenced its march into Texas from the latter place July 10th, traversing two-thirds the breadth of that State, arriving on the 2d of August at San Antonio. At that point the regiment was stationed, performing garrison duty and employed in the necessary scouting for the protection of the frontier as far as the Rio Grande, on the Mexican border, and in furnishing escorts for supply trains. The regiment comprised a part of the 1st brigade, 1st cavalry division, Military Division of the Gulf, and had its headquarters at San Antonio until February 15, 1866, when it was dismounted and mustered out of service.

THE FOURTH CAVALRY.

The Western rebel troops in the war were made to know the 4th Michigan cavalry, and undoubtedly most of them that are alive now have not forgotten them. The regiment was raised and organized by Col. R. H. G. Minty, previously Lieutenant-Colonel 3d Michigan cavalry. Under his command it left the State for the field in Kentucky, September 26, 1862. It fought its first battle at Stanford, in that State, on the 14th of October following, and was thus early initiated into the realities of the great rebellion.

The 4th was in the advance in the attack on Morgan and his guerillas at Stanford, and joined in pursuit as far as Crab Orchard. It also led the attack on Lebanon, Ky., November 9, driving in Morgan's pickets at a gallop, and entered the town, 543 strong, two miles in advance of the infantry, driving out Morgan with 759 men and two pieces of artillery, and capturing a large amount of commissary stores and clothing.

It was engaged at Rural Hill on the 15th, Baird's Mills on the 30th, Hollow Gap, December 4th, and at Wilson's Creek on the 11th.

On the 13th of December the 4th marched from Nashville, where it had been stationed since the 28th of November, 1862, to Franklin, captured the rebel pickets, drove out the enemy, 1,300 strong, killed, wounded, and captured a number of them, with their colors, and destroyed an immense quantity of stores. On the 15th a detail of 40 men belonging to the regiment were captured on the Murfreesboro pike while, it was claimed, they were under the protection of a flag of truce. Breaking camp on the 26th, the regiment moved in the extreme advance of the army from Nashville, and commenced the fighting at Lavergne. December 31st it had a sharp skirmish with a large force of the enemy's cavalry, which it repulsed and drove back, the 4th losing 3 killed and 7 wounded. The 4th was the first regiment to enter Murfreesboro, January 5, 1863. May 22d following, the regiment, with detachments of the 1st and 2d brigades (the 4th and two companies of U. S. cavalry being in the advance,) charged into the camp of the 1st Alabama, 8th Confederate, and 2d Georgia cavalry, and, after a severe engagement, routed them, taking 55 prisoners, and destroying their camp equipage, stores, etc. The colors of the 1st Alabama (since presented to the State of Michigan) were captured by Sergeant-Major Clark and Privates Wilcox and Parker, of the 4th Michigan.

During its whole term of service it proved a most reliable and gallant regiment, deservedly proud of its fighting reputation, accomplishing an uncommon amount of duty. The fighting of this regiment seems to have been so uniformly brave and effective that the colonel has found some difficulty in selecting the engagements in which he considers it was most distinguished,

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as will appear from a special report to the Adjutant-General of the State, dated January 4, 1867, in which he states:

"I find it rather a difficult matter to satisfactorily give you the information called for in your letter of the 20th ultimo.

"The 4th Michigan cavalry has so often distinguished itself, both by the brilliancy of its charges and the stubbornness of its fighting, that I doubt if you will find two men agree on the two engagements in which it was most distinguished.

"Some would claim Stone River where it charged three times, each time driving a brigade of rebel cavalry from the field; others, some of the many 'raids around Murfreesboro', where the sabre charges of the 4th Michigan and 7th Pennsylvania were the admiration of the entire Army of the Cumberland; others, the fight with Dibrell's brigade at Sparta and Sperry's Mill, on the 9th and 17th of August, 1863, or the hard day's fighting at Reed's Bridge, near Chicamauga, on the 18th of September, where the 4th Michigan, 7th Pennsylvania, and 4th regular cavalry (973 of all ranks) fought the entire of Hood's corps from 7 o'clock in the morning until 5 o'clock in the evening, leaving 102 rebel dead within one hundred yards of the eastern end of the bridge, and preventing the carrying out of Bragg's order of battle of that date, the first part of which reads:-'1. Johnson's column (Hood's) on crossing at or near Reed's Bridge will turn to the left by the most practicable route, and sweep up the Chicamauga towards Lee & Gordon's mills.'

"Some again would claim Lovejoy's Station, Ga., on the 20th of August, 1864, where the same little brigade, then numbering under 800 men, scattered Ross's Texan brigade, sabering over 500 of them.

"After considering the subject fully, I selected Shelbyville, Tenn., on the 27th of June, 1863, and Latimer's Mill, Ga., on June 20, 1864. At both these places the success of my brigade was mainly attributable to the brilliancy and tenacity of the fighting of the 4th Michigan cavalry, then under command of Major F. W. Mix.

"At Shelbyville I found myself with a force of 1500 men in front of formidable breast works, with an abatis of over one-fourth of a mile in width in front of them, behind which Generals Wheeler and Martin had an opposing force of 4,000 men, and three pieces of artillery. I detached the 4th Michigan, in command of Major Mix, well to the right, with orders to force their way through the abatis, and assault the works, and if successful to turn to the right and sweep up the entrenchments, promising that so soon as I heard their rifles speaking, I would make the direct assault on the Murfreesboro' and Shelbyville pike. They did their work so well that as I entered the works on the main road they joined me from the right, having carried the works and taken prisoners from six different regiments. The fruits of that day's work were the whole of the enemy's artillery and 599 prisoners, while over 200 dead bodies were afterwards taken out of Duck creek, into which I had driven Wheeler and his entire command.”

The loss of the regiment was only seven wounded and nine prisoners. The important part taken by the 4th cavalry in the great battle of Chicamauga, while in command of Major Mix, warrants it in being placed among the many engagements in which that regiment distinguished itself.

In Col. Minty's report of the part taken by his command from the 13th to the 24th September, 1863, including the battle of Chicamauga, he

says:

"September 13th.-With the 4th U. S. cavalry, 4th Michigan cavalry, 7th Pennsylvania cavalry, and one section of the Chicago Board of Trade

battery, I marched from Chattanooga, and reported to Major-Gen. Crittenden, commanding 21st army corps, at Gordon's Mill.

"September 14th.-Under orders from Major-Gen. Crittenden, I crossed Missionary Ridge into Lookout Valley.

"September 15th.-Marched back to Gordon's Mill, where Gen. Crittenden ordered me to proceed to Pea Vine Valley, and encamped near Leet's Cross-roads. I crossed the Chicamauga at Reed's Bridge, and shortly before dark encamped on Pea Vine creek, near Peeler's Mill, and sent out scouts towards Grayville, Ringold, Leet's, and Rock Springs. Same night. I reported to Major-General Crittenden the information brought by these parties, and in answer received a letter from Capt. Oldershaw, A. A. G., 21st army corps, of which the following is an extract: The major-general commanding directs me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date, informing him that Forrest is at Ringold, Longstreet at Dalton, Pegram at Leet's, and Buckner at Rock Springs; all this would indicate infantry, which the major-general cannot believe.'

"September 16th.-Strong scouting parties advanced towards me from Ringold and Leet's; they were promptly met, driven, and followed. At the same time my pickets on the Lafayette and Harrison road, which lies between Pea Vine Ridge and the Chicamauga, were attacked from towards Lafayette, thus threatening my communications via Reed's Bridge. I immediately fell back to that road, thus securing the bridge, but at the same time I kept possession of the roads in Pea Vine Valley by picketing strongly. My scouts towards Leet's ran into the rebel infantry and lost one man shot through the head. This was promptly reported to Major-General Crittenden, whose answer was the same as yesterday, viz: 'Nothing but dismounted cavalry.'

"September 17th.-Slight skirmishing between my scouts and those of the enemy. The scout from Grayville reported that General Steadman's brigade of the reserve corps had passed through that place on a reconnoissance towards Ringold. On the return of my courier from Gordon's Mill he reported Col. Wilder's brigade of mounted infantry was encamped on the west side of the Chicamauga creek, at Alexander's Bridge, about two miles above me.

"September 18th.-At 6 A. M. I sent one hundred of the 4th U. S. cavalry towards Leet's, and one hundred from the 4th Michigan and 7th Pennsylvania towards Ringold. At about 7 A. M. couriers arrived from both scouts, with information that the enemy was advancing in force. I immediately strengthened my pickets on the Lafayette road, and moved forward with the 4th Michigan and one battalion of the 4th regulars and the section of artillery and took up a position on the eastern slope of Pea Vine Ridge, and despatched couriers to Major-General Granger at Rossville, Colonel Wilder at Alexander's Bridge, General Wood at Gordon's Mill, and Gen. Crittenden at Crawfish Springs. On this day the 4th Michigan lost eleven in killed and wounded and three as prisoners. The enemy, infantry in force with about 200 cavalry, advanced steadily, driving my skirmish line back to my position on the side of the ridge. The head of a column getting into good range I opened on them with the artillery, when they immediately deployed and advanced a strong skirmish line. At this moment I observed a heavy column of dust moving from the direction of Graysville towards Dyer's Ford; I sent a courier to Col. Wilder asking him to send a force to hold the ford and cover my left, and sent my train across the creek. As the force from Grayville advanced I fell back until I arrived on the ground I had occupied in the morning. Here Col. Miller, with two regiments and