History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

CHAPTER XI.

THE CONQUERORS OF REBELLION.
As the history of the civil war comes next in importance to that
of the Revolution, and as it is entwined more closely with the newer
States and their various districts, it is just that, as the work of
the writer proceeds, he should pass in review what one new State
has done for the Union, and make special mention of those gallant
men who left their homes to join the thousands who appeared upon
the field in defense of all these precious liberties under which they
lived, and for the preservation of the most sublime political union
that ever bound great States together. In'April, 1861, immediately
after the wire flashed the Presidential call for volunteers, the people
of Michigan rushed forward to respond. Perhaps, throughout all
the land, there were no more earnest respondents than the men of
Saginaw. Organization was earnestly entered upon, and when the
crisis arrived, few, if any, counties surpassed this northern one in
celerity of military movement, or in the number and quality of the
men and officers sent forth to the field.
In this history of Saginaw in the war for the Union, each regiment sent forward claims a very full notice. This is due to the
county, for in each battalion of patriots it had a representation.
On this account, and also for the purpose of rendering the history
of the period more familiar, the writer deems it a matter of great
consequence to deal with the subject as extensively as the plan of
the work will allow. In the first part of the chapter the military
history proper is given, and this is succeeded by the personal history, in which the names of the soldiers of this county who died
during the war, and of those who survived to be discharged with
their honors, are recorded. To the collation of facts much care has
been given, and if an error should appear, it must be credited to a
generally accepted theory rather than to a want of attention or
carelessness in compilation.
The proclamation of President Lincoln was issued April 15, 1861.
The day following, that of Gov. Blair, addressed to the people of
Michigan, was made public, and on the sane day the "' East Saginaw
Light Guards " received orders to go into training. The proclamation of the Governor of Michigan appeared in the local journals of
the two cities April 18, and four days later one of the greatest
meetings held to consider the best means of defending the Union
did honor to the people. On that Monday of the eventful April of
1861, 3,000 citizens of the Saginaws assembled to devise such
measures as would correspond with the desires of the general Gov(338)