Reminiscences, Incidents, Battles, Marches and Camp Life of the Old 4th Michigan Infantry in War of Rebellion, 1861 to 1864

By O. S. BARRETT, Late Lieut. Co. B, 4th Michigan Infantry.
—— Dedicated to the Survivors of the Regiment. ——
Hope for the living, Tears for the dead.
—— DETROIT, MICH.: W. S. OSTLER, PUBLISHER, 1888.

was organized at Adrian, Michigan, and Mustered into United States Service June 20, 1861, for three years. It was quartered in the North College building, of the group of buildings situated at extreme west suburbs of City. Was commanded by Dwight A. Woodbury. It was presented by the ladies of Adrian, with a beautiful flag. The Regiment left its Rendezvous June 25th, for Washington, numbering on its rolls 1025, officers and men. In his orders for the movement, Colonel Woodbury said: “Let each man remember that he has the honor of Michigan in his keeping.” The first appearance of the Regiment, while passing through Cleveland, Ohio, brought from the Leader of that city, the following notice of
“When we see the splendidly armed and equipped Regiments from Michigan, pass through here on their way to the seat of war, and compare their appearance with that of the Regiments that left Camp Cleveland recently, it makes us almost ashamed of Ohio, and inclines us to enquire in the mildest and most collected manner, why it is that Michigan in the same length of time sends Regiments to the field prepared for service, while Ohio, who boasts of her enterprise and patriotism, sends from her camps as Regiments, mere mobs of men, half uniformed, unarmed, and wholly without drill.”
The Regiment left Cleveland, via Buffalo to Elmira, New York, where we took supper with 23d New York Regiment in barracks there. We were royally entertained; had a good time; had a good supper. I wish to say here, the first hard tack the writer ever saw was issued to us at Cleveland. They were round, and as large as an elephant’s foot, and as tough as a prohibitionist’s conscience. I noticed some of the boys, out on platform of cars, trying how far they could sail them. Others had coupling pins, trying to pulverize them. On leaving Elmira, some of the boys who were a little off, pulled the coupling pin, which detached three or four cars. The rest of the train pulled out some distance before it was discovered. The advance section backed up, the rear cars were hitched on, and the boys were induced to all-aboard, and the train passed on to Harrisburg, Pa. The Regiment encamped a few days at that city, and we were drilled in the art of street fighting, expecting a collision at Baltimore. The people of Harrisburg asked: “has Michigan sent another Regiment equipped?” And in fact the troops at Camp Curtin “thought if Pennsylvania would only clothe her men like that, she would not have a single citizen at home.”