the 18th of June last. The trees had all been cut away and its appearance much changed. All day Sunday the 18th, the men worked. to complete their cabins.-With winter-quarters, the furlough season returned. In granting furloughs, preference was given to married men and those who had never been away from the regiment on furlough or otherwise.-Captain George W. Burchell was appointed to try and determine court-martial cases for violations of the military. discipline. The holidays were spent without any special event. General Bragg having gone on a leave of absence, December 22d, Colonel Morrow took command of the Brigade, and as LieutenantColonel Edwards left the same day on leave, the command of the Twenty-fourth Michigan devolved upon Major Hutchinson.

During the months of the siege of Petersburg, it is well to note the progress of our arms in other parts of the wide field of war operations. We have already noted the departure of Sherman upon his campaign at the same time that Grant crossed the Rapidan on his Richmond advance in the early days of May last. During the summer, Sherman had victoriously fought his way to and captured Atlanta, including the battles at Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain and Marietta, during the six weeks that Grant was moving from the Rapidan around to Petersburg. Both wings of the Union army seemed "to flap together" for once, owing to the directive mind of one

At midnight of May 3 when Grant started on his line of march, he telegraphed the fact to Sherman who also set out with his army. These dual operations of the eastern and western sections of the Union forces occupied the attention of the Confederate armies opposing each, so that neither, as frequently had been the case theretofore, could spare troops to assist the other. On the 23d of July, Atlanta fell, which was a great loss to the Confederacy, as it had been the great center for manufacturing war material for the Southern armies.

Admiral Farragut and the Union navy were also getting in their work on the water borders of the would be slave-government. During August, he captured Mobile and so, slowly but surely, the good work went bravely forward. While Grant was firmly holding the enemy to his defences around the Confederate capital and Petersburg, Sherman was resting at Atlanta, making preparations for his great movement a few months later which would startle the world and strike terror into the heart of the Confederacy.

Then too, during this autumn there were the most glorious victories of Sheridan over the Confederate Early in the Shenandoah

Valley, at Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, which electrified the nation, knocked gold from its dizzy height, and placed the Union cause upon an assured basis. Story and song have made famous "Sheridan's Ride" from Winchester to the front on his coal black steed, and by his magnetic presence reorganizing the fleeing troops and winning a brilliant victory out of defeat.

The Shenandoah Valley had been the granary for the Confederate army and Grant ordered Sheridan to destroy it so completely that "a crow would have to carry rations in flying over it," and it was done. Every house, barn, shed, farming implement and fence that could in any way be utilized in cultivating crops to feed the enemy's army was destroyed. Such is war. Virginia and many parts of the South drank the waters of bitterness during the four years of their armed rebellion but they invited and brought the trouble upon themselves when they set at defiance the national authority.

The day after election, General Sherman, having allured Hood's army to follow up a part of his troops away from Atlanta towards Nashville, cut loose from his communications with the North. After having completely destroyed Atlanta as a military supply center for Confederate armies, he started on his great "March to the Sea" which became the wonder of both continents. He captured Savannah just before Christmas and disclosed the weakness and inevitable collapse. of the Confederacy.

General Hood had gone on to Nashville where General Thomas gave him battle, and his army was so completely annihilated and its remnant so dispersed, that it was never heard of after, except in history. All in all, the year 1864 closed with every encouragement for the success of the Union cause and speedy restoration of peace, and New Year, 1865, was the brightest since the war began.

CHAPTER XIV.

CLOSING MONTHS OF THE WAR.

INDORSEMENT - CAPTAIN BURCHELL GENERAL MORROW.

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INTER quarters, the most comfortable and uniform that the regiment ever had, were completed during the early days of January, 1865, and called "Camp Crawford." It was laid out in five streets, a company on each side of a street, the cabins were 61⁄2 x 10 feet in size, with chimneys in the rear, each cabin accommodating four men.

Major Hutchinson applied to the War Department to have the Twenty-fourth Michigan filled up and General S. W. Crawford endorsed the recommendation in the following flattering terms:

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS, January 10, 1865.

This noble regiment has a most honorable record. Its ranks are thin from the casualties of disease and battle, but the spirit of the officers and men who remain is unchanged, and I would respectfully urge its claims to be filled up to the maximum, as it is second to no other regiment in this army.

During this month, Captain George W. Burchell resigned in obedience to impaired health from long and faithful service and pressing private business at home. Every officer in the regiment and every man in his company signed a testimonial in his behalf. One amusing episode in his army experience will bear narrating. The Captain had been home on furlough and had overstaid his time a few days, returning the day before the campaign began in May, 1864. For this delay, he was placed under arrest by some authority in Washington but allowed to go to his regiment. A Court of Inquiry was ordered which was held on one of the battlefields in that campaign while the shot and shell were being hurled over their heads as they stood under a tree. It is needless to say that the Captain was honorably acquitted of any wrong intention. The following premature obituary appeared in the Detroit Tribune in 1863, not an unusual occurrence in war days:

DEATH OF LIEUT. BURCHELL.-We learn by a private dispatch received by the wife of Lieut. Burchell of this city, that that officer has died of the wounds received (287)

while crossing into Fredericksburg with the 24th. As an officer and a gentleman, he was highly esteemed by all who knew him, and his loss will be mourned by a large circle of friends.

The month of January brought another series of promotions, among the non-commissioned officers and ranks and a commission for Sergeant A. F. Ziegler. On January 25, General Henry A. Morrow was assigned to the command of the Third Brigade (Hoffman's) of the Third Division, Fifth Army Corps. This left the regiment in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Edwards again, who had already had much experience in its command during Colonel Morrow's absence from wounds, etc.-Captain Whiting and Lieutenant Chilson were made acting Aides to General Morrow. It is no longer proper to say Colonel Morrow, but General Morrow hereafter, as his brilliant record has tardily but finally received merited recognition, by his being brevetted Brigadier-General of U. S. Volunteers "for gallant and distinguished services," a promotion deservedly bestowed. This and a full Brigadiership were earned by him, many times, upon the bloody field of Gettysburg. In that whirlwind of death, he gave his command an example by his intrepidity and valor. To the nerve and daring of the commanding officer is often due the courage of his men. Were he to be less brave, so very likely would they. To General Morrow the nation owes a meed of praise which it has immeasurably accorded him for his services that day- frequently taking the flag into his own hands and thereby becoming a shining mark for death's arrows, and encouraging his men to rally around it; thus making stand after stand, delaying the enemy's advancing lines until the hastening troops of the rest of Meade's army could come up-holding back the enemy until he was himself wounded and four-fifths of the regiment had disappeared in the whirlwind of battle that swept over that fatal first day's field at Gettysburg. Had he and his gallant band done less or shown less fortitude on that occasion, the fears of General Wadsworth might have been painfully realized when he said what has already been quoted: "Colonel Morrow, God only knows what would have become of the Army of the Potomac had you not fought the Twenty-fourth Michigan as long as you did."

FRIENDLY PICKETS MEDICINE RATIONS-MEDALS OF HONOR, ETC.

The month of January passed away with the usual winter duties, the regiment taking its tours at picket. The pickets of the opposing armies had settled down in the regiment's front to a quietude as if no

war existed.

It was a frequent occurrence to see the enemy and our own men cutting firewood from the same tree between the lines. On January 26, the following was issued:

SPECIAL ORDER No. 3.-The quinine and whiskey ordered to be issued to the troops, will be dealt out in this regiment like other medicines, by the surgeons. It is hereby made the duty of the Officer of the Day to see that the men report by company to the surgeon, each morning and evening, and take their medicine. Those who are conscientiously opposed to the stuff may be excused from drinking it.

In some of the other regiments of the Iron Brigade, medals of honor had been awarded to certain ones in the ranks for conspicuous bravery and honorable conduct. An invitation came from Brigade headquarters, to name members of the Twenty-fourth for similar distinction, to which Major Hutchinson then in command replied as follows:

Although this regiment has participated in every march, skirmish, battle, etc., in which the Brigade has been engaged, I can recall no instance in which any particular member thereof, has so far distinguished himself above his comrades as to entitle him to a distinctive badge of merit. I could cite many cases where soldiers of this regiment have left their sick beds in hospital to rejoin their comrades when a battle was expected; others, where they have marched for days with bare and bleeding feet, as in the march to Gettysburg; others again, when they were wounded in action so as to disable them from handling their muskets, have refused to leave the field, but remained to carry water or tear cartridges for their comrades. Such acts have been performed in so many instances by members of this regiment that I cannot, doing justice to all, recommend any soldier as more deserving than his comrades.

Under the supervision of Chaplain Way, a chapel for worship was in course of erection by the men, but marching orders on the afternoon. of February 4, brought their work to a close. There was much speculation where the troops were going and what for, but as time alone would reveal the mystery, the night was passed as usual on such occasions, in receiving a good supply of rations and full complement of cartridges, and in reducing knapsacks to the marching weight, as well as writing letters home, perhaps farewell ones. Then too, it was a source of anxiety if this mid-winter movement would result in an abandonment of their cosy and comfortable winter cabins as in December last.

BATTLE OF DABNEY'S MILL.

Before daylight, Sunday morning, February 5, 1865, the moving column was well under way far from their winter camp. It consisted of the Second and Fifth Corps, all under command of General