AUTHORITY FOR PUBLICATION. Early in the Legislative Session of 1879, Major R. B. Robbins, of Adrian, then in the Senate, introduced the following Joint Resolution: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That the Adjutant General be and he is hereby authorized and required to compile a report, in one volume, from the reports in his office, and on file in the War Department at Washington, of the services of Michigan regiments, batteries, and companies in the late war; said report to be printed and published the same as other State reports are printed and published. One thousand copies for the use of State officers, members of the Legislature and officers of the same, and of the several State boards, and five hundred copies for general distribution, as the Governor may direct. The Committees on Military in the Senate and House, to whom it was referred, made through their respective Chairmen, Hon. R. B. Robbins and Hon. Geo. H. Hopkins, a favorable report, and it was unanimously passed by both Houses and approved by the Governor, Charles M. Croswell, May 3, 1879. At the Legislative Session of 1881, Major David J. Easton, of Union City, a member of the House of Representatives, introduced a bill for the republication of 30,000 copies of the work. It was referred to the Committees on Printing of the Senate and House, who reported favorably thereon through their respective Chairmen, the Hon. Henry C. Russell, of the Senate, and the Hon. David J. Easton, of the House. The bill was passed by both houses, and the act approved by Governor David H. Jerome May 26, 1881. Sections from the act covering its distribution: SECTION 3. Any person who served in any Michigan regiment, battery, or company, during the late war, and has been honorably discharged, or any person who served in any regiment, battery, or company from any other State, or in the regular army, or in the navy, properly accredited to the State of Michigan, and has been honorably discharged, or is still in the service, shall be entitled to receive one copy of said work on presenting to the Librarian the certificate of the Adjutant General that such person so served, and if the application for such copy be not made in person, by depositing with such Librarian thirty-two cents to cover the expense of sending such book. SEC. 4. Any person shall be permitted to purchase said book at a price not. to exceed ten per cent above cost, together with the cost of sending the book, if not delivered in person. For the purpose of aiding in the revision of this work, circulars were sent to the best known addresses of all the officers of regiments, requesting an examination of the volume which had been already issued, with a view to receiving from them notices of any corrections or additions required in their respective personal record, and also inviting their attention to the history of their regiments, and requesting them to point out errors or omissions therein. To this circular but few replies were received, probably owing to the volume referred to being at the time inaccessible to them, hence the compiler has been left, with few exceptions, to his own researches, resulting, perhaps, in rendering the revision less complete than it might have been under other circumstances. OFFICERS OF MICHIGAN WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE DURING THE WAR. David H. Jerome. Saginaw.. Austin Blair..... Jackson. John Robertson.. Detroit J. H. Fountain... Manchester... Q. M. General. Wm. Hammond.. Tekonsha Orrin N. Giddings Kalamazoo.. James E. Pittman Detroit J. H. Fountain.. Manchester Wm. M. Fenton... Flint.. E. H. Thomson... Flint... Eb. O. Grosvenor Jonesville John F. Miller.... Ann Arbor... James E. Pittman Detroit Wm. Hammond.. Tekonsha Jerome Croul.... Detroit N. B. Eldridge... Lapeer. Omar D. Conger. Port Huron.. A. T. Crossman.. Flint.. James A. Dwight Ypsilanti 66 66 Paymaster Inspector General.. A. Q. M. General. Aid-de-Camp.. 66 Gov.& Com.-in-Chief Jan. 1, 1861... 66 66 66 66 Adjutant General... 66 66 66 Jan. 1, 1865.. Dec. 31, 1864. March 10, 1865 Sept. 16, 1865. State Military Board March 11, 1859 Sept. 19, 1861. March 11, 1859 April 25, 1861. March 11, 1859 Sept. 19, 1861. March 11, 1859 Sept. 19, 1861. March 15, 1861 Jan. 18, 1862. PREFACE. It was not contemplated that in this work any history of the State prior to the commencement of the war would be included, and really none subsequent to that period, farther than that connected with the services of the regiments in the field. But, on considering the matter, the subject of raising the regiments and the work accomplished in the State in connection there with seemed to be a necessity in order to make the entire action of Michigan in the war as complete as possible, hence that has been included, although in a very brief manner. To say that Michigan performed her whole duty in her efforts to aid in suppressing the rebellion would not be saying enough; for, considering the low ebb of her finances at the time, it was an undertaking under great disadvantage, and especially so as Michigan, like most of the other States, had in the past made but a very feeble preparation, in a military point of view, to meet an emergency of that magnitude. But, placed as she was at the time under these disadvantageous circumstances, she determined to overcome all obstacles, and placing implicit reliance upon the intelligence of her people and faith in their great love for the "Old Flag,” coupled with their pronounced loyalty and patriotism which seemed so universally to prevail, Michigan entered the contest, and with truthful earnestness and indomitable energy, confident of final and complete success, commenced her great and bloody sacrifice for the Nation's life. By the unbounded zeal and liberality of her people in the cause of the Union, and especially by the bravery, efficiency, and great prowess of her troops in the field, she was most successful, acquiring an exalted position among her sister States, and in the Nation while the war lasted, and Michigan is now, and will continue to be, the recipient of much credit and distinction for her part in suppressing the rebellion. To Governor Croswell and the Legislature of 1879 the citizens of Michigan, and particularly the soldiers, are under many obligations for the unanimity with which they authorized the publication of this work; and although it may be found deficient in many respects, still it will be accepted as a deserved tribute by the State of Michigan to the people, and especially to her troops, who bore the brunt of the war and gave many of the best days of their lives to hardship and danger, while many of them gave their lives. |