People were gathered at many of the stations along the line, and at Pontiac an immense crowd had assembled, who received the company with hearty and enthusiastic cheers, which were returned with interest, accompanied by an instalment of inspiring music by the band.

Arriving in Detroit at 6 P. M., the company was formed on the depot grounds of the D. & M. railway, and, preceded by the band. marched to Cantonment Blair, a distance of between two and three miles, where the soldiers were provided with rather scaly quarters, The band, leg-weary and pretty much used up generally, returned to the Michigan Exchange, where they were comfortably housed.

Mayor Mott joined the command at Flint, and proceeded with it to the rendezvous at Detroit, when, after a farewell word to each of the volunteers, he returned to his home.

Shortly after the East Saginaw Guards left for the rendezvous,

less than 37 volunteers returned to their native heath; some changes were made in the list of officers, and other dispositions made to insure confidence among the troops. Captain W. L. Whipple, who in 1846 served as a lieutenant in the Mexican campaign, was placed in command, and the company left en route for Washington as Co. H of the 2d Mich. Inf. (3 years), June 5, 1861. This was the first three-years regiment which left the State. Captain Whipple was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of 21st Mich. Inf., Aug. 13, 1862.

Lieutenant R. W. Ransom, who opened a recruiting office at East Saginaw, in the building formerly occupied as the old postoffice, enlisted 66 men prior to July 20, who reported for service at Detroit before the 25th of that month.

THE HOYT LIGHT GUARDS

perfected the organization of a full company April 24, under Capt. H. W. Trowbridge. The officers elected were: Captain, H. W. Trowbridge; First Lieutenant, Wm. O'Donnell; Second Lieutenant, Charles H. Hutchins; First Sergeant, Daniel Jeffers; Second Sergeant, Hiram Jenkins; Third Sergeant, Thomas Abbott; Fourth Sergeant, Dexter D. Keeler. The corporals were Peter Mashioe, Chester E. Roy, Win. Mooney, and Henry Connor. The musicians were John Ryan and John Stout Park. No doubt whatever can exist regarding the desire of this command to go to the front in the early days of the war. The orders of the War Department. and the fact that all Michigan had already done its duty, conspired to check the zeal of the troops and urge them to keep their powder dry for the "big fight."

The three-months regiment was under arms April 25, 1861, and was constituted as follows: Orlando B. Wilcox, Colonel; L. L. Comstock, Lieutenant Colonel; A. B. Bidwell, Major. Companies -Detroit Light Guards, Jackson Light Guards, Coldwater Cadets, Manchester Union Guards, Steuben Guards, Detroit Hussars, Burr

Oak Guards, Ypsilanti Light Guards, Marshall Light Guards, Hardee Cadets.

The second regiment comprised the Scott Guards, Adrian Guards, Hudson Artillery as infantry, Flint Union Greys, Battle Creek Artillery as infantry, Constantine Union Guards, Kalamazoo Light Guards, Kalamazoo No. 2, Niles Company. A. S. Williams, of Detroit, was the General of Brigade.

MILITARY RESOURCES OF THE COUNTY IN 1862.

A military census of the county was made under authority of Gov. Blair's proclamation of August, 1862. The assessors were required to return the names of all white males between the ages of 18 and 45. The number of men enrolled in Saginaw, and named in the lists furnished by those assessors, Sept. 10, 1862, was 2,951, of whom 821 were declared exempt from draft, leaving 2.130 subject. In June, 1862, it is learned, from returns made under the State law, that the total number of men in Saginaw county fit for military service was 2,497. It must be remembered, however, that between the time the June returns were made and September, no less than 686 men from Saginaw county enlisted and were in active service. Of this number, 28 were on duty with the 1st Inf.; 39 with the 2d Inf.; 72 with the 5th Inf.; 12 with the 7th and 8th Inf.; 38 with the 9th and 10th Inf.; 92 with the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th regiments; 102 with the 16th Inf.; 8 with the 17th, 158 with the 23d Inf.; 9 with the Engineers and Mechanics; 100 with the 2d and 3d Cavalry; 14 with the 4th, 5th and 6th Cavalry; 3 with the 2d Battery; one with Mathers' Sharpshooters, and 10 with the Mulligan brigade, attached to McDermott's Michigan Company. The 23d Michigan Inf., mustered into service at East Saginaw, Sept. 13, 1862, was principally composed of soldiers furnished by this county. The 29th, mustered in at Saginaw City, Oct. 3, 1864, was filled by volunteers from this Congressional district.

RECRUITING IN 1863.

During the year 1863, Saginaw contributed 365 troops, which, together with those who went into service in 1862, aggregate 1,041 soldiers furnished to the Union armies since the beginning of the war. During the year, only five men from this county volunteered for service in the first 26 infantry regiments. The 27th Infantry received 50; the 1st Sharpshooters, 18; Engineers, 1; the three first cavalry regiments, 26; the 4th Cavalry, 39; the 5th and 6th Cavalry, 14; the 7th Cavalry, 138; the 8th, 42; the 11th, 23, and the Artillery, 9. The draft made in February, 1863, numbered only 19 men in Saginaw county, of which four were delivered at barracks.

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MILITARY ORGANIZATION IN 1864.

From Jan. 1 Forty-three who

The enlistment of troops continued through 1864. to Oct. 31 no less than 821 men were enlisted. volunteered immediately, prior to Jan. 1, that year, bring up the credits of the county for the first ten months of 1864 to 864, aggregating 1,905 troops since the beginning of the war. Of the 821 troops referred to, 634 volunteered, 26 were drafted, 153 were reenlisted veterans, and 8 entered the navy. Again, 40 enlisted for one year, and 781 for three years' service. From Sept. 19, 1863, to Oct. 1, 1864, 396 men enlisted for one year, 613 for three years, 756 enlisted in the army, 153 veterans re-enlisted, 8 entered the navy, 75 drafted men commuted, and 25 were drafted. Mich. Inf. was mustered into service at Saginaw, Oct. 3, 1864. The proclamation of the President, calling for 300,000 volunteers, was issued Dec. 19, 1864. The quota assigned to Saginaw under the call was 130, while the enrollment was so high as 2,160.

THE CLOSE OF THE DRAMA.

The 29th

The number of Saginaw volunteers who went into the Union army from Nov. 1, 1864, to the period when recruiting ceased, April 14, 1865, was 134, of whom 115 volunteered and 19 responded to the draft. These figures show an aggregate representation of Saginaw soldiers in the Union army of 1,154 men, all enlisting between Sept. 19, 1863, to April 14, 1865, which number, with 885 enlistments credited the county previous to Sept., 1863, show a grand military representation of 2,039 men, or about oneforty-fourth of all the troops furnished by the State of Michigan from April 17, 1861, to April 14, 1865. Throughout the brilliant campaigns which marked the progress of the terrific struggle there is scarcely a black letter in the record of the troops furnished by this county. Few desertions, unexcelled bravery, and magnificent endurance marked their service throughout.

A review of the military affairs in which these troops participated, and in which so many of them won the soldier's crown, would necessarily take in every field, whether contested in Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Missouri.

Following down the regimental rosters, from those of the first engineers and mechanics to the most recently organized military company, one is forcibly reminded not only of the enduring quality of the Union soldier, but also of that terrible sacrifice which he was willing to make in defense of the Union.

All the sacrifices made, all the dangers passed through, were not in vain. The country survives its great losses in that war, and though her sons who fell in defense of the Union cannot be restored to this world, the memory of them lives on, and will forever live, to inspire the present with a full sense of all that liberty is