higan," so close were the ties which bound it to the Michigan
brigade. And they always seemed to be rather proud of the designation.

Assuming command of all the forces there, Colonel Alger informed us that
General Stahel had information that the place was to be attacked that
night and that we were there to defend it. Selecting a strong position
on a hill, a camp was started, but no fires were allowed after dark.
Vigilance was not relaxed, but no enemy appeared, and on the following
day we went on a scout through all the region roundabout without
encountering a single armed confederate. The air was full of rumors.
Nobody could tell their origin. Fitzhugh Lee was a few miles away,
coming with a big force. "Stonewall" Jackson had started on another
raid, and any moment might see his gray "foot-cavalry" swarming into the
vicinity. Such stories were poured into our ears at Vienna, but a couple
of days' duty there demonstrated their falsity and we were hurried back
to Fairfax Court House and sent off on a day and night march through the
Loudoun Valley to Aldie, Middleburg and Ashby's Gap in the Blue Ridge
mountains. Two entire regiments, the Fifth Michigan under Colonel Alger
and the Sixth under Colonel Gray, went on this expedition, reaching
Aldie at midnight, in a blinding snow-storm. Remaining out in it all
night without shelter or fire, the next day we made a gallant "charge"
through Middleburg, finding no enemy there but a few of Mosby's men who
fled at our approach. During the day some of them were captured and one
man of troop "C," Sixth was killed. It was evident that Lee's army, no
portion of it, had begun a movement northward, and the two regiments
returned to Fairfax, making a night march while the snow continued to
fall and mud and slush made the going as bad as it could be. At two
o'clock in the morning the column halted and an attempt was made to
build camp-fires, but the logs and rails were so wet that they would not
burn, and all hands stood around in the snow, stamping their feet and
swinging their arms, in a futile effort to keep warm. The march was
resumed at daylight. We were more comfortable when in the saddle, on the
march, than during that early morning bivouac. It was possible to sleep,
when snugly settled in the capacious McClellan saddles, but when
dismounted, sleep was out of the question. There was no place to lie
down and to stand in the snow only aggravated the discomfort. But when
mounted, the m