rthern Virginia retired behind the
Rapidan. General Meade took up the line through Culpeper, placing the
Third division on the left flank with headquarters at Stevensburg.

The advance into Stevensburg was stoutly contested by Hampton's
division, and the confederate cavalry showed that it had not lost any of
its fighting qualities, if its dash and spirit had been somewhat
dampened by the sturdy resistance put up in the recent campaign by the
federal troopers led by Pleasonton, Buford, Gregg, Kilpatrick and
Custer.

At the time of the "Mine Run" affair, the Michigan cavalry crossed the
Rapidan at Morton's Ford and attacked Ewell's infantry, falling back
after dark to the old position on the north side of the river.

After that episode, the army went into winter quarters. The three
generals--Kilpatrick, Custer and Davies--had quarters in houses, the
rest for the most part lived in tents or huts. The Sixth was hutted in
temporary structures built of logs surmounted by tents. They were
fitted with doors, chimneys and fireplaces--some of them with sashes and
glass and were very comfortable. The winter was a very cold one. There
was some snow, even in Virginia, and the first day of January, 1864, is
still remembered as noteworthy for its extremely low temperature
throughout the country.

While in this camp the Michigan regiments had a visit from Jacob M.
Howard, the colleague of Zachariah Chandler in the United States senate.
He was one of the ablest men who ever represented the state in the
national congress. He had served with high distinction as attorney
general of the state before being elected to the senate. As chairman of
the senate committee on Pacific railroads, he had much to do with
piloting the country through the many difficulties which stood in the
way of the accomplishment of the great enterprise of laying tracks for
the iron horse across the American desert--spanning the continent with
railroads--and reducing the journey from the Missouri river to the
Pacific ocean from one of months to one of days--the most important of
the achievements that followed close on the heels of the civil war. The
senator made a patriotic speech to the soldiers and was cordially
cheered.

The cavalry picket line was twenty-five miles long, and it was no
child's play to serve as field officer of the day, when every picket
post and every vidette had to be visited at least once each twenty-four
hours. The outer line was along the