- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
This is an interesting passage from a book I am reading. When the 2nd Michigan was in Washington in June of 1861 just before the First Battle of Bull Run they had in two months worn out their Michigan issued army shoes and received new ones. They tossed their old worn out shoes into the company streets. But soon the frisky young men from one half of the 2nd Michigan camp threw their discarded shoes at men from the other half of the camp and a general battle erupted between the two halves of the camp. One side conserved their ammunition and after collecting expanded rounds and pushed the others out of camp. Officers tried in vain to stop the shoe battle and finally appealed to the colonel who wisely decided to let the men settle the dispute by force of arms. Perhaps the colonel simply did not what to get hit by a few stray rounds.