Letter from Captain Lyon to Mrs. Lyon.
“Dec. 8.—I can not come home. We want you to start on Thursday. Come as soon as you can.”
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sunday, 8th—Reveille sounded this morning at 2 o’clock. We jumped out of our bunks, packed our knapsacks, and got started for the railroad station by daylight. As we left the barracks and entered the main street leading down to the city, the sun away to the southeast, just above the hills, showed its face—a regular ball of fire. How glorious it was! I think I shall never forget it. Arriving at the railroad yards, we stacked arms and went to loading our commissariat onto the cars—coal cars. At noon we boarded the train for Jefferson City, riding in box-cars and open cars, and reached our destination at 6 p. m.
While loading our train at St. Louis, we heard the church bells calling the people to worship. It made many of us think of home and I wonder if the folks at home were thinking of us boys here at the seat of war. For here there is no church for us, and when we get orders to go, there is no stopping for Sunday.
SUNDAY 8
A warm pleasant day, too warm for an overcoat. Went to church all day with the Family. Doct Smith preached in the morning, Mason Noble in the afternoon. Doct Smith attended the funeral of an old member of the Col[or]ed Pres[byteria]n Church. Walked with wife up to Franklin Square, called on our return at Mr Bartletts and at Mr Pecks. In the evening went down to the National and spent an hour with Aldrich of Palmyra and [T?] Mosely of Detroit (formerly of Lyons).
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The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of Congress.
December 8th.—A certain excellent Colonel who commands a French regiment visited us to-day. When he came to Washington, one of the Foreign Ministers who had been well acquainted with him said, “My dear Colonel, what a pity we can be no longer friends.” “Why so, Baron?” “Ah, we can never dine together again.” “Why not? Do you forbid me your table?” “No, Colonel, but how can I invite a man who can command the services of at least 200 cooks in his own regiment?” “Well then, Baron, you can come and dine with me.” “What! how do you think I could show myself in your camp—how could I get my hair dressed to sit at the table of a man who commands 300 coiffeurs?” I rode out to overtake a party who had started in carriages for Mount Vernon to visit Washington’s tomb, but missed them in the wonderfully wooded country which borders the Potomac, and returned alone.
Camp of the 83d P. V.,
Hall’s Hill, Va., Dec. 8th, 1861.
Dear Sister L.:—
To-day (Sunday) has been a beautiful day. We had inspection this morning at 8 o’clock. At 10 I went to the colonel and got leave to go to the New York Forty-ninth. I found a number of friends that I had not seen for a long time. Nehemiah Sperry, Sherman Williams, Rollin Hart and a number from Mina that you do not know. You may blame me for going on Sunday, but remember I have no time beside when I can possibly go, and that I have not entered another camp, not even the Forty-fourth, within a rod of our own, since I have been in Virginia, and you will not be surprised.
The past week has been a week of lovely weather. Monday and Tuesday were cold, but clear, and the rest of the week has been mild and summer-like.
We have had the usual amount of drill. Governor Morgan reviewed us day before yesterday.
Our new uniforms have at last arrived. Fifteen wagons, with six mules to each, brought the last installment last night. It comes from France, even to the pins for staking the tents. We expect they will commence distributing them to-morrow. An agent of the French government is here and will fit each man with his uniform. We are not thought capable of fitting the outlandish things ourselves. He has measured all the officers and the measures are to be sent to France and exact fits made for the officers. They will arrive, he says, in less than six weeks. We are to have the most complete outfit ever seen in this country. Our tents are large enough to hold ten. A pole runs up in the center and a round table clasps right around it. We are to have folding chairs. Our knapsacks are a curious contrivance. A wooden frame is covered with calfskin with the hair on. This can be taken off the frame and used as a blanket to spread on the ground to sleep on. There are also little skirmishers’ tents to be carried on the march. They can be taken apart and carried by two men who can put them together and sleep in them anywhere. Our boys are overjoyed at their good fortune and the colonel says we will have to work hard to keep up our reputation.
We are all well in our tent. Well, I say, H. is not, either. He is suffering from a cold. I guess he will conclude the best medicine is books. It is almost time for tattoo and I must close.
Camp Union, December 8, 1861.
Dearest : — It is Sunday — inspection day. Visited all quarters and hospital. All in improving condition. Tell Dr. Joe we have had five bright warm lovely days and a fair prospect for as many more. Roads improving; telegraph wire here, and will be in working order tomorrow or day after.
Have the daily Commercial mailed to me here from the office for one month. If it comes as often as twice a week, I will renew the subscription, otherwise not.
A trunk full of nice doings, socks, mittens, small looking glasses, needle doings, etc., etc., came up from Gauley among our baggage. Nothing to show who from or who to. I assumed that it was an instalment from Cleveland for the Twenty-third and Dr. McCurdy disposes of it accordingly. . . .
I am feeling anxious about you. Write often all about yourself. Love to the dear boys and all. Ever so much for yourself.
Affectionately,
R.
Mrs. Hayes.
Sunday, December 8. — A cloudy morning, threatening rain. After ten A. M. cleared up and a bright, warm day. Inspected quarters informally with Lieutenant-Colonel Eckley. Favorable impressions of his disposition confirmed; dined with him and his adjutant, Lieutenant James, of Urbana, and Rev. Long, ditto. Wrote letters — very short — to Uncle, mother, and Lucy.
Had a good drill after evening parade. Colonel Scammon, Lieutenant Gardner, quartermaster, and Major Comly play whist in the other room. . . . We have intimations that Jenkins and his cavalry are coming in here again. The colonel is taking precautions against surprise. I shall see that my regiment is ready, if possible.
DECEMBER 8TH.—I saw Mr. Benjamin to-day, and asked him what disposition he intended to make of Mr. Custis. He was excited, and said with emphasis that he was investigating the case. He seemed offended at the action of Gen. Winder, and thought it was a dangerous exercise of military power to arrest persons of such high standing, without the clearest evidence of guilt: Mr. Custis had signed the ordinance of secession, and that ought to be sufficient evidence of his loyalty.
December 8.—The American Bible Society has done a great work for the army and navy. It has distributed, in these two branches of the national service, about half a million copies of the Scriptures, mostly of the New Testament, and is now issuing seven thousand copies a day. Every man in the volunteer regiments, who would receive one, has been furnished with a very neat and portable copy of the New Testament; and the same good work is to be done for the other regiments that may yet volunteer in the service of their country to the end of the war. So noble an object is worthy of everybody’s sympathy and cooperation.
—The Second regiment of Ohio Volunteers, under command of Colonel L. A. Harris, left their camp this morning for Elizabethtown, forty-two miles south of Louisville, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the rendezvous of the troops in Western and Southern Kentucky.
—The schooner E. Waterman, loaded with salt, provisions, coffee, and lend, and munitions of war, was captured off Savannah, Ga., by the steamer Augusta,—N. Y. Herald, Dec. 20.
—Yesterday afternoon a rebel force, consisting of a battery of six pieces, and about four hundred Infantry and two hundred Cavalry, made their appearance at Dam No. 5, on the Virginia side of the Potomac, near Williamsport, Md., and commenced throwing shell and shot it the Dam and houses on the Maryland shore, burning a barn, and riddling all the houses within range, continuing the fire until dusk.
The only Union force there to oppose them, was a company of the Massachusetts Thirteenth, on picket duty, and an unarmed Illinois regiment. As the Massachusetts company was armed with smooth-bore muskets their fire was not effective at that distance.
Early this morning they resumed the fire with artillery and small arms, and, emboldened by the slight resistance met with yesterday, cane down to the very brink of the river, and exposed themselves without fear. During the night, Colonel Leonard had despatched a canal boat from Williamsport and another company of his regiment, armed with Enfield rifles, who were concealed as skirmishers along the Maryland shore. On the renewal of the attack the riflemen opened fire from their concealment, and in a short time the rebel artillerists were compelled to abandon their battery in hot haste, their infantry and cavalry leaving the ground about the same time.
For the want of a sufficient infantry force and battery to protect his movements, Colonel Leonard was compelled to let the rebel guns remain in position, and after nightfall the rebels returned and took them off.—(Doc. 217.)
—Port Royal Island, S. C., on which the town of Beaufort is situated, was taken possession of by the Union forces on the 6th inst., but neither the island nor the town were fully occupied till to-day, when a reconnoissance in force, consisting of three hundred of the Fiftieth Pennsylvania regiment, three hundred of the “Roundheads,” and half of Hamilton’s Battery, all under command of General Stevens, drove the enemy completely from the island, they having to cross Port Royal Ferry, and taking up a position on the main land. The Union pickets were immediately extended so as to defend the town of Beaufort and the entire island of Port Royal.—N. T. Tribune.
