Monday, 23d—We arrived at California about sunup, almost frozen; it cleared off during the night and a cold northwest wind was blowing. Leaving the train we entered the several churches in town and built fires to warm by, Company E going into a Catholic church, where the sexton and his wife brought us some hot coffee. We then put into winter quarters, occupying vacant houses and storerooms and made all the “secesh” skedaddle. The companies in quarters here are B, E, G, K and H, under command of Lieut. Col. William Hall. We just learned why it was that we were rushed up here last night. It had been reported at Jefferson City that a train with “secesh” prisoners was to pass through this place today, bound for St. Louis, and that their sympathizers in this locality were planning a raid on the train to liberate the prisoners.
December 23rd.—There was a tremendous storm, which drove over the city and shook the houses to the foundation. Constant interviews took place between the President and members of the Cabinet, and so certain are the people that war is inevitable, that an officer connected with the executive of the Navy Department came in to tell me General Scott was coming over from Europe to conduct the Canadian campaign, as he had thoroughly studied the geography of the country, and that in a very short time he would be in possession of every strategic position on the frontier, and chaw up our reinforcements. Late in the evening, Mr. Olmsted called to say he had been credibly informed Lord Lyons had quarrelled violently with Mr. Seward, had flown into a great passion with him, and so departed. The idea of Lord Lyons being quarrelsome, passionate, or violent, was preposterous enough to those who knew him; but the American papers, by repeated statements of the sort, have succeeded in persuading their public that the British Minister is a plethoric, red-faced, large-stomached man in top-boots, knee-breeches, yellow waistcoat, blue cut-away, brass buttons, and broad-brimmed white hat, who is continually walking to the State Department in company with a large bulldog, hurling defiance at Mr. Seward at one moment, and the next rushing home to receive despatches from Mr. Jefferson Davis, or to give secret instructions to the British Consuls to run cargoes of quinine and gunpowder through the Federal blockade. I was enabled to assure Mr. Olmsted there was not the smallest foundation for the story; but he seemed impressed with a sense of some great calamity, and told me there was a general belief that England only wanted a pretext for a quarrel with the United States; nor could I comfort him by the assurance that there were good reasons for thinking General Scott would very soon annex Canada, in case of war.
Headquarters 23D Reg’t. O. V. Inf. U. S. A.,
December 23, 1861.
Dear Doctor: — Thanks for your letter of the 16th. You will of course stay with Lucy until after she is out of all danger, if it is a month or more, and all will be well. Some arrangement, or no arrangement, it will be all right. I will come home unless something turns up to prevent, which I do not anticipate, so as to reach there just before you leave. McCurdy would like to go home during the next month, but it can all be arranged.
I will make Jim assistant at any time if it is thought best, but I do not wish to put him over McCurdy. This, however, need not trouble you. You can stay as long as you please, and I will see it duly approved.
You have authority to send home our men, but to stop all cavil I send you an order which you can fill up with the name of any officer, commissioned or non-commissioned, who you think can be trusted, directing him to bring here all men who are able to come.
At dinner just now I got your dispatch as to the boy. . . . Welcome to the little stranger I I hope he will be stout and healthy. . . .
Did Lucy get a draft for eighty-seven dollars by Captain Drake or Lieutenant Richardson, and two gold twenty-dollar pieces by a Company A man? Get Lucy for me some ring or “sich” thing that she will like — something nice.
Sincerely,
R, B. Hayes.
Dr. J. T. Webb
Camp Union, December 23, 1861.
Dearest : — I am so happy to hear today by telegraph that your troubles are over (at least the worst, I hope) and that “mother and son are doing well.” Darling, I love you so much and have felt so anxious about you. The little fellow, I hope, is healthy and strong. It is best it was not a daughter. These are no times for women. . . . What do the boys say? . . . Tell me all about him.
Captain Sperry will take this. I shall time it so as to come about the time that Dr. Joe will leave — say, the 15th to 20th January, unless something occurs to stop it.
I shall send either to you or to Platt five hundred dollars by Captain Sperry. Get all you want — Christmas presents for the boys and all.
Kiss the boy, yes, “all the boys” for me.
Affectionately,
R.
Mrs. Hayes.
Monday, December 23. — Wet, cold, windy; sleet last night. Five companies of the Thirtieth came up last night. Little or no preparations to shelter them — all their field officers gone. A sorry plight.
At dinner today with Captain Sperry and Lieutenant Kennedy, I was handed the following dispatch:
“Cincinnati, December 23, 1861.
“Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Hayes, Twenty-third Regiment.
“Wife and boy doing well. Stranger arrived Saturday evening, nine o’clock P. M.
J. T. Webb.”
Good! Very! I preferred a daughter, but in these times when women suffer so much, I am not sure but we ought to rejoice that our girls are boys. What shall I call him? What will Birt say, and Webb, and Babes? “Babes” no longer. He is supplanted by the little stranger. Cold wind and snow-storm, outside. Dear Lucy! I hope she will keep up good heart. I replied by telegraph: “Congratulations and much love to mother and son. All well.”
Fayetteville, Virginia, December 23, 1861.
Dear Uncle : — I have just heard by telegraph of the birth of my fourth son. In these times, boys are to be preferred to girls. Am glad to hear Lucy is doing well. . . .
Yes, we are in winter quarters, most comfortable quarters. I have to myself as nice a room as your large room, papered, carpeted, a box full of wood, and with a wild snow-storm blowing outside to make it more cheerful by contrast. We have had eighteen days of fine weather to get ready in, and are in pretty good condition. We have our telegraph line running down to civilization; get Cincinnati papers irregularly from four to ten days old. I have enjoyed the month here very much. Busy fortifying — not quite ready yet, but a few more days of good weather will put us in readiness for any force. The enemy are disheartened; the masses of the people want to stop. If England does not step in, or some great disaster befall us, we shall conquer the Rebellion beyond doubt, and at no distant period. . . .
I shall go home about the time Dr. Joe starts back here — say the 15th to 20th January, if nothing new occurs to prevent. If you can’t come down to Cincinnati, I shall go to Fremont.
Sincerely,
R. B. Hayes.
S. Birchard.
DECEMBER 23D.—Gen. T. J. Jackson has destroyed a principal dam on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. That will give the enemy abundance of trouble. This Gen. Jackson is always doing something to vex the enemy; and I think he is destined to annoy them more.
It is with much apprehension that I see something like a general relaxation of preparation to hurl back the invader. It seems as if the government were waiting for England to do it; and after all, the capture of Slidell and Mason may be the very worst thing that could have happened. Mr. Benjamin, I learn, feels very confident that a rupture between the United States and Great Britain is inevitable. War with England is not to be thought of by Mr. Seward at this juncture, and he will not have it. And we should not rely upon the happening of any such contingency. Some of our officials go so far as to hint that in the event of a war between the United States and Great Britain, and our recognition by the former, it might be good policy for us to stand neutral. The war would certainly be waged on our account, and it would not be consistent with Southern honor and chivalry to retire from the field and leave the friend who interfered in our behalf to fight it out alone. The principal members of our government should possess the highest stamp of character, for never did there exist a purer people.
MONDAY 23
Cold and windy with some snow but not enough to remain on the ground. News from England looks squaly. England is seeking a pretext for engaging in the quarrel on the Side of the rebels. We are likely to have our hands full. Our people are “fighting mad” with England whether the fight comes off now or not. Nothing new from the War. Genl Scott has returned probably on some important business connected with the matter with England. He comes from Paris. I have been home all the evening puting the boys through their lessons, &c.
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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 23.—The prize schooner Charity, captured off Hatteras Inlet, N. C., on the 17th of December, by the steamer Stars and Stripes, was wrecked off Hempstead, L. I. She had been placed in charge of Captain George Ashbury, to be taken to the port of New York.—N. Y. Times, December 29.
—A fight occurred at Joseph Coerson’s house, in Perry County, Ky., between one hundred and eighteen rebels and forty-seven Union men. The rebels were completely routed, with sixteen wounded, and the Union loss nothing.— N. Y. Tribune, December 28.
—Gen. Rosecrans issued an address to the army of Western Virginia, in which, after alluding to their triumphs during the campaign, and their gallantry and devotion to the National cause, he urged them to perfect themselves in all that pertains to drill, instruction, and discipline, and promised to provide for them everything necessary to prepare them for their coming work. He further stated that he should organize boards of examiners, who would rid the service of the disgrace and the soldiers of the incubus of incompetent and worthless officers, who hold the positions and receive the pay without having the will or capacity to perform the duties of their positions.
December 23 — Moved into winter quarters, in a good house in the southeastern suburbs of town, and near a good spring.
