Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Wednesday, July 27. — Went down to City Point. Saw General Benham, Doctor Dalton, and others. Day warm, with some slight showers in the afternoon. Heard a rumor that the corps was to move. Mine ready.

Wednesday July 27th.

Captain Gould was detailed to-day with his Co. K. to take charge of six Coehorn Mortars in a work on the line of the Eighteenth Corps, a little to the right of the point where it is rumored that a mine under the enemy’s works is being dug. The Second Corps drew out of the works yesterday, and it is reported that it has gone way around to the right. Heavy firing was heard in that direction this morning.

27th. In morning accompanied Col. P. and Maj. N. on a tour to visit our line, and brigade of infantry. Rebs in plain view. No firing in front of infantry for two weeks.

July 27.—We had heavy fighting on the 22d. Lieutenant John Lyons, whom I visited in Corinth, was killed. His death will be a sad blow to his poor mother and wife. He had a brother wounded at the battle of Spottsylvania Court-house. He lived a short time after the battle, and his devoted mother was with him when he breathed his last.

A day or two ago we received a lot of badly wounded; some of them are shot near the spine, which paralyzes them so that they can neither use hands or feet. There is one very large man, named Brown, who is as helpless as an infant. Another, Captain Curran, is almost as bad. A fine-looking young man from Kentucky has lost a leg and arm; there is but little hope of his recovery. Mr. Pullet, a Georgian, is wounded through the lungs; the least movement causes the blood to run in streams from his wound; the doctors have little hope of saving him. Mr. Thomas is wounded through the head; his brain is oozing out, and at times he is delirious. Mr. Orr is injured in the spine, and is perfectly helpless. Mr. Summers of Mississippi is wounded in the right hand, and can not feed himself. Mr. Harper is badly wounded, and can scarcely eat any thing. Mr. Latta, his friend, has had his leg amputated. I have written to the chaplain of their regiments, the Twelfth and Forty-seventh Tennessee, informing him of their condition. Mr. Henderson from Tennessee is severely wounded. We have so many poor, helpless fellows, that it is heart-breaking to look at them. I went down to the train when they arrived, and they were a sad sight to behold. A handsome Texan died as soon as he was brought up to the hospital. A particular friend and one of his officers were with him. There were about fifty brought to our hospital. A number were sent to the Gamble.

The first thing we did was to get them something to eat. We had buttermilk, which they relished.

Mrs. Captain Nutt, a lady from Louisiana, brought us some nice rags, an article which we were entirely out of; and she also gave us her aid. Mr. Moore also assisted. At a time like this the nurses are all kept busy attending to the wants of the surgeons. We washed the men’s hands and faces, and fed them.

Among these martyrs is a young man who, the surgeons are certain, shot himself intentionally. We have a case of that kind now and then. Some time ago, a man, rather than be returned to duty, cut three of his fingers off with an ax, and a bad job he made of it.

As Miss W. is gone, Mrs. W. takes her place; so we have many more duties now than we had. Many of the men are unable to feed themselves. I go over at mealtime and assist the nurses.

Mr. Rabbit, a member of Garrety’s battery, is here badly wounded. He has suffered awfully from having gangrene in his wound. Dr. Wellford, his surgeon, thought at one time he would lose his leg.

There is an old lady here taking care of her sick son; she lives across the river, about fifteen miles distant. She says she has the felicity of having the Federal cavalry surrounding her place. They go into houses, and what they do not carry away they destroy. They have a dreadful antipathy to crockery, and break all the poor people’s dishes.

I met a Mr. Miller visiting Mr. Dougherty’s, who told me that these vandals had called on him, and after robbing him of every thing worth taking, took some dressed leather that he prized very highly, and before his eyes cut it into pieces. It seems to me that they are bent on creating a market for their own wares.

July 27.—General Early has returned from Maryland, bringing horses, cattle, etc. While near Washington, the army burned Mr. Montgomery Blair’s house, which I cannot persuade myself to regret, and spared the residence of his father, by order, it is said, of General Breckinridge. I know that General B. was right, but I think it required great forbearance, particularly in the soldiers, who have felt in their own persons and families the horrors of this cruel war of invasion. It seems to our human view that unless the war is severely felt by those in high authority, it will never cease. Hunter has just passed through the upper part of the Valley of Virginia, his pathway marked by fire and sword; and Sheridan has followed Early into Virginia, with no very gentle intent, I fear. I am glad that Maryland was spared as a general thing, particularly as our friends might have suffered with our foes, for it would have been difficult to discriminate; but I cannot avoid thinking that if other places, besides Governor Bradford’s house and the town of Chambersburg, had been burnt, it would shorten the war. Yet God has said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay;” and I hope that Christian principles will ever be observed by our commanders. There seems to be no touch of pity in the hearts of many of the Federal generals. Women and children are made homeless at midnight, and not allowed to save any thing, even their clothes. When houses are not burned, they are robbed of every thing which a rapacious soldiery may desire. The last barrel of flour, the last ham, is taken from store-rooms; and this is done, not in Virginia only; nor are Hunter, Sheridan, Kilpatrick, or Stoneman the only men who do it; but every State in the Confederacy has felt the heel of the despot. North and South Carolina have suffered on their eastern borders most severely; the same of Georgia and Florida. Alabama has had much to bear. The Mississippi country in Louisiana, Arkansas, and the State of Mississippi, has been ravaged and desolated; Tennessee has perhaps had more to bear than any of them. But poor old Virginia has been furrowed and scarred until her original likeness is gone. From the Potomac to the Roanoke, from the seaboard to the Kentucky boundary, including the downtrodden Eastern Shore, she could scarcely be recognized by her sons. Marked by a hundred battle-fields, and checkered by fortifications, almost every spot is classic ground. From the beginning she has acted her part nobly, and has already covered herself with glory; but when the war is over, where shall we find her old churches, where her noble homesteads, scenes of domestic comfort and generous hospitality? Either laid low by the firebrand, or desecrated and desolated. In the march of the army, or in the rapid evolutions of raiding parties, woe betide the houses which are found deserted! In many cases the men of the family having gone to the war, the women and children dare not stay; then the lawless are allowed to plunder. They seem to take the greatest delight in breaking up the most elegant or the most humble furniture, as the case may be; cut the portraits from the frames, split pianos in pieces, ruin libraries, in any way that suits their fancy; break doors from their hinges, and locks from the doors; cut the windows from the frames, and leave no pane of glass unbroken; carry off house-linen and carpets; the contents of the store-rooms and pantries, sugar, flour, vinegar, molasses, pickles, preserves, which cannot be eaten or carried off, are poured together in one general mass; the horses are of course taken from the stables; cattle and stock of all kinds driven off or shot in the woods and fields. Generally, indeed I believe always when the whole army is moving, inhabited houses are protected. To raiders such as Hunter and Co. is reserved the credit of committing such outrages in the presence of ladies—of taking their watches from their belts, their rings from their fingers, and their ear-rings from their ears; of searching their bureaux and wardrobes, and filling pockets and haversacks in their presence. Is it not then wonderful that soldiers whose families have suffered such things could be restrained when in a hostile country? It seems to me to show a marvellous degree of forbearance in the officers themselves, and of discipline in the troops.

July 27th. [Battle of Strawberry Plains.] Skirmishing began almost as soon as we got to the north side of the James. Captured 4 guns. Johnnies were surprised to find that we had got out to intercept them.

Colonel Lyon’s Letters.

Claysville, Ala., Wed., July 27, 1864.—I rode over to Fort Deposit (Co. I) after writing to you Saturday. Returned here Sunday night. I had a visit from Colonel Anderson, 11th Indiana Cavalry, who is chasing and killing guerillas out towards Huntsville. He used to preach in Chicago and latterly in Michigan City. I think he is one of the roughest men I have met lately; but he is talented and brave. I rode over to Deposit with him on Monday morning, and returnd the same day. Was accompanied by an ex-Captain of the 18th Michigan, who has been here a week buying cotton. His name is Stevens. He resigned and turned speculator.

We heard of a small force on the other side of the river, and on Sunday night I let Captain Kingman have over 100 men to go over to try to get them. The gang got away, however. Everything is quiet now on both sides of the river. The people on the south side are anxiously inquiring what they shall do to be saved.

Kingman’s advance guard had a skirmish with a lot of rebels near a house where they had been getting breakfast, the owner belonging to the gang. The Captain burned the house, very properly. We send all dissatisfied or dangerous persons across the river. I tell them that I would rather fight them than watch them.

The regiment keeps very healthy, except Company K, at Whitesburg. That company has from 20 to 30 sick in it. I intend to go there and to Decatur within a few days.

Lieut. Parker commands Company E. Captain Hewitt is Assistant Ordnance Officer with Captain Townsend. Captain Kummel has the same position at Chattanooga on General Thomas’ staff. Captain Noyes is on a Court-Martial at Nashville.

July 27—We see the Jersey shore this morning. Our vessel was racing with another. We had too much steam up; the consequence was a fire on board, but we soon had it out. We landed at Jersey City at 12 M., and were immediately put in cars, and the officer that promised to send me to my parents refused to do so. We left here at 1, got to Elmira at 8 in the evening.

Etowah Bridge, Wednesday, July 27. Cloudy day, showery in the evening. Health very good. On guard, the first time for a month. The moments passed slowly while on post, and I was almost lonesome. 1st Ohio and 5th Kentucky Infantry passed through on their way home this evening. They go right from the front line of battle to homes that are awaiting them. But a few of them left to represent the 1,000 that started. Report Sherman surrounding Atlanta on all sides, expected to be engaged to-day. Major General Steedman and staff gone to the front. No mail received.

H.Q. Cav’y Escort, A. of P.
Before Petersburg, July 27, 1864

Though I wrote to you last week yours of the 8th inst., which has reached me since, induces me, from the extreme hilarity of its tone, to renewed efforts. What the devil’s up? What are you howling at? I never saw such a man! Has the bottom of the kettle tumbled out? That our success this campaign has not been so brilliant as it was last I shan’t dispute, but why howl out in agony and cry sauve qui peut? I see no signs that the American people and their policy are to be turned topsy-turvy just yet. Even if they are, what then? I have ever found that sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, and be today ever so black tomorrow somehow or other, all prognostications to the contrary notwithstanding, is found bearable when it comes. I am not going to trouble myself about the ways of Providence any more than I can help, and I recommend all of you to do the same. At the same time I must confess your position makes success sweeter and failure far more bitter than we feel them here. When bad news comes I like to hide my head in the trenches as much as I may.

Meanwhile of the future, here or hereabouts, I can tell you no more than I can of the future of Sherman’s operations. Here we are just where we have been so long and no one knows anything. Hancock’s Corps with two Divisions of Cavalry moved off toward Richmond last night, and we hear of some small success of theirs this morning, but no one knows why they went or what they expect to accomplish. It looks to me like a counter on Richmond for Early’s raid on Washington, but that’s a guess. You’ll know all about it before this letter reaches you. So too of the south west. If you take the Army and Navy Journal you know all that I do, but I believe the Minister objects to taking the only reliable military publication in the country, and prefers still to get his information from that uncontaminated fountain of pure lies, the correspondence of the daily press. The removal of Johnston puzzles me. I can only account for it on the supposition that he plainly told Davis that he could not undertake to endanger the existence of his army by making a stand at Atlanta and that Davis, feeling that such a stand might successfully be made, put Hood, the fighting General, in his place to try the experiment. If this is so, it is playing our game with a vengeance. One can never be certain of results in war, but fighting generals of Divisions make, as a rule, poor work of it in command of armies, and from what I know, I should say that the rebel army there stood many chances of annihilation if once opposed fairly to our Army. However this again is all guess-work. Sherman will be heard from soon enough and before this letter reaches you, with Hood and these southwestern troops opposed to him I think he will give a good account of himself.

How about this Niagara Falls peace business? Is Greeley going to steal your thunder? What’s become of Yeatman? It seems to me our Uncle Abe did Messrs. Clay and Holcombe very much as the venerable Mason did our Moncure D. Conway, of whom we have heard. Is there any revival of your negotiation? Such things seem now to be the order of the day and I shall be little surprised if you’re not intriguing again. . . .