Wednesday, November 9. — Lieutenant Gill sent in a letter for me and one for Captain Amory. Mine was from Dick Milton. Heard that several letters were sent to us from the stockade. Mackentire, who took the oath of allegiance to the South and who pretended to be an officer, was put in among the other deserters. He is accused of robbing a citizen.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Wednesday, 9th—It is still raining. I went out on picket this morning. We received orders to be ready to move at a moment’s notice, for the purpose of tearing up the railroad tracks. Citizens all around Atlanta, hearing that the Yankees are going to leave the place, are coming in larger numbers to go North. Women leave their homes and all they have, and with their children walk a distance of thirty miles, for the sake of getting to the North. Where both armies have been ravaging the country, the people are destitute—haven’t anything to eat—and therefore they have to leave their homes. No news from the North.
Wednesday, November 9. — Marched eleven miles to camp south of Kernstown. Whole army glad to move towards winter quarters. — Result of election in this division: Lincoln, 575; McClellan, 98.
Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Nov. 9, 1864.—I went up to the regiment yesterday and voted for Old Abe. I went as far as Larkinsville.
It looks less and less like leaving Huntsville, unless we are driven out, which we do not expect at present. I expect the Major down tomorrow to take command of the regiment. I have to work almost every minute of my time.
Dr. Evans is here. He has been appointed Medical Director of this district and ordered to establish a general hospital here. I have taken a female seminary for that purpose, and the ‘females’ are very sweet on me, hoping to induce me to rescind the order and take some other building. It can not be done, though.
Chapin’s Farm, Va.,
November 9, 1864.
Dear Sister L.:—
My position in the quartermaster’s department does not afford the leisure I used to have when my business was to blow “Dan! Dan! Butterfield,” or even when I was in the company with the captain there. There is forage to haul and rations to issue. The colonel wants me to go to Bermuda Hundred for axes; the colonel wants logs hauled to build him a house, and he wants this and that, and the status of the poor quartermaster may be graphically described as “on the bob” from morning till night, and his letter writing must be put in edge-wise to all this work.
My experience is that there is a difference between navigating a ship on the ocean and guiding a mule team through Virginia woods and over Virginia roads, and the difference is in favor of the ship. There is a significance in the “Ya-a-a-e mool” and “Now git” of the American teamsters of African descent, that to a novice is unintelligible, but the animals with the ears seem to understand the animals with the gum and ivory, and from the mutual understanding results much good to the animals with the muskets.
I have a very limited idea of what is going on over at the Weldon railroad, but in this part of the army everybody is going into winter quarters. To be sure they are under the old orders to be ready to move at a moment’s notice, and line of battle is formed every morning an hour before light, but log houses continue to grow like mushrooms on a damp night. Generals and “two rows of buttons” generally are demolishing the residences of the “F. F. Vs.” and working them in with logs into cozy quarters. There is no certainty of their being occupied any length of time, but there is a possibility of it, and so they are built. Lieutenant Burrows and myself have been putting up a log stable for the brigade teams one hundred and eighty feet long, with two wings of forty feet each. It would not be considered in Broadway an imposing edifice, but it will impose an amount of comfort on the poor mules that they never dreamed of in connection with their fate in the army as “means of transportation.”
My health is not what it used to be. I am not sick abed any of the time, but I feel weak and lack energy. Any unusual exertion tires me out. My stay in the hospital did not seem to do me much good.
To-day I suppose there is almost as much excitement as yesterday. The returns from elections will be known, and at telegraph stations they will have the news—of Abraham’s election. We believe it here, but it will be vastly consolatory to have our belief confirmed.
I may have mentioned to you that I was trying to get Alf Ayres into the Eighth as second lieutenant. If he is as competent as I think he is, I could get him appointed on sight, if he could only come over and see our colonel. The colonel’s recommendation would secure his promotion, and I would like to see him in the regiment.
November 9th. The election passed off very quiet yesterday. No trouble. Great rejoicing over the re-election of Honest Old Abe. We feel that it was a great victory, and do believe that the war will soon be over. Allowed to go home for a short visit. Ordered to assemble at the camp on tomorrow night, and by the morning of the 11th, to return to Martinsburg.
November 9th.—Rained last night; clear this morning, and warm. All quiet below, except the occasional bombs thrown at the canal by our iron-clads.
The press is mostly opposed to the President’s project of employing 40,000 slaves in the army, under promise of emancipation. Some indicate the belief that the President thinks the alternatives are subjugation or abolition, and is preparing the way for the latter.
The Enquirer is averse to conscribing editors between the ages of eighteen and forty-five. The editor says it would be a violation of the Constitution, etc. We all believe Lincoln has been easily re-elected. It is supposed Grant will soon receive large accessions from Sheridan’s army, and make another attempt to take Richmond. It will be the most formidable attempt, and will be the most formidably resisted.
A row between Gen. Kemper and Gen. Preston: latter refers papers directly to Col. Shields, Gen. K.’s subordinate. Gen. K. asks to be relieved: Secretary Seddon agrees to it, taking sides with the Bureau of Conscription. But the President does not (yet) agree to it, asks investigation of Gen. K.’s complaints, etc.; and so it rests at the present. The Assistant Secretary of War, his son-in-law Lieut.-Col. Lay, etc. etc. are all on the side of the Bureau of Conscription; but I suspect the President is on the other side. My opinion is that unless the Bureau of Conscription be abolished or renovated, our cause will fare badly. The President states his suspicions of “malpractice” in his indorsement.
Much cheering has been heard this morning in the enemy’s lines —over election news, probably: whether McClellan’s or Lincoln’s success, no one here knows; but no doubt the latter.
Etowah Bridge, Wednesday, Nov. 9. Misty and damp night. Caught a bad cold on guard. 12th Battery took guns to town this morning, leaving them there for us, and took ours off in exchange. All our harness is boxed up. The infantry have struck tents, turned them over and expect to start on the morrow. 14th Corps lay quiet all day. Trains are being loaded with camp and garrison equipage, contrabands and refugees. From all appearances this line is to be abandoned, and Sherman is about to strike a telling blow upon the Confederacy. My knapsack is packed and I await orders.
9th. Wednesday. After dinner moved to Mt. Zion church. Met the infantry marching back. Rainy day.
