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

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Colonel Lyon’s Letters.

 

Huntsville, Ala., Sun., Jan. 22, 1865.—I was up the railroad looking after matters there last week and returned here last evening. We are just commencing to build block houses for the defense of the road. We make them artillery proof and it requires a great deal of work to build them. I pay more attention to this part of my command than to any other.

A new order lets out all of our officers who have served three years consecutively in any one grade. Under it Blake, Hewitt, Randall, Balis and Wemple go out. They are all mustered out except Balis, who leaves tomorrow. Captain Kummel was here a few days ago and mustered in as Lieut.-Colonel.

I have just received an order to go to Nashville as a witness for the defense in the case of Colonel Anderson, of the 12th Indiana Cavalry, who is on trial for ordering a young man, who was probably a guerilla, to be shot last summer at Brownsboro. I shall probably start on Tuesday morning and shall be absent about six days. I will write you from there.

Everything moves quietly and comfortably here. The presence of an army gives a feeling of security to which I have been a stranger for many months.

22nd. Sunday. Storm continues. Some snow on the ground. Worked on shelters for horses out of pine brush. Bosworth and Robinson discharged. Ordered to write of East Tenn. campaign, one chapter in the history of the 2nd Ohio.

Chillicothe, Sunday morning, January 22, 1865.

Dear Mother: — We returned here yesterday afternoon. . . . I read your journal of the family and your early times in Ohio to Uncle Sardis. It was very interesting. It reminded him of many things which he had entirely forgotten. I am very glad you wrote it. I shall always preserve and prize it. I do not wish to impose any labor on you, but it would gratify me very much if you would occasionally put down in the same way anything you happen to think of.

Aunt McKell’s oldest son (a captain) returned from Sherman since I was here. He is out of service. His time was out three months ago, but he remained to go through the Georgia campaign. . . .

One of our officers from Cumberland tells me he thinks we shall see very little more hard service during the war. — Love to all.

Affectionately, your son,

Rutherford.

Mrs. Sophia Hayes.

January 22d.—Another day of sleet and gloom. The pavements are almost impassable from the enamel of ice; large icicles hang from the houses, and the trees are bent down with the weight of frost.

The mails have failed, and there is no telegraphic intelligence, the wires being down probably. It rained very fast all day yesterday, and I apprehend the railroad bridges have been destroyed in many places.

The young men (able-bodied) near the Secretary of War and the Assistant Secretary, at the War Department, say, this morning, that both have resigned.

It is said the Kentucky Congressmen oppose the acceptance of the portfolio of war by Gen. Breckinridge.

Whoever accepts it must reform the conscription business and the passport business, else the cause will speedily be lost. Most of our calamities may be traced to these two sources.

Sunday, 22d—A detail from our regiment was sent out along the road today to help the loaded wagons across the deep mud-holes, as they come through from Beaufort. It is reported that the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps have crossed into South Carolina and are floundering in the mud bottoms of the Savannah river.

Sunday, 22d.—Left Tupelo at day-light; ran very slowly. Stalled, and we had to walk half-mile.