Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
April 26.—Went to church. Took a long walk, gathered flowers. Haley, the scout, has been after his family farther South, in the Secesh regions. He had to go on the sly and keep hidden while there whenever he went to see them. So William sent a guard with him and an ambulance and brought them here—his wife and wife’s mother, and two children. His little girl three years old had croup the night before while they were on the road. She seemed very hoarse, but did not seem sick when they went to bed, but at two o’clock she died in great suffering. She was a beautiful little golden-haired child.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
April 25.—One of Company B’s boys was drowned today while bathing.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
April 22.—Mrs. Wemple quite sick. We were going home together. She feels so badly about my going without her, and William does not want me to go alone and has put a veto on my going yet.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
April 21.—I am packing up to go home. We go on the Ewing as far as Paducah. Nearly all of the officers and wives came and spent the evening with us—quite a surprise party.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
April 18.—An expedition went out in ambulances this morning to the old fighting ground of two years’ ago. It was very interesting to wander over the ground where so many had fallen. It makes one feel very sad.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
Fort Donelson, April 15, 1863.—Had a slight scare. Five or six of the 83d boys were just outside of the pickets and were taken prisoners. It did not amount to much of a scene.
Letter from Colonel Lyon.
Fort Donelson, April 13, 1863.—We have had a little expedition. One Woodward, a rebel, has a force of about 2,000 men with artillery up the river, harrassing boats. We had a force up about twelve miles in the country, and hearing that Woodward was intending to try and cut it off, I was sent out early Saturday morning with reinforcements to give him a fight if he came around; but he did not come, so we returned last night —without a fight, as usual.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
April 12, 1863.—The gunboats destroyed Palmyra on the 9th. Regiment returned all safe, did not see the enemy.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
April 11, 1863.—Orders came to have the 13th, five companies of the 83d Illinois, two of the 71st Ohio, and five of the 5th Iowa cavalry, Colonel Lyon commanding, go out twelve miles to the relief of Major Young.
Mrs. Lyon’s Diary.
Fort Donelson, April 10, 1863.—Five gunboats went by this morning. Woodward’s force fired into two boats with artillery and sank them. They were laden with sutler’s stores. A detachment of the 13th went up the river.
