Sunday, 27th—We had regular preaching today, both morning and afternoon, by the chaplain. There was a large attendance from outside the camp at the meetings. The mornings are becoming quite frosty.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Camp Leslie, Hall’s Hill,
Fairfax County, Va., Oct. 27, 1861.
Dear Sister L.:—
It is a beautiful Sabbath morning and I am on guard. I suppose you are now at church, but have you thought of me this morning and wondered where I was and what I was doing, whether I was well or sick, and how long since I heard from you, and when you meant to write to me again?
Have you thought that I have been gone from home just two months, and, in that time, I have had just one letter from you? Have those two months seemed long or short to you? Have you missed my society at all in that time? Have you known how close I am to the rebel rifles, and how many times I have been ordered to be ready to go at a moment’s notice, and how many nights I have slept on my gun with my equipments buckled on, to be ready to fall in instantly? Have you thought of my standing guard at night in the rain when my clothes were soaked and my shoes full of water, and so tired I dare not stop walking lest I should fall asleep, which would be certain death? That is the way I live, and do you think I would like to hear from you often? You used to write when I was in Camp Wright, but lately I get no more letters. I don’t know why. Can it be that you have to write so many letters to C. that you have no time to write to me? I am not jealous, but it seems to me that there might be room enough in your heart for a little love for me, if you do love him very much. There, I won’t write in that strain any more. I know you will write, and often, too. And you want to hear from me, but what shall I write?
We are right here in the same camp that we have occupied for the last month nearly. We have received marching orders every three or four days, but they are always countermanded before we start. We are drilling very severely almost all the time. Two hours every morning with our knapsacks on, which is very hard work, and the rest of the day is mostly spent in battalion and brigade drill. Every time we go out we have some twenty or twenty-five pounds weight to carry, and carrying it so long is no boy’s play.
I have not been sick but one day. I felt dizzy then and left the ranks. I was threatened with a fever, but I used a little cold water and drove it off. I am growing poor, I can’t deny that, but still I am bony and tough. Many much larger men are giving out, while the small and slight ones endure best. H. is complaining considerable of the time. If he should live at home with his mother till he was gray, he would never be anything but a baby, but I guess we will break him of his notions here, partially, at least. He gets a letter almost every day, and isn’t satisfied then. D. is tolerably well, though he and H., too, are troubled some with the prevailing disorder in camp, diarrhea. I am case-hardened; that don’t affect me in the least. I can eat salt horse and wormy crackers and drink swamp water with impunity, the only fault being it don’t give strength enough for our severe exercise. We expect our pay the 1st of November, which will be soon now.
Yesterday we had a grand review. General McClellan and staff reviewed General Porter’s division, of which we form a part. Some eighteen regiments were present, besides several companies of artillery. We had breakfast at light, and had nothing to eat again until 4 p. m., and most of the time we were exercising pretty hard. I cannot tell you much about the parade, as the description would necessarily include many military terms which you would not understand. The troops were drawn up in three long lines and the artillery at one end of the lines. Each line wheeled into column and marched round in front and passed the general once in quick and once in double quick time, and the general and his staff rode along in front of, and in the rear of each line, each band playing as he passed its respective regiment. The review closes with a sham battle on one side. Our regiment was very highly complimented by the general, who said it was one of the best, if not the very best, on the whole field.
Everything is done with the strictest discipline. I cannot go to my quarters to-day or to-night without leave of the officer of the guard, nor can I take off a single article of clothing, but I must be here at the guard tents ready to fall in any time.
October 27th.—After church, I took a long walk round by the commissariat waggons, where there is, I think, as much dirt, bad language, cruelty to animals, and waste of public money, as can be conceived. Let me at once declare my opinion that the Americans, generally, are exceedingly kind to their cattle; but there is a hybrid race of ruffianly waggoners here, subject to no law or discipline, and the barbarous treatment inflicted on the transport animals is too bad even for the most unruly of mules. I mentioned the circumstance to General McDowell, who told me that by the laws of the United States there was no power to enlist a man for commissariat or transport duty.
SUNDAY 27
This has been rather a still Sunday. I have not been to church, I have rather too much of a cough left. I have written a number of letters, one to E P Taft, to Doct J Taft, and one to Lieut Swan. Almeron Field called this evening. He belongs to the Co F 8th Regt of Regulars. Long rows of Army wagons continue to rumble through the streets to remind us that a terrible war is raging.
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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.
Hampton Roads, Oct. 27th.
We still loiter here in a seeming imbecile way, waiting now for weather and now for nobody knows what. Meanwhile patience and strength are ebbing in twelve thousand men. The condition of some of the regiments on shipboard is said to be very bad. Ours is fortunate in its ship, and they say is in better order than any other. A villain of a division-commissary, supplied fifteen days’ rations of pork and no beef, for the entire expedition! Finding this out just as we were leaving Annapolis, I felt that we could never stand it, and we have behaved so cantankerously about it, that we have secured beef enough, fresh and salt, to greatly mitigate the Sahara of pork, for this regiment. God help the others! Oh to have a Division-commissary’s head in a lemon-squeezer!
Bird’s Point, October 27, 1861.
I haven’t written for a full week because I really had nothing to write and in fact I have not now. Although soldiering is a hugely lazy life, yet these short days we seem to have but little spare time. We are up nearly an hour before sun up, have breakfast about sunrise, drill (company) from about 8 to 10. Cards until dinner time, 12; lounge or read until 2; battalion drill untill 4:30 or 5, supper, and then dress parade at 4:45; from candle lighting untill bedtime (taps), 10, we have cards mixed with singing or some awful noises from Sam Nutt and Fred Norcott. Those two boys can make more noise than three threshing machines. Our boys are all in excellent health and prime spirits. Fred and Sam and Sid are fatter than the Canton folk ever saw them. There are but four regiments at the Point now, so we have to work on the entrenchments every fourth day two hours or cut down trees the same length of time. We are clearing away the timber within 500 yards of the earthworks. It is mostly Cottonwood and very heavy. They stand so thick that if we notch a dozen or so pretty deep and then fell one it will knock three or four down. Lin Coldwell and I are going to get a set of chess to-morrow. That gunboat, “New Era,” that the papers blow so much about is of no account as a gunboat. She is laid up at Mound City for a battery. The men on her have told me that she wouldn’t half stand before a land battery that amounted to anything. We are beginning to have some frost here, but I don’t believe we’d suffer a bit lying in these tents all winter. The sickly season is over now and the health is improving very much. We had 18 on the sick list in our company three weeks ago and now we have but three, and they are only diarrhoea or the like. I tell you I feel as strong as two mules and am improving. I haven’t been the least unwell yet. Our boys are perfectly sick for a fight so they can be even with the 17th. We are sure that the 17th doesn’t deserve to be named the same day with us for drill or discipline, with all their bragging. They are an awful set of blowhards. Sid., Theo., Ben Rockhold and John Wallace are on picket out of our mess to-night. The picket was fired on last night where they are posted to-night.
OCTOBER 27TH.—Still the Jews are going out of the country and returning at pleasure. They deplete the Confederacy of coin, and sell their goods at 500 per cent profit. They pay no duty; and Mr. Memminger has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in this way.
The press everywhere is thundering against the insane policy of permitting all who avow themselves enemies to return to the North; and I think Mr. B. is beginning to wince under it. I tremble when I reflect that those who made the present government, and the one to succeed it, did not represent one-third of the people composing the inhabitants of the Confederate States.
October 27.—Brigadier-General Wm. H. T. Walker, of the Confederate States Army, resigned his position this day, because, despite all his claims as a soldier who has seen service, and as among the first to offer themselves to the South, he finds that he is continually “overslaughed” by new appointments.—Richmond Whig.
—A fight took place at Plattsburgh, Clinton County, Mo., fifteen miles south of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. A force of seven hundred Union men attacked and captured a camp of rebels, killing eight of them, capturing twelve prisoners, one cannon, and a lot of small arms.—Leavenworth Conservative.
Camp Tompkins, October 27, 1861.
Dearest : — I have had a week’s work trying twenty cases before a court-martial held in one of the fine parlors of Colonel Tompkins’ country-seat. I have profaned the sacred mansion, and I trust that soon it will be converted into a hospital for our sick. My pertinacity has accomplished something towards that end. My week’s work has had painful things, but many pleasant ones. I trust no life will be lost, but I fear it. Still I have done my duty kindly and humanely.
The weather generally has been good. The paymasters are here and general joy prevails. I expect to remain at this camp about a week or ten days. Whether I shall return to my regiment or go around to Grafton is not yet certain, probably the latter.
I see that the Sixth Street ladies are at work for the Tenth. All right. Clothing, but blankets and bedding comforts, etc., still more, will be needed this winter. Army blankets are small and are getting thin and worn-out. As cold weather comes on the well, even, will need all they can get. As yet, in this region, nobody but sick men have any business to complain.
Dr. Joe has an order from General Rosecrans to Jim to come out and assist him. If he comes let him bring a good blanket or comfort for me. If I am away it can be kept for me till I return or used by somebody else. During the next ten days I shall get money plenty to send you for all debts, etc., etc.
I can quite certainly make you a visit, but I hardly know when to do it. Dr. Joe will want to visit home sometime this fall or winter and you better “maturely consider,” as the court-martial record says, when you would prefer him to come. Of course he must wait for Dr. Clendenin and I for Colonel Matthews. My preference is about December.
Mother and Jim both seem to think letters never reach us. We get all your letters now, and quite regularly. There was a period after Carnifax when we were out of reach, but now we are in line again. We see Cincinnati papers of the 24th on the 26th. By the by, you need not renew my subscription to the Commercial. No use to send papers. We get them from the office sooner in another way.
If Jim comes let him get an assortment of late papers, Harper’s, Atlantic, etc., etc., and keep them till he gets to our camp. We are the outermost camp and people are coaxed out of their literature before they get to us. . . .
I dined in a tent with fourteen officers and one lady on Wednesday. Her husband was formerly a steamboat captain, now a major in [the] First Kentucky. She evidently enjoyed her singular position; bore her part well. . . .
Affectionately, your
Rutherford.
Things I would like before winter sets in — I am not sure that Dr. Jim better bring them — there is no hurry:
1. A good large blanket; 2. An India-rubber coat, common black, — Dr. J—’s size; 3. A pair of gloves, riding, buckskin or such; 4. A thick dark blue vest, military buttons and fit; my size at Sprague’s; 5. Enough blue cord for seams of one pair of pants; Dr. Joe’s poem, “Lucile”; 6. Two blank books, size of my diaries — good nice ruled paper, 6 or 8 inches by 4 or 5; 7. A pocket memorandum book. I could make a big list, but I’ll quit.
Mrs. Hayes.
Sunday morning before breakfast,
Tompkins’ Farm, Three Miles from Gauley Bridge,
October 27, 1861.
Dear Uncle: — It is a bright October morning. Ever since the great storms a month ago, we have had weather almost exactly such as we have at the same season in Ohio — occasional rainy days, but much very fine weather. We are still waiting events. Our winter’s work or destination yet unknown. Decided events near Washington will determine our course. We shall wait those events several weeks yet before going into winter quarters. If things remain there without any events, we shall about half, I conjecture, build huts here and hereabouts, and the rest go to Ohio, and stay there, or go to Kentucky or Missouri as required. I hope and expect to be of the half that leaves here. But great events near Washington are expected by the powers that be, and it looks, as you see, some like it.
I have been occupied the whole week trying cases before a court-martial. Some painful things, but on the whole, an agreeable time. While the regiment is in camp doing nothing, this business is not bad for a change.
The paymasters are here at last, making the men very happy with their pretty government notes and gold. The larger part is taken (seven-eighths) in paper on account of the bother in carrying six months’ pay in gold. Each regiment will send home a very large proportion of their pay — one-half to three-fifths.
The death of Colonel Baker is a national calamity, but on the whole, the war wears a favorable look. Lucy says you are getting ready to shelter us when driven from Cincinnati. All right, but if we are forced to leave Cincinnati, I think we can’t stop short of the Canada line. There is no danger. These Rebels will go under sooner or later. I know that great battles are matters of accident largely. A defeat near Washington is possible, and would be disastrous enough, but the Southern soldiers are not the mettle to carry on a long and doubtful war. If they can get a success by a dash or an ambuscade, they do it well enough, but for steady work, such as finally determines all great wars, our men are far superior to them. With equal generalship and advantages, there is a perfect certainty as to the result of a campaign. Our men here attack parties, not guerrillas merely, but uniformed soldiers from North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, etc., of two or three times their number with entire confidence that the enemy will run, and they do. They cut us up in ambuscades sometimes, and with stratagems of all sorts. This sort of things delays, but it will not prevent, success if our people at home will pay the taxes and not tire of it. Breakfast is ready.
Sincerely,
R. B. Hayes.
P. S. — You hear a great deal of the suffering of soldiers. It is much exaggerated. A great many lies are told. The sick do suffer. A camp and camp hospitals are necessarily awful places for sickness, but well men, for the most part, fare well — very well. Since I have kept house alone as judge-advocate, my orderly and clerk furnish soldiers’ rations and nothing else. It is good living. In the camp of the regiment we fare worse than the rest, because the soldiers are enterprising and get things our lazy darkies don’t.
Warm bedding and clothing will be greatly needed in the winter, and by troops guarding mountain passes. The supply should be greater than the Government furnishes. Sewing Societies, etc., etc., may do much good. The Government is doing its duty well. The allowance is ample for average service; but winter weather in mountains requires more than will perhaps be allowed.
S. Birchard.
