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

September 2014

Harrisonburg, Virginia, September 26, 1864.

Dear Uncle: — You have heard enough about our great victories at Winchester and Fisher’s Hill. I will say only a word. No one man can see or know what passes on all parts of a battle-field. Each one describes the doings of the corps, division, or what not, that he is with. Now, all the correspondents are with the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps and the cavalry command. General Crook has nobody to write him or his command up. They are of course lost sight of. At Winchester at noon, the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps had been worsted. In the afternoon, General Crook (who is the brains of the whole thing) with his command turned the Rebel left and gained the victory. The cavalry saved it from being lost after it was gained. My brigade led the attack on the Rebel left, but all parts of Crook’s command did their duty. The Sixth Corps fought well, the Nineteenth failed somewhat, and the cavalry was splendid and efficient throughout. This is my say-so.

My division entered the fight on the extreme right of the infantry, Merritt’s splendid cavalry on our right, and Averell still further on our right. We ended the fight on the extreme left. The Rebels retreated from our right to our left, so that we went in at the rear and came out at the front, my flag being the first into and through Winchester. My division commander was wounded late in the fight and I commanded the division from that time. It is the Second, General Crook’s old division.

At Fisher’s Hill the turning of the Rebel left was planned and executed by General Crook against the opinions of the other generals. My division led again. General Sheridan is a whole-souled, brave man (like Dr. Webb) and believes in Crook, his old class and roommate at West Point. Intellectually he is not General Crook’s equal, so that, as I said, General Crook is the brains of this army.

The completeness of our victories can’t be exaggerated. If Averell had been up to his duty at Fisher’s Hill, Mr. Early and all the rest would have fallen into our hands. As it is, we have, I think, from the two battles five thousand Rebel prisoners unhurt — three thousand wounded, five hundred killed; twenty-five pieces of artillery, etc., etc.

In the Fisher’s Hill battle, the Sheridan Cavalry was over the mountains going around to the rear. This, as it turned out, was unfortunate. If they had been with us instead of Averell, there would have been nothing left of Early. General Averell is relieved.

I lost one orderly, my adjutant-general, Captain Hastings, and field officers in all regiments, wounded. No officers especially intimate with me killed. I had my scene which I described in a letter to Lucy.

Sincerely,

R.

S. Birchard.

Harrisonburg, Virginia, September 26, 1864.

Dearest: — Another victory and almost nobody hurt. The loss in my division (you know I now command General Crook’s old Division, Twenty-third and Thirty-sixth Ohio and Fifth and Thirteenth Virginia, Thirty-fourth and Ninety-first Ohio and Ninth and Fourteenth Virginia) is less than one hundred. Early’s Rebel veterans, Jackson’s famous old corps, made our Bull Run defeat respectable. They ran like sheep. The truth is, General Crook outwitted them. The other generals opposed his plan but Sheridan trusts him absolutely and allowed him to begin the attack on his own plan. But I have written all this.

Love to the boys. Regards to Uncle Scott and all on the hill. I got his good letter just before our last fight.

Affectionately ever,

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

Monday, September 26. — At camp near Harrisonburg. Receive Sheridan’s telegraphic report of our last battle. Crook’s command gets proper credit for once.

Monday, September 26. — Captain Senn’s letter in reply to the article “Outrage” in the Carolinian, appeared in the Guardian. Last night chilly. Weather to-day delightful. Some more car-jumpers[1] brought in.


[1] Prisoners who had escaped from the cars, and were recaptured while trying to get back to the Union lines.

September 26 — To-day we heard some artillery firing to the westward beyond the Blue Ridge, in the direction of Waynesboro. There is actual war on the wing not far away.

Colonel Lyon’s Letters.

Huntsville, Ala., Mon., Sept. 26, 1864.—Forrest, with a large force, is raiding in this region, and I have been up nearly all night for two nights, moving troops, telegraphing, etc. He captured Athens, 25 miles west of here on the railroad, Saturday, and yesterday captured and burned a long trestle work a few miles north of Athens. Reinforcements came down yesterday from Chattanooga to go to General Granger at Decatur, but I received orders from General Sherman’s headquarters to turn them about and send them to Nashville, which I did. I infer from this that Forrest is moving north. We hear all sorts of reports about what his intentions are, but can not form any definite idea about it.

We have a good fort here, considerable artillery and some troops, and will try to give a good account of ourselves if attacked. A train was captured at Athens which had on it a mail. The road to Nashville via Stevenson is still open, but will probably be broken, and we shall have another blockade. I send this to Stevenson and hope it will get through.

I took all the troops that I could possibly spare from the railroad and sent them to General Granger yesterday. Colonel Chapman took about 300 of the 13th. I do not hear a word from my horses. Two companies of the 18th Michigan were captured at Athens.

Now, do not worry about me. I, as well as you, am in the hands of a kind Father, who does all things for the best, and we can trust Him without a fear or doubt. I do not disguise from you that we are environed with perils, but I will try to do my duty and leave the event.

I hear that recruiting is lively all over the North. This is good news for us, for the men are needed.

26th. Monday. Marched to Staunton, 3rd Div., Regular brigade 1st and 2nd Div. went to Port Republic.

by John Beauchamp Jones

            SEPTEMBER 26TH.—Bright and cool.

            Gen. Early is still falling back; on Saturday he was atPortRepublic, but he will soon be reinforced, and may turn the tide onSheridan.

            A long letter was received at the department to-day from Gov. Brown, absolutely refusing to respond to the President’s call for the militia of that State. He says he will not encourage the President’s ambitious projects by placing in his hands, and under his unconditional control, all that remains to preserve the reserved rights of his State. He bitterly and offensively criticises the President’s management of military affairs—sending Morgan into Kentucky, Wheeler into East, and Forrest into West Tennessee, instead of combining all upon Sherman’s rear and cutting his communications. He says Georgia has fifty regiments in Virginia, and if the President won’t send reinforcements, then he demands the return of Georgia troops, and he will endeavor to defend the State without his aid, etc.

September 25th. Hard work and picket duty continues. There is much kicking by the boys over the hard work. It’s out of our line. We are soldiers and here for that purpose, not laboring men working for a railroad company to help build up the line, doing very dangerous work.

Sunday, 25th—We arrived in Atlanta about 9 o’clock last night. I stayed over night at the Soldiers’ Home, in one of the vacant store buildings. I got my breakfast there and then with my knapsack on started for the headquarters of the Seventeenth Army Corps. From there I went to the headquarters of the Iowa Brigade and about noon joined my company. I was glad to see the boys. I received a large mail, one letter from father with $5.00 enclosed. Atlanta is quite a city, there being some fine buildings, one of the finest being the railroad station. But the town is low and in the timber.