Oct. 28th. Moved back to our old camp in the rear.
October 2014
October 28th.—Rained all night, but bright this morning.
We have no clear account yet of the fighting yesterday; but we know the enemy was repulsed on this side of the river. It is thought that the operations on the south side were of greater magnitude, where we lost a brigadier-general (Dearing) of cavalry. We shall know all in a few days. The fighting was not resumed this morning.
It is rumored that Mr. Seddon will resign, and be succeeded by Gen. Kemper. I am incredulous.
The “dog-catchers,” as the guards are called, are out again, arresting able-bodied men (and sometimes others) in the streets, and locking them up until they can be sent to the front. There must be extraordinary danger anticipated by the authorities to induce a resort to so extreme a measure.
Two P.M. No news from the field—no cannon heard to-day.
Large amounts of cloth from Europe for the army have recently arrived at Wilmington, N. C.; but the speculators occupy so much space in the cars, that transportation cannot be had for it. The poor soldiers are likely to suffer in consequence of this neglect of duty on the part of the government.
Etowah Bridge, Thursday, Oct. 27. Rained all night and cloudy through the day. Grazed forenoon as usual. Wrote to sister Hannah in the afternoon. A small mail received. None for me.
Thursday, 27th—Still lying in camp, and all is quiet.
Thursday, October 27. — Wrote to Alice. Had a rainstorm all day long. Some officers from the stockade came up to see us. One was Major Reynolds of Colonel Marshall’s regiment. Sent a note down to Major Forbes by them. Cheering in the evening from the crowd assembled to see the double-header. Five of the men jumped over the fence, were caught, and put in irons on bread and water for ten days. The guards were taken out of the yard to-day. Ten deserters went out of the yard to-day, supposed to have enlisted in the Irish Brigade now forming to do provost-duty in Richmond. The men mugged the corporal as he was taking their things out of the yard.
Camp At Cedar Creek, Virginia, October 27, 1864.
My Darling: — Yours of the 18th — the first since the boy — reached me last night. Very glad you were able to write so soon. I don’t want you to make any exertion to write — just write one line and it will be enough. Half a page of your little note sheet will be a long letter now. . . .
We have had so far fine weather. Our camps are as comfortable as possible. We expect to stay here until the season is too far advanced to admit of any formidable raids into Maryland or Pennsylvania. The Rebels, it is known, have been resolved to create a panic if possible in time to affect the Presidential election.
Some of the foolish fellows in the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps, feeling envious of our laurels in previous battles, have got the Eastern correspondents to represent the rout of Crook’s Corps as worse than theirs, etc., etc. There is not a word of truth in it. A sentence in General Sheridan’s dispatch was no doubt intended to correct this in a quiet way. “Crook’s Corps lost seven pieces of artillery, the Nineteenth, eleven, and the Sixth Corps, six.” We were attacked before them, and of course under more unfavorable circumstances, and yet we lost no more. In fact I lost nothing. My division fell back, but brought everything we had — our two cows, tents, and everything. Of course we lost no artillery, but did save an abandoned piece of the Nineteenth Corps.
I hope to see you soon. It is impossible now to tell when we shall be in a situation to ask for leaves of absence, but I suspect it will be within a month or six weeks. If we get on the railroad, I can go for a few days and not be missed.
The Rebels have not shown their heads since the last crushing defeat. Nothing but a determination to interfere with the election will bring back their forces. — Love to all.
Affectionately ever,
R
Mrs. Hayes.
27th. Thursday. Regt. paid off. Drew pay for Sept. and Oct. On picket. Clothing drawn but not issued. Rainy.
Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Oct. 27, 1864.—Hood’s army passed us within fifteen miles of Whitesburg, and yesterday they attacked Decatur. They fought all the afternoon, and our troops drove them off. I have no particulars, although I get dispatches from there every hour. We heard the artillery plainly here. There are 150 of the 13th there, commanded by Captain Blake. I think our losses are light, as our forces had fortifications to shelter them. I do not think they are fighting much today. The probability is that the rebel army has moved down the river on the south side towards Tuscumbia.
We just got information from a scout that our army is in hot pursuit and can not be far behind. It was said to have been at Gadsden on the Coosa river last Monday night. I have a number of first-class scouts and spies that I have kept at work on the other side of the river, mostly tracking Hood’s movements. I think I have furnished General Thomas with the earliest and most authentic information he has had of the operations of the rebel army for the past week.
General Granger was here when the attack commenced at Decatur, but left for that place immediately.[1] He has drawn away nearly all the force from here to Decatur and Whitesburg. All of these operations keep me up nights and make me lots of work. Adjutant Scott is invaluable to me in this crowd of business, and I have another good Adjutant at post headquarters, so you see I have good help.
I have had no apprehension of an immediate attack here, yet I am very thankful that you are snug in Racine instead of being here. Hood has to be settled before we shall have much quiet.
[1] They thought Hood’s army was moving on the south side of the river, ten or fifteen miles away, and I had some splendid scouts there. After the head of his column had passed south of Huntsville and kept on west, we expected that they would try to cross the river at Whitesburg; but one night at midnight a courier came in with the word that the head of the army had passed the Whiteburg road and was poined toward Decatur, less than a day’s march from where they were. I got the artillery on the cars and had everything ready, because I knew that General Granger would be attacked. I called in all the pickets that I could spare, leaving the necessary pickets around Huntsvllle, but having the rest ready to march. After dinner General Granger came into headquarters and said, “Colonel, I can not find out anything and I have come up here to find what is going on.” I said, “General, you will find out before night what is going on. Hood is advancing on Decatur and will get there before night.” He said, “I do not believe it,” but as we sat there talking we heard the distant boom of artillery and the General pricked up his ears and said, “What is that?” I said, “It is Hood at Decatur.” He said, “It is impossible!” but he realized what it meant. I told him everything was ready and could be started right away and asked him if he wanted me to go with them. By the time he got to the depot everything was ready, and he got to Decatur in an hour. They drove Hood off and he went on down the river, destroying a pontoon bridge. —W.P.L
Cedar Bluff, Ala., October 27, 1864.
Waiting here for the 17th Army Corps to get across the Coosa. It is a beautiful little river, not as wide as the Illinois, but has a deeper channel. We are starting on the road to Talladega; don’t even know whether we are starting on a campaign or not. Hood is reported across the Tennessee. We understand that Sherman has men enough to attend to him, and that Sherman intends to use us to Christianize this country. Many think we are now on the way to Montgomery or Selma. River here about 120 yards wide. About a thousand head of our cattle swam across, some of them swam over and back two or three times, and many of the thin ones drowned, for which we were grateful to the drovers as it saved us some very hard chewing.
Oct. 27th. [Battle of Boydton Plank Rd.] Moved early, began skirmishing in forenoon; drove Rebs 4 miles and got a position at 4 o’clk. Got a severe shelling and had a small fight, retreating after dark; pickets gobbled, severe attack, loss of life fearful.
