Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Sunday, 27. — A ride with Colonel Comly; a visit to General Crook. A fine day; a brigade dress parade. All pleasant.

Saturday, 26. — Rode with Generals Crook and Duval, Colonel Harris, of [the] Tenth, and Wells, of [the] Fourteenth, to works. A jolly wine-drinking in the evening with Captains Stanley and Stearns, Thirty-sixth, who leave on resignation.

Camp Russell, Virginia, November 20, 1864.

Dear Uncle: — I tonight received yours of the 14th. We have had no battle for a month, and it is a week yesterday since I heard Rebel firing! This is wonderful. It is more than six months since I could say the same. We do not feel settled here, but are getting very comfortable. It is probable that we shall have a rest sometime this winter, but not yet certain. The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps may be needed at Richmond or somewhere, but I think the Army of West Virginia will do guard duty merely. What an interest the country now feels in Sherman! It looks as if he might strike some vital blows. If we get settled in time, I mean to get home by Christmas, if it is possible.

Sincerely,

R. B. Hayes.

November 23. — Awful weather. Linen tents, like a fiish seine for shelter, mud bottomless, cold and cheerless. All that yesterday and day before made many of us cross and gloomy — not me — but today is clear and bright and bracing. The turkeys, etc., sent from the Christian land [have arrived] and everyone is happy and jolly. This is camp life. We are sure we shall make another move back in a few days.
24th. — Thanksgiving Day. Good winter weather and no news.
S. Birchard.

Camp Russell, Virginia, November 20, 1864.

My Darling: — You see the Army of the Shenandoah has a name for its camp. Named after the General Russell who was killed at the battle of Winchester, September 19.

We have had no battle for a month! No Rebel firing for a week! Wonderful. But we don’t feel settled yet. We are quite comfortable, nevertheless. We are I think waiting to see the issue of Sherman’s daring campaign in Georgia. At present no furloughs or leaves of absence are granted except for sickness.

November 23. — Colder than any huckleberry pudding I know of! Whew, how it blew and friz last night! I took my clothes off in Christian style last night. No enemy near for a week and more makes this the correct thing. It got windy, flue disgusted smoked, let the fire go out, then grew cold; put on pants, coat, and vest, in bed. Cold again, put on overcoat and in bed again. Colder than ever, built up the fire, [it] smoked. So I wanted to be cold, and soon was. Tent-pins worked loose from the wind flapping the fly; fixed them after much trouble; to bed again, and wished I was with my wife in a house of some sort!

Today the men were to have had overcoats, stockings, shirts, etc., which they greatly need, but behold, we learn that the clothing couldn’t come because all the transportation was required to haul up the turkeys and Thanksgiving dinner! We must wait until next train, eight days! And we all laugh and are very jolly in spite of it.

8 P. M. — The clothing has come after all. The turkeys are issued at the rate of a pound to a man. Very funny times we are having! When the weather is bad as it was yesterday, everybody, almost everybody, feels cross and gloomy. Our thin linen tents — about like a fish seine, the deep mud, the irregular mails, the never-to-be-seen paymasters, and “the rest of mankind,” are growled about in “old-soldier” style. But a fine day like today has turned out brightens and cheers us all. We people in camp are merely big children, wayward and changeable.

Believe me, dearest, your ever loving husband,

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

Tuesday, 22. — Snow on the mountains low down; ground frozen; “sky, chill and drear.” Rode with Roberts to Winchester and the battle-field, to where I crossed Red Bud Creek. An ugly place to cross, it is.

Camp Russell, Monday, November 21, 1864. — Cavalry camp on our left broken up. Said to be gone to Stephenson’s Depot, five miles north of Winchester. Rode out to works on Front Royal Road. Review of Sixth Corps in a cold rain-storm; eight brigades — ten thousand [men].

Camp Near Winchester, Virginia, November 17, 1864.

Dearest: — When I wrote last I was in some doubt whether this Valley campaign was ended or not. It seems to be now settled. Early got a panic among his men and left our vicinity for good, I think.

The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps are building winter quarters. A telegraph line is put up and the railroad from Winchester to Harpers Ferry is nearly rebuilt. The location is a good one for a large body of troops. We are very pleasantly camped, but having no orders to put up winter quarters, have not fixed up for winter. We are very comfortable, however. My tent is floored, banked up, a good tent flue built, etc., etc. We get daily papers now regularly. The Baltimore American, a sound Republican paper, sells several thousand copies, — more than all other papers put together. The Philadelphia Inquirer, also sound, sells next in number. The New York Herald, sound on the war in a sort of guerrilla style, sells one thousand to two thousand copies. No other newspapers have any large circulation, but the pictorials, Harper’s Weekly having the preference, sell immensely — nearly as many copies, I judge, as the Baltimore American. The Christian Commission distributes a vast amount of religious reading matter gratuitously. The sutlers sell dime novels and the thunder-and-lightning style of literature, in large quantity.

The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps have built fine fieldworks. The weather has been good and a great many squads and regiments are drilling. There are a score or two of bands. Possibly two are better than ours — not more than that. There is a good deal of horse-racing with tolerably high betting. The scenes at the races are very exciting. You would enjoy them. Nothing so fine of the kind is anywhere to be sene in civil life. Here the subordination of rank, the compulsory sobriety of the great crowds, etc., rid these spectacles of such disagreeable accompaniments as rioting, drunkenness, and the like. — We are beginning to have oyster and wine suppers and festive times generally.

General Crook has gone to Cumberland, and it is thought that my command will be ordered there for the winter, but this is all guess. I am again in command of the division after going back to the brigade for one day. How we shall be organized ultimately is not settled. I prefer the brigade. It now has three fine veteran regiments and the Thirteenth. The First Virginia Veterans (old Fifth and Ninth) is splendid.

I mean to ask for a leave as soon as we get housed in our winter quarters. I hope to see you by Christmas.

Tell Birch I am greatly pleased to have a letter from him. He will soon be one of my chief correspondents. — Love to all.

Affectionately ever, your

R.

P. S. — Hastings is getting better slowly. There are now hopes of his recovery. His sister is with him.

Mrs. Hayes.

Thursday, November 17. — Read speculations on Sherman’s new move. Great hopes of his success. Rode into Winchester with Colonel Harris and Captain McKinley; called at Mr. Williams’ law office; read the constitutional provisions as to amendments.

Wednesday, November 16. — A fine November day. Had my tent floored, banked up, and a chimney. [The] Sixth and Nineteenth Corps building winter quarters. P. M. rode to cavalry camp on Front Royal Road. Night, a wine-drinking.