Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Harrisonburg, Virginia, September 29, P. M., 1864.

Dearest: — The cavalry and part of our infantry are in Staunton and on the road to Gordonsville. They are merely keeping up the big scare. The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps are eight miles on the Staunton Road. We are enjoying ourselves. We rather expect and prefer to start back towards Winchester soon, but we know nothing.

I write so often these days because I feel anxious about you and because I am uncertain about the delivery of my letters within our lines. — Love to all. Much for your own private self, my darling.

Affectionately, your

R.

P. S. — It is now universally conceded in this army that Crook and his men did it.

Mrs. Hayes.

Harrisonburg, Virginia, September 28, (5 A. M.), 1864.

Dearest: — We have marching orders this morning. Where to, etc., I don’t yet know. I think we shall have no more heavy fighting. You will know where we are before this reaches you through the papers. We shall probably be out of the reach of you for several days.

My thoughts are of you these days more than usual and I always think of my darling a good deal, as I ought to do of such a darling as mine. You know I am

Your ever affectionate

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

[Dr. J. T. Webb, in a letter from “Camp nigh Harrisonburg, Virginia, September 28, 1864,” describes the battle of Fisher’s Hill in a graphic way:

“[After the battle on the Opequon] the enemy fell back to Fisher’s Hill, some eighteen miles from Winchester. This was supposed to be impregnable, the key to the Valley. Here they fortified themselves and boasted, as you will see by the Richmond papers, that they could not be ousted. We followed on. At this point the Valley is quite narrow, North Mountain and Middle Mountain approaching each other, say within three miles of each other. The mountainsides are steep and rough. Now, just here, a creek runs directly across the valley, whose banks are steep and high on which the Rebels have erected strong earthworks. To attack these would be worse than death. The Rebels felt quite secure. We could see them evidently enjoying themselves. After looking about a day or so, Crook proposed to flank them on their left again, this time climbing up the side of the mountain. So after marching all day, at four P. M., we found ourselves entirely inside of their works, and they knew nothing of it. Again Crook orders a charge, and with yells off they go, sweeping down the line of works, doubling up the Rebels on each other. They were thunderstruck; swore we had crossed the mountain. The men rushed on, no line, no order, all yelling like madmen. [The] Rebs took to their heels, each striving to get himself out of the way. Cannon after cannon were abandoned (twenty-two captured). Thus we rushed on until we reached their right. Here again [as on the 19th] darkness saved them once more. Such a foot-race as this was is not often met with. The Rebs say Crook’s men are devils.

“It was after this charge, as we were encamped on the roadside, [that] the Sixth and Nineteenth [Corps] passing gave us three cheers. Crook had given Averell his orders to charge just so soon as the enemy broke, but as usual he was drunk or something else and failed to come to time. Thus .he wasted the grandest opportunity ever offered for capturing the enemy and gaining credit for himself. Sheridan ordered him to the rear, relieving him of his command. This same Averell was the sole cause of Crook’s disaster at Winchester. He failed constantly on the Lynchburg raid; now he lost everything almost, and is merely relieved. Had he followed up the enemy after they were dispersed, he could have captured all their train, cannon, etc., besides scattering and capturing all of the men. Sheridan’s Cavalry proper had been sent round to turn their flank through Luray Valley, but the Rebs had fortified the pass and they could not reach us. As it is, however, we have whipped the flower of the Rebel army; they are scattered in all directions. We have captured about four thousand prisoners (sound) and three thousand wounded, killing some five or seven hundred.

“Our cavalry are still pursuing. All this day we can hear artillery firing. It is reported that yesterday we captured or caused them to burn one hundred waggons. I presume the infantry will not move much farther in this direction.

“The men all feel fine. We have ‘wiped out’ Winchester. Notwithstanding the Rebs had choice of position, [the number of] our killed and wounded does not equal theirs. They have lost four or five generals; colonels and majors, any quantity. Many are coming in from the mountain. All say they are tired of this war. The people are getting tired, and many noted Rebels are willing and anxious to close this out.”]

Harrisonburg, Virginia, September 27, 1864.

Dear Mother: — We are now one hundred miles south of Harpers Ferry. Our victories have so broken and scattered the Rebel army opposed to us that it is no use for infantry to pursue further, except in small parties scouting the woods and mountains. The cavalry are going on. We are resting in a lovely valley. I rather think that our campaigning is over for the present. It has been exceedingly fortunate. General Crook’s whole command has done conspicuously well. I commanded in the last fighting the fine division formerly commanded by General Crook. We led the attack on both days. It is the pleasantest command a man could have. Half of the men are from Ohio, the rest from West Virginia.

I think we shall stay here some time and then go back towards Martinsburg. — Love to all.

Affectionately,

R. B. Hayes.

Mrs. Sophia Hayes.

One Hundred Miles South of the Potomac,

Harrisonburg, Virginia, September 27, 1864.

Dearest: — We have left the further pursuit of Early’s broken army to cavalry and small scouting parties. We are resting near a beautiful town like Delaware. We suspect our campaigning is over and that we shall ultimately go back towards Martinsburg.

It has been a most fortunate and happy campaign for us all I mean, for all who are left! For no one more so than for me. My command has been second to none in any desirable thing. We have had the best opportunity to act and have gone through with it fortunately.

My chief anxiety these days is for you. I hope soon to hear that your troubles are happily over. — Much love to the dear ones and oceans for yourself.

Affectionately ever, your

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

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.