Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Camp of Sheridan’s Army, August 24, 1864.

Friend Smith: — Your favor of the 7th came to hand on Monday. It was the first I had heard of the doings of the Second District Convention. My thanks for your attention and assistance in the premises. I cared very little about being a candidate, but having consented to the use of my name I preferred to succeed. Your suggestion about getting a furlough to take the stump was certainly made without reflection.

An officer fit for duty who at this crisis would abandon his post to electioneer for a seat in Congress ought to be scalped. You may feel perfectly sure I shall do no such thing.

We are, and for two weeks have been, in the immediate presence of a large Rebel army. We have skirmishing and small affairs constantly. I am not posted in the policy deemed wise at headquarters, and I can’t guess as to the prospects of a general engagement. The condition and spirit of this army are good and improving. I suspect the enemy is sliding around us towards the Potomac. If they cross we shall pretty certainly have a meeting.

Sincerely,

R. B. Hayes.[1]

Wm. H. Smith, Esq.,
Cincinnati, Ohio.

[1] This letter was lithographed and widely used as an effective campaign document during the Presidential canvass of 1876.

Camp between Harpers Ferry and Charlestown,

Virginia, August 23, 1864.

Dear Mother: — We have a pretty large Rebel army just in front of us. We drove it before us several days until it was reinforced when it slowly drove us back to this point. Here we are in a pretty good position and there seems to be a purpose to fight a general battle here if the enemy choose to attack. Of course, there are frequent skirmishes and affairs in which parts of the army only are engaged which are small battles. So far our success in such affairs has been quite as good as the enemy’s. I am inclined to think that there will be no general engagement here.. It looks as if we were so well prepared that the Rebels would move in some other direction.

I am now longer without a letter from you than ever before. I know you write but we have had no mails. — My health is good. I heard from Lucy and Uncle Sunday. The weather is now delightful. We have had good rains. — Love to all.

Affectionately, your son,

R.

Mrs. Sophia Hayes.

Camp Near Charlestown Six Miles (or Four) from

Harpers Ferry, August 23, 1864.

Dearest : — For the first time since I saw you I received letters from you the day before yesterday. I hope I shall not be so cut off again. It almost pays, however, in the increased gratification the deferred correspondence gives one. You can’t imagine how I enjoy your letters. They are a feast indeed.

I had hardly read your letter when we were called out to fight Early. We skirmished all day. Both armies had good positions and both were too prudent to leave them. So, again yesterday. We are at work like beavers today. The men enjoy it. A battle may happen at any moment, but I think there will be none at present. Last evening the Twenty-third, Thirty-sixth, and Fifth surprised the Rebel skirmish line and took a number of prisoners, etc., without loss to us. It is called a brilliant skirmish and we enjoyed it much.

You recollect “Mose” Barrett. He was taken prisoner at Lynchburg while on a risky job. I always thought he would get off. Well, he came in at Cumberland with a comrade bringing in twelve horses from the Rebel lines!

Colonel Tomlinson was slightly wounded in the skirmish last night, just enough to draw blood and tear his pants below the knee. — One corporal of the color-guard was killed at Winchester — George Hughes, Company B. He died in five minutes without pain.

Winchester is a noble town. Both Union and Secesh ladies devote their whole time to the care of the wounded of the two armies. Their town has been taken and retaken two or three times a day, several times. It has been the scene of five or six battles and many skirmishes. There are about fifty Union families, many of them “F. F.’s.” But they are true as steel. Our officers and men all praise them. One queer thing: the whole people turn out to see each army as it comes and welcome their acquaintances and friends. The Rebels are happy when the Secesh soldiers come and vice versa. Three years of this sort of life have schooled them to singular habits.

I have heard heavy skirmishing ever since I began to write. Now I hear our artillery pounding, but I anticipate no battle here as I think our position too good for Early to risk an assault and I suppose it is not our policy to attack them.

Interrupted to direct Captain Gillis about entrenching on our left. Meantime skirmish firing and cannonading have almost ceased.

I believe you know that I shall feel no apprehension of the war being abandoned if McClellan is elected President. I therefore feel desirous to see him nominated at Chicago. Then, no odds how the people vote, the country is safe. If McClellan is elected the Democracy will speedily become a war party. A great good that will be. I suspect some of our patriots having fat offices and contracts might then on losing them become enamored of peace! I feel more hopeful about things than when I saw you. This Presidential election is the rub. That once over, without outbreak or other calamity, and I think we save the country.

By the by, I think I’ll now write this to Uncle Scott. So good-bye. Love to chicks. Ever so much for their grandmother and more for you, darling.

Ever yours,

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

Cedar Creek, Near Strasburg, August 16, 1864.

Darling : — We are still here observing the enemy and skirmishing with him daily. Yesterday with [the] Twenty-third and Thirty-sixth had a very brisk skirmish; lost two killed, twelve wounded. One of [the] color corporals in Twenty-third (Corporal Hughes) killed. We are gaining in strength and spirits daily. Numbers supposed to have been killed at Winchester turn out to be only wounded. . . . Love to all.

Affectionately, ever,

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

Monday, August 15, 1864. — Rebels attacked our picket line and drove it after a brisk skirmish. [The] Twenty-third and Thirty-sixth supporting soon check the Rebels. Our loss two killed, ten wounded. I had some narrow escapes.

Shenandoah Valley, Camp Near Strasburg, Virginia,

August 14, 1864.

Dear Uncle : — You see we are again up the famous Valley; General Sheridan commands the army; General Early and Breckinridge are in our front; they have retired before us thus far; whether it is the purpose to follow and force a battle, I don’t know; the effect is to relieve our soil from Rebels.

My health is excellent. Our troops are improving under the easy marches. We shall get well rested doing what the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps of the Potomac ([who] are with us) regard as severe campaigning.

I have heard nothing from home since I saw Lucy on the 10th [of] July. Direct to me: “First Brigade, Second Division, Army of West Virginia, via Harpers Ferry.”

Sincerely yours,

R. B. Hayes.

S. Birchard.

Shenandoah Valley, Near Strasburg,

August 14 (Sunday), 1864.

Dearest: — You see we are again up the Valley following Generals Early and Breckinridge who are in our front. I know nothing as to prospects. I like our present commander, General Sheridan. Our movement seems to relieve Maryland and Pennsylvania. Whether it means more and what, I don’t know. We are having rather pleasant campaigning. The men improve rapidly.

Put Winchester down as a Christian town. The Union families took our wounded off the field and fed and nursed them well. Whatever town is burned to square the Chambersburg[1] account, it will not be Winchester.

Several in my brigade supposed to be dead turn out to be doing well. There are probably fifty families of good Union people (some quite wealthy and first-familyish) in Winchester. It is a splendid town, nearly as large as Chillicothe.

Much love to all. Good-bye, darling.

Ever lovingly, your

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

[1] General McCausland had recently been on a raid in Pennsylvania; had captured Chambersburg, and the citizens being unable to pay the exorbitant levy he demanded, had burned it to the ground.

Camp Pleasant Valley, Maryland,

August 8 (Monday), 1864.

Dearest: — We have had pretty good times the last week or ten days. Easy marching, plenty to eat, and good camps. We are, for the present, part of a tolerably large army under Sheridan. This pleases General Crook and suits us all. We are likely to be engaged in some of the great operations of the autumn. But service in these large armies is by no means as severe as in our raids.

Hayes Douglass is commissary on General Crook’s staff. I have not yet seen him. He is spoken of very favorably.

My staff is Captain Hastings, Lieutenant Wood and Delay of Thirty-sixth, and Comstock of Thirteenth. I was sorry to lose McKinley but I couldn’t as a friend advise him to do otherwise. He is taken out of [the] quartermaster’s department and that is good, and into [the] adjutant-general’s office, and that is good.

One of the scamps who deserted the Rebels and then deserted Hicks’ company (you remember) was captured at Cloyd’s Mountain in the Rebel ranks. He escaped and by a remarkable providence enlisted as a substitute in Ohio and was sent to the Twenty-third Regiment. He was tried and shot within twenty-four hours. His execution was in [the] presence of General Crook’s command. Men of the Twenty-third shot him. They made no mistake. Eight out of ten balls would either of them have been instant death. We are getting a considerable number of substitutes — many good men, but many who are professional villains who desert of course.

We seem to be going up the Valley of the Shenandoah again. We get no letters. None from you since I saw you. But I know you are loving me and only feel anxious lest you are too anxious about me.

One of the best officers in my command wrote an article on the Winchester fight which will appear in the Gallipolis Journal which you would be happy to read.

Well, time is passing rapidly. The campaign is half over. If we can only worry through the Presidential election I shall feel easier. I hope McClellan will be nominated at Chicago. I shall then feel that, in any event, the integrity of the Union is likely to be maintained. A peace nomination at Chicago would array the whole party against the war.

Love to all. Much for thyself, darling.

Ever your

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

Friday, August 3, 1864. — Wednesday, marched eighteen to twenty miles across the Catoctin (Blue) Ridge, [and on] through Frederick to the left bank of the Monocacy, one and one-half miles below [Frederick] Junction [where we camped]. Yesterday [there arrived] ninety recruits for [the] Twenty-third, a deserter from Charleston among them. Providential!.—[I] rode into Frederick with General Crook, and dined with Dr. Steele, of Dayton. Today [was the] trial [drumhead court-martial] of deserter Whitlow. He was shot at sundown before all the troops.