Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Wednesday, [August] 27 [and Thursday, 28th,] at Alexandria. No great difference from time in Washington, but much less agreeable. Friday, 29th, marched to Munson’s Hill and bivouacked. Saturday, 30th, put up our tents between Forts Ramsay and [Buffalo] at Upton’s Hill. On Friday, fighting heard west and southwest of us — supposed to be at Manassas. All day Saturday, ditto. At Alexandria first saw McClellan’s Grand Army. They do not look so efficient as General Cox’s six regiments, but are no doubt good.

The Thirtieth got here in time to get through to Pope. [The] Eleventh and Twelfth [Ohio] went forward under Colonel Scammon to try to do the same thing. At Bull Run Bridge, beyond Fairfax, united with First, Second, Third, and Fourth New Jersey, under General Taylor, and pushed on, New Jersey regiments in advance; ran into a battery and heavy force of the enemy. New Jersey broke, fled, and never rallied; [the] Eleventh and Twelfth pushed on and fought gallantly, Colonel Scammon cool and steady! Won praise from all. Good! Honor of Ohio sustained. Eastern correspondents fail to tell the facts.

MONDAY, [August] 25 and Tuesday, 26.— In Washington. Here all arrangements connected with army matters are perfect. An efficient military police or patrol arrests all men and officers not authorized to be absent from their regiments, and either returns them to their regiments or puts them under guard and gives notice of their place. A good eating-house feeds free of expense and sleeps all lost and stray soldiers. An establishment furnishes quartermasters of regiments with cooked rations at all times; fine hospitals, easily accessible, are numerous. The people fed and complimented our men (chiefly the middling and mechanical or laboring classes) in a way that was very gratifying. We felt proud of our drill and healthy brown faces. The comparison with the new, green recruits pouring in was much to our advantage. Altogether Washington was a happiness to the Twenty-third.

Washington City, August 25, 1862.

Dearest: — We arrived here after ten days’ marching and travelling, this morning. We go over to Alexandria in an hour or two to take our place in General Sturges’ Army Corps of General Pope’s Command. Colonel Scammon leads the First Brigade of General Cox’s Division in the new position. If the enemy press forward, there will be fighting. It is supposed they are trying to push us back. Reinforcements for us are pouring in rapidly.

In case of accident, Joe and I will be reported at the Kirkwood House in this city. I feel a presentiment that all will be right with us. If not, you know all the losing things I would say to you and the dear boys. My impression is that the enemy will be in no condition to hurry matters fast enough to get ahead of the new legions now coming in. They must act speedily or they are too late.

Direct to me as in my last.

Affectionately ever,

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

On Steamer Monitor, Kanawha River,
August 18, [1862]. Evening.

Dear Wife : — I am four hard days’ marching, and a few hours’ travel on a swift steamer nearer to you than I was when I last wrote you, and yet I am not on my way home. You will see in the newspapers, I suppose, that General Cox’s Division (the greater part of it) is going to eastern Virginia. We left our camps Friday, the 15th, making long and rapid marches from the mountains to the head of navigation on this river. We now go down to the Ohio, then up to Parkersburg, and thence by railroad eastwardly to the scene of operations. My new regiment fills slowly, I think, and it may be longer than I anticipated before I shall be called for at Cincinnati, if at all. There is talk of an order that will prevent my going to the new regiment, but I think it is not correctly understood, and the chance, it seems to me, is that I shall go home notwithstanding this change of plan.

Our men are delighted with the change. They cheer and laugh, the band plays, and it is a real frolic. During the hot dusty marching, the idea that we were leaving the mountains of west Virginia kept them in good heart.

You will hereafter direct letters to me “General Cox’s Division, Army of Virginia.”

August 19. Evening. Same steamer on the Ohio River. —

Dearest : — We have had a particularly jolly day. The river is very low, and at many of the bars and shoals we are compelled to disembark and march the troops around. In this way we have marched through some villages, and fine farming neighborhoods in Meigs County. The men, women, and children turned out with apples, peaches, pies, melons, pickles (Joe took to them), etc., etc., etc., in the greatest profusion. The drums and fifes and band all piped their best. The men behaved like gentlemen and marched beautifully. Wasn’t I proud of them? How happy they were! They would say, “This is God’s country.” So near you and marching away from you! That was the only sad point in it for me. Only one man drunk so far; his captain put him under arrest. He insisted on an appeal to me, and on my saying, “It’s all right,” he was sober enough to submit, saying, “Well, if the colonel says it’s right, it must be right,” so he made no trouble.

I shall write daily until we get to Parkersburg — that is on the line of railroad to Chillicothe, I believe. No more tonight.

[R. B. Hayes.]

Mrs. Hayes.

Tuesday, August 12, 1862. — I sent this morning to J. C. Dunlevy, Lebanon, the following dispatch: “I am glad to hear that the Seventy-ninth is likely to be promptly filled without drafting. If so I shall join it as soon as leave can be obtained.” So I am committed!

A fine rain this P. M. — A most gorgeous picture was presented by the sky and clouds and the beautiful hills surrounding, as I sat looking at our dress parade.

Monday, August 11, 1862. — Received a note from Major [Comly] that the enemy was moving from Red Sulphur either towards us or Colonel Crook. Kept the men preparing for the “secret” inspection or movement. Got a letter from the major, rather obscurely intimating that I did wrong in sending him aid at the time of the attack on him, and showing that he is offended about it, or hurt about it, at any rate. He says I lent official color to the rumor that he had abandoned the place by doing it, etc., etc. I replied that he was in error in thinking I had said I sent reinforcements to him instead of sending to Bluestone because of a rumor that went to Raleigh that he had abandoned the ferry without firing a gun. I had not heard the rumor then; but I did fear he was losing, as I heard from couriers that he was destroying boats, and that the column a mile or more out was still marching this way.

Sunday, August 10, 1862, 9:30 A. M. — Captain Drake and Gilmore’s Cavalry have returned. The infantry are bathing in Bluestone. The expedition was completely successful, and was of more importance than I supposed it would be. They reached the salt well about 2:30 A. M.; found the works in full blast — a good engine pumping, two pans thirty feet long boiling, etc., etc. The salt is good; considerable salt was on hand. All the works were destroyed by fire. A canoe found at Crump’s was taken to the ferry.

I spent an anxious night. Jackson, Major Comly’s scout, reported that the salt well was guarded. This came to me after was in bed and too late to send the word to the expedition. I anticipated trouble there and felt anxious enough. I slept little, was up often. But luckily all went well. Not a man was in sight. This morning, as they were returning, the cavalry were bushwhacked, horses wounded, clothes cut, but no man hurt.

Received a “secret” order to be ready to move on one-half hour’s notice. Rode post to the ferry; set the men to preparing for one of General Pope’s minute and practical inspections.

August 9. Saturday. — Am planning an expedition to go to Salt Well and destroy it; also to catch old Crump if he is at home. Jacobs, Company G, a scout, went up yesterday to Crump’s Bottom. Reports favorably. All safe now. Curious, quiet fellow, Jacobs. He takes no grub, wears moccasins; passes himself for a guerrilla of the Rebels, eats blackberries when he can’t get food; slips stealthily through the woods, and finds out all that is going.

Old Andy Stairwalt, a fat, queer-looking old fifer with a thin voice, and afflicted with a palpitation of the heart (!) —a great old coward, otherwise a worthy man — was one of the first men who reached here from the ferry after the attack of Wednesday. He was impressed that the enemy were in great force. I asked him if they fired their cannon rapidly. “Oh, yes,” said he, “very rapidly; they fired twice before I left the camp”!

Sad news. The dispatch tells us that “General Bob McCook was murdered by guerrillas while riding in front of his brigade in Tennessee.” He always said he did not expect to survive the war. He was a brave man, honest, rough, “an uncut diamond.” A good friend of mine; we have slept together through several stormy nights. I messed with him in his quarters on Mount Sewell. Would that he could have died in battle! Gallant spirit, hail and farewell!

I send out today Company E, thirty-nine men, K, twenty-seven men, H, about thirty men, and a squad of men from A, I, and C of twenty-seven men, and about twenty-five cavalry to stop the salt well in Mercer, twenty miles above here. Total force about one hundred and fifty men. They go up to Crump’s Bottom, catch him if they can, take his canoe and the ferry-boat and destroy the Mercer salt well. This is the programme.

A charming affectionate letter from my dear wife. She speaks of her feelings on the night before the regiment left for the seat of war, a year ago the 24th of July.[1] Dear Lucy, God grant you as much happiness as you deserve and your cup will indeed be full! She speaks of the blue-eyed beautiful youngest. He is almost eight months old. A letter from mother Hayes, more cheerful than usual, religious and affectionate. She is past seventy, and fears she will not live to see the end of the war. I trust she will, and to welcome me home again as of old she used to from college.

[1] Mrs. Hayes had written from Chillicothe, August 2: “The 24th of July a year ago was a happy, and yet, oh, sad night, and yet the thought that I was with you to the last moment of that sad parting sends such a thrill of joy through my heart. I think of it so often. ‘Twas bitter to know that when morning dawned, instead of joy and happiness, ‘twould bring such heavy sorrow, such bitter tears. We stood and gazed after the cars holding all that was dearest to us, but I was a soldier’s wife, I must not cry yet. While standing there, an old woman spoke to Mother, asking who was gone; then she turned to me, ‘You had better take a good cry, my dear, ’twill lighten your heart.’ How freshly everything comes before me now!”

Camp Green Meadows, Friday, August 8, 1862. — Captains Drake and Skiles of [the] Twenty-third and Captain Gilmore of the cavalry returned today. They brought fourteen head [of] good cattle got from Secesh. Captain Drake is very much irritated because he and Captain Sperry were not detailed on my recommendation to go on recruiting service, the reason given being that captains in the opinion of [the] general commanding, General Cox, ought not to be sent. Since that, a number of captains have been sent from this division. This looks badly. Captain Drake tenders his resignation “immediate and unconditional.” I requested the captain not to be too fast. He is impulsive and hasty, but gallant and brave to a fault, honorable and trustworthy. I prefer to send him on any dangerous service to any man I ever knew. I hope he will remain in the regiment if I do.

I ordered camp changed today to get rid of old leaves, soured ground, dirty tents, and the like. Have succeeded in getting more room for tents and more room for drill.