Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Saturday, April 19.— Rained violently; starting postponed. Order modified to marching by easy stages to Flat Top Mountain, there to choose strong position. General Fremont speaks of our forces as his right wing; the left must be up towards Cheat Mountain. We are now at the pivot; to proceed slowly until the left wheels so as to face southwardly with us. Rained all day; couldn’t move. At evening looked slighteously like clearing off.

Friday, 18. — A. M. Finished letter to Lucy. Must get ready to move. Put all the regiment into tents today, by one o’clock. A shower fell just after the tents were up.

Colonels Scammon and Ewing [arrived]; Lieutenant Kennedy, A. A. A. G. to Colonel Scammon, and Lieutenant Muenscher, aide, with an escort of horsemen came with them. The Thirtieth began to arrive at 2:30 P. M. They came in the rain. Major Hildt came to my quarters. I joined the regiment out in camp — the camp in front of General Beckley’s residence one mile from Raleigh. Rainy all night. Our right rest on the road leading southwardly towards Princeton, the left on the graveyard of Floyd’s men. The graves are neatly marked; Twentieth Mississippi, Phillips’ Legion, Georgia, Fourth Louisiana, furnished the occupants. Four from one company died in one day! (November 2, 1861.)

Slept in Sibley tent. Received orders to proceed with Twenty-third, thirty [of] Captain Gilmore’s Cavalry, and a section of McMullen’s Battery to Princeton tomorrow at 7 A. M.

Raleigh, Virginia, April 17, 1862.

Dearest: — I was made happy by your letter and the fine picture of you it contained. You seem undecided which you intended should have it, Uncle Joe or your husband. But I shall keep it. You will have to send another to Joe.

Very glad the money and everything turned out all right. I get the Commercial quite often — often enough to pay for taking it. And you paid Mr. Trenchard! Why, you are getting to be a business woman. I shall have to let the law out to you when I come home again. I do not know that I shall have an opportunity to do much for Will De Charmes, but I shall bear him in mind. If Fremont ever comes along here I may succeed.

We are still hunting bushwhackers, succoring persecuted Union men, and the like. Our intended advance was stopped by a four-days rain which, like the old four-days meeting, I began to think never would end. We are now getting ready to go on — in fact we are ready, but waiting for others. A great battle at Pittsburg [Landing] and probably not a very great victory. It will all come right, however. We are told that Captain Richardson of the Fifty-fourth was killed. You will perhaps remember him as a gigantic lieutenant of Company D, whose wife was at Camp Chase when you were there.

18th, A. M. — We shall make a short march today. Letters, etc., may be directed as heretofore. Very glad to hear your talk about the boys. It is always most entertaining to me. You will be a good instructor for them. Let me hear from you as often as you can. You need not feel bound to write long letters — short ones will do. I always like your letters to be long, but I don’t want you to put off writing because your time will not allow you to write long ones.

It begins to look like spring at last. We are on very elevated ground. The season is weeks later than in the valley of the Kanawha.

Kiss all the boys. Love to Grandma. I wish so much to be with you all. I think of you constantly and with much happiness and love. Good-bye.

Affectionately, your

R.

P. S. — 18th, P. M. I am ordered to advance to Princeton tomorrow morning, in command of [the] Twenty-third, a section of McMullen’s Battery, and a squadron of cavalry. We are all delighted with this plan.

Mrs. Hayes.

Thursday, April 17. — Another fine day; very warm this A. M. Drilled three times. Heard that Colonel Scammon and McMullen’s Battery were on the way here from Fayetteville; that we must get ready for them.

April 16. Wednesday. — AM. Sun shining brightly. I have hopes of weather now that will allow us to move forward. A fine day at last! Major Comly drilled the non-commissioned officers as a company, A. M. and P. M. I drilled the regiment after parade. In the evening the new sutler, Mr. Forbes, brought me [a] letter from Lucy and portrait. Dear wife, the “counterfeit presentment” is something. Also papers of 12th. The victory at Pittsburg [Landing] was not so decisive as I hoped. The enemy still holds Corinth, and will perhaps fight another battle before giving it up.

Captain Bragg came in tonight, reporting a gang of bushwhackers in his neighborhood. Would send out a company if I were not afraid that orders to move would catch me unprepared.

Tuesday 15. — Still rain! — Read Bulwer’s “Strange Story.” One idea I get: “We have an instinctive longing for a future existence”; ergo, there is a future. “Jack Hinton” and “Strange Story” both read in these days of rain and suspense. I think often of my wife and mother as I read news which seems to point to an early termination of the war. How happy peace will make many families!

Lieutenant Harris, [a] corporal, and seven men go with prisoners to Fayetteville. Two will go on to Ohio.

P. M. Cleared off enough to have a parade in the evening. Evening, read Commercial of 11th containing more particulars of the fight, the great battle at Pittsburg Landing. What a complete success General Pope’s operations against Island Number 10 turned out to be! Complete. It must weaken the enemy more than any blow they have yet received.

Monday, 14, 1862. — Still raining. No further knowledge of movements. Lieutenant Reichenbach’s party that went to Columbus with prisoners, returned this evening. We hear of the taking of Huntsville, Alabama, today, the death of Beauregard, and news of the siege of Yorktown.

Sunday, 13. — Rain begins at guard-mounting. A year ago today Sumter was taken. Great events, great changes, since then. The South was eager, prepared, “armed and equipped.” The event found the North distracted, undecided, unarmed, wholly unprepared, and helpless. Then came the rousing up of the lion-hearted people of the North. For months, however, the superior preparation of the South triumphed. Gradually the North, the Nation, got ready; and now the victory over Beauregard and [that] at [Island] Number 10, following Fort Donelson, put the Nation on firm ground, while the Rebellion is waning daily. Tonight received Commercial of the 10th, with pretty full accounts of the great battles.

Captain Haven and Lieutenant Bacon, Companies G and K, marched seventy miles on their late scout into Monroe. Scout Jackson, Company B, gone one week today toward Logan. I hope he is all right.

Camp Hayes, Raleigh, Virginia, April 12, 1862. Saturday. — Windy, cold, and cloudy — another storm impending. Cleared up towards noon. Had two good drills. A first-rate ride,— new horse getting up to it.

Further news confirms the victory at Pittsburg or Corinth. The first day, last Sunday, our men [were] surprised and badly whipped; the second day, the fresh troops redeemed the day and gained a great victory. Island Number 10, a most important capture; now said to have taken six thousand prisoners.

Nothing as to our future movements. Perhaps we are waiting to see what effect these victories will have. — Blowing up a storm again.