Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Reminiscences of the Civil War, William and Adelia Lyon

“Do not be disturbed by any newspaper reports about us.”—Reminiscences of the Civil War by William and Adelia Lyon.

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October 19, 2011

Reminiscences of the Civil War, William and Adelia Lyon,The American Civil War

Letter from Captain Lyon to Mrs. Lyon.

“Pilot Knob, Saturday, Oct, 19, 1861.—We arrived here on Thursday afternoon. This place is ninety miles southwest of St. Louis. Ironton is only two miles from here. The country is rough, wild and mountainous. Pilot Knob is a conical hill, rising some eight hundred feet above us. There are also extensive lead mines in the vicinity. I wrote you at De Soto, forty miles from here. We came on to where the bridge across Big River was burned, and my company and another were sent on here in advance of the rest of the regiment. Col. Murphy, who was with us, had a telegram from here saying the rebels were advancing on this place. We hurried up, the train running with frightful velocity, and when we got here the inhabitants were running from the place to the hills and everybody said a battle was being fought three or four miles out. We expected to be sent right on. It was concluded, however, that we should wait for the balance of the regiment, which had been sent for in great haste. Before they arrived we learned the facts about the fight. It was a mere skirmish, some twenty miles from here, between three hundred Indiana cavalry stationed here and a detachment of cavalry from the rebel army. Five or six men wounded on our side, none killed. Several reported killed on the other side.

 

“There are about four thousand troops here. The men are all anxious to fight. It is impossible to foretell our future movements. Do not be disturbed by any newspaper reports about us. One of the St. Louis papers yesterday puts us in a battle here and has us badly cut up. That is a fair specimen of their accuracy. I was in more danger on the cars Thursday than I shall be in any battle. When I see the misery and suffering which I see this war causes here, I thank God that you are all in peaceful homes and that the trials and perils of the contest, so far as you are concerned, can be borne by me alone.”

“We are in ‘Secessia.’”—Reminiscences of the Civil War by William and Adelia Lyon.

October 17, 2011

Reminiscences of the Civil War, William and Adelia Lyon

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Letter from Captain Lyon to Mrs. Lyon.

“De Soto—October 17, 1861.

“We are forty miles from St. Louis, southwest, and just leaving for Pilot Knob, forty-two miles farther southwest. We are in ‘Secessia.’ Last night we slept on the ground with our arms by us. We had the whole regiment in line three times during the night, by reason of alarms. By reason of this practice we could form the line in three minutes. A bridge on a railroad we traveled on was burned on Monday by the rebels, and they had a little fight there with a small guard from the 11th Wisconsin, one killed on our side. I do not believe the enemy are near us in force. Where we go there will be four or five thousand troops when we get there.”

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“The men are delighted with the prospect of immediate service, which they testify by loud shouts and cheers.”—Reminiscences of the Civil War by William and Adelia Lyon.

October 15, 2011

Reminiscences of the Civil War, William and Adelia Lyon,The American Civil War

Captain Lyon to the Racine Advocate.

“Camp of Instruction, Benton Barracks,

St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 15, 1861.

“Messrs. Editors: On Saturday evening last our regiment struck tents at Camp Randall and started for the seat of war. We reached Chicago at 4 o’clock p. m.; left there at about 8 o’clock p. m.; arrived at Illinois Town, opposite St. Louis, at 8 o’clock Sunday evening, and the next morning crossed the river; marched some four or five miles through the city in a northwest direction, and arrived at this camp a little before noon.

“Our journey here was a very pleasant one. The weather was fine, and we were greeted by people along the whole route, and especially for the last one hundred miles of it and in this city, with much enthusiasm. We had what the newspapers call ‘a brilliant reception,’ in Chicago. It consisted mainly in being stared at by a large number of people, some few of whom cheered us as we marched through the city.

 

“Sunday was a balmy, beautiful day—very beautiful—and we traversed all day long a magnificent country, and as we gazed upon it and remembered that Illinois has sent, and is sending forth, 50,000 of her sons to do battle in the sacred cause of Liberty and Good Government, we felt that we were in a glorious state—in a state which, when the history of these times is written, will figure conspicuously and honorably upon its pages.

“This camp is pleasantly located on high, level ground, embracing several hundred acres, including the grounds of the Missouri State Agricultural Society, in the west part of the city, and, I am told, also including within its limits the celebrated Camp Jackson, where Lyon and Blair captured Claib. Jackson’s rebel state troops last spring.

“Yesterday was a very warm day, as warm, I think, as the last 4th of July in Racine, and the men suffered much on the march to camp, burdened as they were with their overcoats, canteens, haversacks, knapsacks and guns; but they stood it very well, and last evening many of them were dancing in their quarters so briskly that a bystander would scarcely believe that they had on the same day performed a fatiguing march of several miles through the heated, dusty streets of a city, and that, too, at the end of a journey of 400 miles. The members of our company are all well, or nearly so. At least we have none in the hospital, and no case of serious illness.

“11 a. m.—We have just received orders to take five days’ rations and 20 ball cartridges, and to leave here at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning. The right wing of the regiment goes at 4 o’clock this afternoon. Where our destination is, and what we have to do when we get there, we know nothing about; but you will hear from us again. The men are delighted with the prospect of immediate service, which they testify by loud shouts and cheers. Busy preparations for departure are going on throughout the regiment, and I must bring this hastily written communication to a close.

 

Wm. P. Lyon.”

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