“John Humphrey would often come and borrow my baby and take him out to the company. He told me that some of the men shed tears when they kissed him.”—Reminiscences of the Civil War by William and Adelia Lyon.

Adelia’s Diary.

We started the next week on Tuesday. I had to go to the military headquarters in Chicago to get our transportation. We stayed in St. Louis all night. We arrived in Victoria a few days before Christmas and met with a warm reception. The regiment had been sent to Victoria from Sulphur Springs to guard a number of bridges on the Iron Mountain Railroad, after they sent for us.

Mrs. Bartlett and I went out and bought chickens and potatoes for a Christmas dinner for Company K. The boys were very happy to be remembered. We were at a pretty fair hotel and had more comforts than we expected to have. Our babies were great pets. John Humphrey would often come and borrow my baby and take him out to the company. He told me that some of the men shed tears when they kissed him.

The regiment remained at Victoria until about Jan. 12. Our husbands went to Sulphur Springs with us, and we stayed there a couple of days. They were ordered to Cairo. We left them at Sulphur Springs. The regiment moved a few days after. The boat they were going on got on a sand bar, so they went by railroad.