Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Stevenson, Ala., Dec. 4. 1864.—Here we are, safe and sound. We evacuated Huntsville last Sunday morning, went to Brownsboro that night, to Paintrock bridge Monday, to Larkinsville Tuesday, to Bellefonte Wednesday, to this vicinity on Thursday, and came in on Friday. We had pleasant weather for our trip, but we had an immense wagon train, the roads were very bad a part of the way, and I found myself overworked. We were not pursued by any considerable force, but were bush-whacked considerably.
An immense crowd of refugees and contrabands followed us, not less, I think, than three thousand; and there is much suffering amongst them, as they are all very destitute indeed. General Granger, who marched with us, did everything in his power to alleviate their sufferings, which act raised him in my estimation very much. This refugee crowd was bushwhacked the third day out and a terrible panic resulted. It is reported that a great many young children and infants were abandoned by their mothers. This occurred amongst the contrabands.
Colonel Given is sick, Colonel Doolittle is North, and I am commanding the brigade until one or the other returns to duty; then I go back to the regiment. There is now no communication with Nashville, and we have but little idea what is going on up there.
It will not do for you to come here now at all. The whole situation is too precarious and uncertain. Besides, we can get no accommodations. I have a little office for brigade headquarters, in which four of us sleep, and we mess along any way we can. I shall live in my tent when I return to the regiment. Our regiment can be very comfortable here, but a whole brigade can have but little accommodation.
