Mound City, Ill., March 6, 1862.—I see by your paper of last week (a stray copy of which has just reached us) that you are under a misapprehension in relation to the movement of our regiment. No part of it has been at Fort Donelson. Company K was sent to this place on the 12th ult. Soon afterwards, and before the capture of Donelson, the right wing of the regiment went up the Ohio river as far as Paducah as an escort to General Paine, returning to Cairo in a day or two. Since that time Col. Murphy, with Captains Redfield and Perkins and a detachment of one hundred men from Companies A and C, escorted the Fort Henry prisoners to Alton. Company E, Captain Young, has been to St. Louis in charge of a large number of rebel officers, captured at Donelson. On Sunday, the 23d ult., a detachment of three hundred men of the 8th, under command of Col. Murphy, went down the river to Columbus, where they were met by a flag of truce from the rebels, as already stated in the newspapers.
These were the only movements made by the 8th since we arrived at Cairo, until the 4th inst., when the whole regiment, except Company K, was ordered on an expedition into the country back of Bird’s Point, and left Cairo the same evening. We do not know the object of the expedition, but suppose that it is to prevent marauding parties of rebels in the neighborhood of New Madrid from passing north of Bird’s Point and attacking Government transports on the river, large numbers of which are constantly moving laden with troops and supplies. It is expected that the regiment will return to Cairo in a few days.
I wish to refer to another matter before I close. I learn from the Advocate that Lieut. Gibbons, of Waterford, has resigned and returned home, and that his neighbors are indignant at his conduct, charging him with cowardice. I fear that the good people of Waterford are doing Lieut. Gibbons injustice. There are frequently valid reasons why an officer may resign—without loss of honor—and when I remember that the Lieutenant saw service in Mexico, and knew precisely what he must encounter when he volunteered in the service last summer, I can not believe that he is a coward. A coward may accidentally get into one war, but I do not believe that he would voluntarily go into a second one. Of course, I know nothing of the facts, but I trust that public opinion will not pronounce the terrible judgment of cowardice upon Lieut. Gibbons without the most convincing proofs.
Respectfully yours,
Wm. P. Lyon.
