Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
July 25, 1865.—The weather would be very hot were it not for the trade winds, which come up about nine or ten o’clock in the morning and blow a stiff breeze from the south all day. But we shall lose the benefit of this when we get into the interior probably. Everybody says that the country improves as we advance into it, and that at Austin we will get better water and more to eat. If we do I will apologize for slandering Texas. Do you think I am sorry that I did not resign at Nashville? Not a bit of it. My presence here is absolutely indispensible to the welfare of the regiment, and right here, beyond all question, is my post of duty as long as I can reasonably remain.
My time expires September 25th, only two months hence, and then I can be mustered out, get my three months’ extra pay, and I presume enough mileage to pay my expenses home—neither of which would I get if I resign. So I tell the boys that if my health keeps good I will stay with them until that time. Then it will take me about twenty days to get home.
At Lavaca I met a brother-in-law of Mr. Sheldon, of Burlington, named Chrysler. Mrs. Chrysler looks just like her brother. They had not heard from their friends North during the war, and of course were much pleased to get recent news from them. They have been here many years, are well off, and are very loyal. I hear of Judge Irvin, our Judge when I commenced practice, living some thirty miles from here on our road to Austin. I hope to see him.
It cost me over $80 to get here, the best I could do. I had Government transportation from Cairo. It will cost me more than $100 to get home, and if I should fail to get my final pay in New Orleans, which is quite probable, I shall just about be out of money when I get ready to start home, and there will be none in the regiment then.
General Beatty and General Wood have advised Dr. Cady to resign. He is in the hospital at Indianola. He will probably take the advice. Captain Pratt and Lieutenant Loucks have resigned and gone home.
