Monday, March 30, 2015

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Lucy Webb Hayes, November 5, 1861

Camp Ewing, November 5, 1861.
Tuesday morning.

Dearest Lucy: — . . . We are having stirring times again. The enemy on the other side of New River are trying to shell such of our camps as lie near the river bank. We are just out of reach of their shot. McCook, in sight of us below, is camped in easy range, and they are peppering at him. I hear their guns every two or three minutes as I write. He doesn't like to move, and probably will not until they do him some serious harm. They fired all day yesterday without doing any other mischief than breaking one tent pole. A ball or shell would hardly light before his men would run with picks to dig it up as a trophy. It is probable that we shall cross the river to attempt to drive them off in a day or two. You will know the result long before this letter reaches you.

I had a note from Jim yesterday, saying he had reached the steamboat landing below here. We look for him today. I hope he will get up so as to be here to help take care of things here while we cross the river.

I have nearly one thousand dollars, seven hundred or eight hundred dollars of which I will send you the first good chance. Two months' more salary is due me besides about eighty-five dollars as judge-advocate. So we shall have funds plenty for this winter.

I thought of you all yesterday, and wished I could look in on you at Birch's birthday dinner. You were thinking of the absent father and uncles.* So it is. We love each other so much that on all sad or joyous occasions we shall always have each other in mind. . . . Good-bye. Love to all.

Lovingly,
Rutherford.
Mrs. Hayes.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 138-9

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