Lieutenant-Colonel Theodore Lyman to Elizabeth Russell Lyman, November 9, 1863

Headquarters Army Of Potomac

November 9, 1863

We have once more moved our Headquarters. . . . Reveille was beaten so early that, when I popped my sleepy head out of the tent, there were the stars, most magnificent, especially Venus who sat above the moon and looked like a fire-ball. The moon was but a little one, but her circle was completed by that kind of image you often see, only the figure of the Man-in-the-Moon was plainly reflected on this image, a thing I never noticed before. These were the astronomical observations of Lyman, as he stood in the sharp air, clad in a flannel shirt and drawers. A sense of coldness about the legs roused me to a sense of my position, and I speedily added more warm garments. Breakfast was ready by the time it was light; and, every mouthful of beef I stowed away, I expected to hear the cannon that would announce the opening of the great battle. The General was confident of a battle and remarked cheerfully that “he meant to pitch right into them.” The idea was that they would take a chosen position, near Brandy Station, and there await our attack, for which they would not have been obliged to wait long. The bulk of the army was therefore crossed at Kelly's Ford, so as to advance with undivided force; General Sedgwick, however, with nearly his whole corps, held the redoubt he had taken on the north side, and, at the proper moment, was ready to throw his bridges, cross the river and take them in the flank. An hour wore away, and there was no sound of battle; so we all mounted, and rode to a small house on Mt. Holly. This is a low, steep hill, close to Kelly's Ford and commanding it. . . . Presently there appeared a couple of dragoons, with five fresh prisoners.  . . . “How were you taken?” quoth the Provost-Marshal. “Well, we were on guard and we went to sleep, and, when we woke up, the first thing we seed was your skirmish line” (which was only a roundabout way of saying they were common stragglers). “Where is the rest of your army?” “All gone last night to the breastworks behind the Rapidan!” And this was the gist of the matter. We passed Ewell's Headquarters, a little while after, and there I learned that, when news of the capture of the redoubt was brought him, he exclaimed with some profanity, “Then it's time we were out of this!” and immediately issued orders to fall back, along the whole line, after dark. There we crossed on a pontoon bridge, and found the 5th Corps massed, on the other side. As the cavalcade trotted by, the men all ran to the road and cheered and yelled most vociferously for General Meade. Soon we came up with General Warren. He looked like a man of disappointed hopes, as he gazed round the country and said, “There's nobody here — nobody!” And so we passed on, and beheld our English friends, with the Staff of General Webb. They had a very bewildered air, which seemed to say: “Oh, ah, where are these Rebel persons? pray could you tell me where they are?” Near Brandy Station we met good “Uncle John” Sedgwick, who said it was a cool day, as if there was nothing particular on hand, and he hadn't been doing anything for a week or two. It was now late on this Sunday afternoon and the troops were massing, to bivouac. There seemed really no end of them; though but part of the army was there; yet I never saw it look so big, which is accounted for by the fact that the country is very open and rolling and we could see the whole of it quite swarming with blue coats.  . . . We recrossed the Rappahannock at the railroad, and saw the fresh graves of the poor fellows who fell in the assault of the redoubt. The Rebel officers said it was the most gallant thing they had seen. Two regiments, the 6th Maine and 7th Wisconsin, just at sundown, as the light was fading, charged up a long, naked slope, in face of the fire of a brigade and of four cannon, and carried the works at the point of the bayonet.  . . . I think it no small praise to General Meade to say that his plans were so well laid out that our loss in all is but about 400. No useless slaughter, you see, though there was plenty of room for a blunder, as you would have known had you seen the lines of breastworks the fellows had; but we took part of them and scared them out of the rest.

SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness to Appomattox, p. 44-6

William H. Adkins

WILLIAM H. ADKINS was born in Pulaski County, Kentucky, November 21, 1835. He is the eldest of a family of ten children, six sons and four daughters, two of the sons being the offspring of a second marriage. His father, Wyatt Adkins, and mother, Mary Adkins, removed to Monroe County, Indiana, in October, 1840, where, on September 18, 1851, his mother died.

In those days, during the early settlement of the State, the facilities for even an ordinary education were poor, there being no public-school system in existence at that time. Consequently, our subject spent most of his school days under the instruction of private teachers, or, as it was termed then, “subscription schools,” the terms of tuition being from $1.50 to $2 per pupil for a quarter of thirteen weeks. The larger proportion of the teachers at that time were poorly educated, and the schools were often taught in churches or private residences, there being but few school-houses erected previous to the year 1850, at which time the public-school system was introduced in that State. The school-houses were usually constructed of round or hewn logs, with little or no accommodation in the way of light, seats or heating.  Such a thing as school-house furniture, apparatus and fixtures known to modern schools was even undreamed of then. But in those days they had singing schools, spelling schools and debating societies, all of which were attended, and their advantages largely realized by our then youthful subject. In addition to this, and socially, the young people had their “chopping,” “corn husking,” “quilting” and “comfortable-tacking” bees, which all attended and enjoyed to the fullest extent.

On the 21st day of April, 1856, the family started for Iowa, and May 19, arrived in Clarke County and settled near Hopeville. Here in August following, of the same year, Mr. Adkins, then twenty years of age, began his career as teacher in the public schools, and also, shortly after, began to teach classes in vocal music, to both of which callings he has devoted a considerable portion of his life. In the spring of 1859 he entered the Osceola High School, under the principalship of Professor J. H. L. Scott, where he attended five months.

In September, 1859, he returned to Indiana, where he taught during the winter, attending the State University at Bloomington during the intervals elapsing between, until the spring of 1861, when he enlisted in the service of his country, and was mustered into Company I, Nineteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Their regiment was commanded by Colonel Sol. Merideth when it entered the service, and was brigaded with the Second, Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin regiments during its first year-and-a-half’s service, at the end of which time the Twenty-fourth Michigan was added to it. It was then called, and is known in the history of the Rebellion as the “Iron Brigade.” Shortly after Mr. Adkins entered the service he was promoted to a Corporal; then appointed company clerk, and in the spring of 1862 was promoted to Third Sergeant, which rank he held when mustered out, April 23, 1863, by reason of a gunshot wound received August 28, 1862, in the battle of Gainsville, Virginia.

In July, 1863, he returned to Iowa in very poor health; but in October following, his health somewhat improving, he took charge of a general retail store in Hopeville, owned by F. W. Johnson, which he continued to superintend until the fall of 1867, at which time he turned his attention to farming, to which he devoted himself mainly until 1875. During the time he was farming he taught classes in vocal music pretty much every fall and winter, and occasionally taught in the public schools, both in Hopeville and in the country districts. From 1875 to April 1, 1878, he continued to teach, at which time he received the appointment of postmaster in Hopeville, which office he held (except for a year, when he resigned in favor of David Newton) until September 13, 1886, when he was relieved on account of not being in accord politically with the party in power. In July, 1879, Mr. Adkins entered again the general mercantile business, which he has continued to follow ever since; and while he has not been eminently successful in this pursuit, he says he has “made a fair living.”

Mr. Adkins was married February 11, 1866, to Miss Elizabeth A. Williamson, second daughter of Edward E. and Mary Williamson, pioneer settlers in Clarke County. Since that time they have had ten children born to them – five sons and five daughters. Two sons – the eldest two – died at the age of two and a half years. The names of the present living children are Effie M., Mary Alice, Bertha S., Emma F. and Jesse H. (twins), Albert, Nina L. and a little boy about a year old, unnamed, which the family call “Bub”, the vocabulary of names being so nearly exhausted so Mr. Adkins says, that they can not agree upon a name.

In politics Mr. Adkins is a Republican, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, in 1860. He has been honored by his township with offices time and again, having been elected to the assessor’s office six times. In point of business capacity his qualifications are good. Religiously he is a member of the disciples, or Christian church, and is an active worker both in church and Sunday-school. Mr. Adkins is also a member of Wilson Post, G.A.R.

SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 440-1