Cincinnati, June 10 [9], 1861.
Dear Uncle: —
I shall go to Columbus in the morning under orders. I do not know what
is intended, but by telegraph, Judge Matthews and myself are informed that we
are to be in a regiment with Colonel Rosecrans — a West Pointer and intimate
friend of Billy Rogers, and a capital officer, — Matthews as lieutenant-colonel
and I as major. This is all we know about it. Buckland perhaps told you that I
had got a dispatch asking if I would accept, and that I replied accepting the
place. We have since been telegraphed that we were under orders accordingly,
and must report at Columbus forthwith. This seems certain enough, but as
red-tape is in the ascendant, we don't count positively on anything.
I shall try to visit you before definitely leaving home.
Mother will return to Columbus soon. I hope this matter is as it appears. It is
precisely what we wish, if we understand it.
Sincerely,
R. B. Hayes.
S. Birchard.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 21
1 comment:
Aaron Sorkin is a wonderful, talented and gifted writer, but according to the use of "red tape" in this letter, he got this wrong.
"The West Wing," Season 3, Episode 9, "The Women of Qumar":
BARTLET
You know, after the Civil War, veterans had to come to D.C. to get their pensions? They had to visit the office personally. They waited for a clerk to look through all the Civil War records until their papers were found. You know what their papers were bound
with?
TOBY
No.
BARTLET
Red tape. That's where it comes from.
Post a Comment