Raleigh, Virginia, March 22, 1862.
Dearest: —
Your letters, 13th and 15th, reached me yesterday. Also the gloves and
[percussion] caps. They suit perfectly.
You don't know how I enjoy reading your accounts of the
boys. Webb is six years old. Dear little fellow, how he will hate books. Don't
be too hard with him. Birch's praying is really beautiful.
We are in the midst of one of the storms so frequent in
these mountains. We call it the equinoctial and hope when it is over we shall
have settled weather. It is snowing in great flakes which stick to the foliage
of the pine and other evergreen trees on the hills, giving the scene in front
of the window near me a strangely wintry appearance.
To kill time, I have been reading “Lucile” again, and you
may know I think of you constantly and oh, so lovingly as I read. When I read
it first we were on the steamer in the St. Lawrence River below Quebec. What a
happy trip that was! It increased my affection for you almost as much as my
late visit home. Well, well, you know all this. You know “I love you so much.”
We are all feeling very hopeful. We expect to move soon and
rapidly, merely because Fremont is commander. I do not see but this war must be
soon decided. McClellan seems determined, and I think he is able to force the
retreating Manassas army to a battle or to an equally disastrous retreat. A
victory there ends the contest. I think we shall be months, perhaps even years,
getting all the small parties reduced, but the Rebellion as a great peril
menacing the Union will be ended.
General Beckley, whose sword-belt Webby wears, came in and
surrendered to me a few days ago. Mrs. Beckley brought me his note. She is a
lady of good qualities. Of course, there were tears, etc., etc., which I was
glad to relieve. The old general is an educated military gentleman of the old
Virginia ways — weak, well-intentioned, and gentlemanly; reminds one of the
characters about Chillicothe, from Virginia — probably of less strength of
character than most of them. A citizen here described him to Dr. McCurdy as “light
of talent but well educated.”
Gray, “the blind soldier” you saw at Camp Chase, is, I
notice, on duty and apparently perfectly well. Gray, the orderly, you saw drunk
is in good condition again, professing contrition, etc. McKinley is bright and
clean, looking his best. Inquires if you see his wife.
So, you go to Fremont. You will once in a while see our men
there, too. Some five or six Twenty-third men belong in that region.
You ought to see what a snow-storm is blowing. Whew! I had a
tent put up a few days ago for an office. Before I got it occupied the storm
came on and now it is split in twain.
Our regiment was never so fine-looking as now. It is fun to
see them. No deaths, I believe, for two months and no sickness worth
mentioning. Chiefly engaged hunting bushwhackers. Our living is hard, the grub I
mean, and likely not to improve. Salt pork and crackers. The armies have swept
off all fresh meats and vegetables. A few eggs once in a great while. Love to
Grandma and all the boys.
Affectionately, as
ever,
R.
Mrs. Hayes.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 214-6
No comments:
Post a Comment