Camp Number 2, Price's Farm, four miles. — Rained in
torrents all night. The windows of heaven were indeed opened. By midnight the
streams we crossed with teams yesterday swum a courier's horse. At 7:30 this
morning they were impassable — swollen to rushing rivers. About seven this
morning rain ceased to fall.
Received orders last evening to send party to New River to
crush one hundred and twenty-five Rebels who crossed Monday evening. In view of
the storm, order countermanded this A. M. Hereafter the camps of this
detachment will be known by their number. This is Number 2. Men catch fish this
morning — a species of chub. We have a corps of scouts organized, Sergeant
Abbott commanding, composed chiefly of citizens — six or eight citizens. Names:
Russell G. French, Mercer County farmer, and Thos. L. Bragg, Wm. C. Richmond, ——
Maxwell, and —— Simpkins, all of Raleigh.
Prepared during the afternoon to send four companies, A, E,
G, and H, to the junction of New River and Bluestone to “bag” (favorite phrase
with officers) a party of one hundred and twenty-five Rebels supposed to be
there on this side, shut in by the high water. They left in the night under
Major Comly, Dr. Webb accompanying. Had a dress parade and a spirited little
drill after it. The sun set bathing the western sky and its fleecy clouds in
crimson. Said to indicate fair weather. I hope so. The streams still too high
to be crossed.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 235-6
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