Camp South Of Raleigh, Virginia, April 22, 1862.
Dear Uncle: — The ugly
chap on the enclosed bill is Governor Letcher of Virginia. He is entitled to
our lasting gratitude. He is doing more for us in this State than any two
brigadiers I can think of. He has in all the counties, not occupied by our
troops, little squads of volunteers busily engaged in hunting up and “squadding
in,” as they call it, all persons capable of military duty. Thousands who wish
to escape this draft are now hiding in the mountains or seeking refuge in our
lines. Meantime the rascals are plundering and burning in all directions,
making friends for the Union wherever they go. The defeat of the enemy in
eastern Virginia sends this cobhouse tumbling very fast.
We left Raleigh
last week and have been struggling against storms and freshets ever since.
Today it has snowed, rained, sleeted, and turned off bright but gusty a dozen
times. Camp muddy, tents wet, but all glad to be started.
I have for the
present an independent command of the Twenty-third Regiment, a section of
McMullen's Battery, and a small body of horse. We are the advance of Fremont's
column. We are directed to move by “easy marches” forward south. The design
being, I suppose, to overtake us in force by the time we meet any considerable
body of the enemy. We meet and hear of small bodies of enemy now constantly,
but as yet nothing capable of serious resistance.
I see that
Buckland's Seventy-second was in the great battle at Pittsburg. Glad they are
not reported as sharing the disgrace which seems to attach to some of the other
new regiments. There was shocking neglect there, I should guess. Generals, not
the regiments, ought to be disgraced. A sudden surprise by a great army with
cavalry and artillery can't be had without gross negligence. The regiments
surprised ought not [to] be held up to scorn if they are stricken with a panic
in such a case. A few thousand men can slip up unperceived sometimes, but for
an army of fifty or sixty thousand men to do it — pshaw! it's absurd. What
happened to Buckland's regiment? Send your newspapers of Fremont giving letters
from the regiment.
I see that your
friend McPherson* is one of the distinguished. Good.
Colonel Scammon is
back with the brigade, Thirtieth, Thirty-fourth, and a regiment of cavalry.
Good-bye,
R. B. Hayes.
_______________
* James B.
McPherson, a native of Sandusky County. He was at that time chief engineer on
General Grant's staff. A brilliant and able officer who rose to the position of
corps commander. He was killed in battle at Atlanta, July 22, 1864, — the
officer highest in rank and command killed during the war. His grave is at
Clyde, Ohio, marked by an imposing monument. One of the entrances to Spiegel
Grove bears his name.
SOURCE: Charles
Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard
Hayes, Volume 2, p. 233
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