Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Luman Harris Tenney: December 12, 1863

After breakfast rode to station and got bread. Went down to the 2nd O. V. C. and saw Co. C boys. Seems good to mingle with them occasionally. Brigade ordered out to scout. Gone before I was aware of movement, but unable to go anyway. Went four miles above Morristown, and ran against too large a force, and obliged to fall back. Unpleasant rainy afternoon. Read a little in “Scottish Chiefs.” Pleased.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 101

Captain Charles Wright Wills: April 24, 1863

Camp 103d Illinois Infantry, Lagrange, Tenn.,

April 24, '63.

We have just returned from the hardest and yet by far the most pleasant scout in which I have up to this time participated. We started from here one week ago to-day, Friday, and my birthday (how old I am getting) on the cars. We were four and a half regiments of infantry, one six-gun battery and no cavalry. At 3 o'clock p. m. we were within seven miles of Holly Springs and found two bridges destroyed. We worked that p. m. and night and finished rebuilding the bridges by daylight the 18th. We had only moved two miles further when we reached another bridge which we found lying around loose in the bed of the stream. The general concluded to abandon the railroad at this point, so we took up the line of march. We passed through Holly Springs at 12 m. I don't believe that I saw a human face in the town. A more complete scene of desolation cannot be imagined. We bivouacked at dark, at Lumpkin's mill, only one mile from Waterford. At 9 p. m. a dreadful wind and rain storm commenced and continued until 1. We were on cleared ground, without tents, and well fixed to take a good large share of both the wind and water. I'm positive that I got my full portion. 'Twas dark as dark could be, but by the lightning flashes, we could see the sticks and brush with which we fed our fire, and then we would feel through the mud in the right direction. Nearly half the time we had to hold our rubber blankets over the fire to keep the rain from pelting it out. After the storm had subsided I laid down on a log with my face to the stars, bracing myself with one foot on each side of my bed. I awoke within an hour to find that a little extra rain on which I had not counted, had wet me to the skin. That ended my sleeping for that night.

Nineteenth. — We went down to Waterford and then turned westward, which course we held until nearly to Chulahoma. When we again turned southward and reached the Tallahatchie river at "Wyatt," where we camped for the night. Our regiment was on picket that night and an awful cold night it was. We marched through deep, yellow mud the 19th nearly all day, but I don't know that I marched any harder for it. Up at 3 o'clock and started at 4, the 20th, and marched 25 miles southwest, along the right bank of the Tallahatchie. Our rations were out by this time and we were living off the "citizens." The quartermaster with a squad of men he had mounted on contraband horses and mules would visit the chivalric planters, take their wagons, load them with their hams, meal and flour, and when we would halt for dinner or supper, issue the chivalries' eatables to us poor miserable Yankees. While the quartermaster attended to these principal items the "boys" would levy on the chickens, etc., including milk and cornbread. Gen. W. S. Smith commanded and the butternuts failed to get much satisfaction from him. The first night out a "citizen" came to him and complained that the soldiers had killed nine of his hogs, and asked what he should do to get his pay. "My dear sir," said the general, "you'll have to go to the boys about this matter, they will arrange it satisfactorily to you, I have no doubt." “Citizen” didn't go to the boys though. Another one came to ask pay for his hams. "Your hams, why everything in this Mississippi belongs to these boys, a great mistake, that of your's, sir." The men soon found out what kind of a general they had and whenever a butternut would appear among us they would greet him with a perfect storm of shouts of, "here’s your ham, here's your chicken," etc., and often a shower of bones of hams or beef would accompany the salute. On the 20th the general decided to make some cavalry, and on the 21st at night we had nearly 400 men on "pressed" horses and mules. These soldiers would just mount anything that had four legs, from a ram to an elephant, and the falls that some of the wild mules gave the boys would have made any man laugh that had life enough in him to breathe. How the women would beg for a favorite horse! I saw as many as five women wringing their hands and crying around a little cream-colored mare on whose head a soldier was arranging a rope bridle as coolly as though he was only going to lead her to water. You could have heard those women a quarter of a mile begging that cuss of an icicle to leave the pony, and he paid no more attention to them than he would have done to so many little chickens. An officer made the man leave the animal and I think the women took her in the house. I saw two girls, one of them perfectly lovely, begging for a pair of mules and a wagon a quartermaster was taking from their place. They pushed themselves in the way so much that the men could hardly hitch the animals to the wagon. But we had to take that team to haul our provisions. The night of the 20th at 8 o'clock, the general called all the officers up to his quarters and told us that we would have a fight with General Chalmers before breakfast the next morning. He ordered all the fires put out immediately and gave us our instructions for defense in case we should be attacked during the night. After he was through I, with eight other officers, was notified that we should sit at once as a court martial to try the adjutant of the 99th Indiana, for straggling and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman in taking from a house sundry silver spoons, forks, etc. I'll tell you our sentence after it is approved. That kept us until 11 o'clock. At 1 o'clock a. m. we were wakened without bugles or drums, stood under arms, without fires until 3, and then marched northwest. At this point we were only eight or nine miles from Panola, Miss. We marched along through Sardis on the Grenada and Memphis R. R. and northwest about 15 miles to some cross roads, which we reached just 20 minutes after the Rebels had left. 'Twas useless for our infantry to follow their mounted men, so we turned homeward with 75 miles before us. Just look over and see how much sleep I got in the last four nights. We marched through the most delightful country from the time we left Wyatt. I think it will almost compare favorably with Illinois. We saw thousands of acres of wheat headed out which will be ready to harvest by the 15th or 20th of May. Some of the rye was as tall as I am. Peaches as large as filberts and other vegetation in proportion. There seemed to be a plenty of the necessaries of life, but I can assure you that eatables are not so plentiful now as they were before we visited the dear brethren. We reached the railroad at Colliersville last night. That is 26 miles west, making in all some 175 miles in eight days. The guerrillas fired on one column a number of times but hurt no one until yesterday, when they killed two of the 6th Iowa, which regiment was on another road from ours, the latter part of the trip. We took only some 20 prisoners but about 400 horses and mules. They captured about a dozen of stragglers from us and I am sorry to say two from my company, Wilson Gray and Stephen Hudson. The last three days we marched, every time that we would halt ten minutes one-fourth of the men would go to sleep. You should have seen the boys make bread after their crackers gave out; some lived on mush and meal, others baked cornbread in cornshucks, some would mix the dough and roll it on a knotty stick and bake it over the fire. It was altogether lots of fun and I wouldn't have missed the trip for anything.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 171-4

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Luman Harris Tenney: November 5, 1863

Up at 4 A. M. Co. "C" ordered to go with Capt. Easton on scout. Got on wrong road, being dark. Trotted two or three miles, returned and fell in with the regt. Moved to near Rheatown and waited for 5th Ind. to come down from Leesburg. Rainy and unpleasant. 14th Ill. to front. Returned near old camp. During night rained heavily. Boys got very wet. Slept well and dry.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 96

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Luman Harris Tenney: October 25, 1863

Morning work over, set out for regt. Stopped in town and saw wounded boys. Glad to see the boys so long absent. Reached Watauga about noon. Found most of Co. C absent on a scout. Came in about dark. Grand jubilee. Proposed to re-enlist as regiment. All would like to go home this winter but some don't want to be bound again till time's out.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 94-5

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Luman Harris Tenney: September 2, 1863

Aroused at 2 A. M., in readiness for a fight. Got breakfast, fed and moved at 6 o'clock. General order from Burnside saying that any man guilty of stealing, robbing or pillaging should be stripped of clothes, flogged, head shaved, branded with letter T. and drummed out of service. Marched to Lenoir. Then artillery opened up at London and we took the trot for 5 miles. 2nd Tenn. attacked rebels. They burned the bridge and retreated. We too late. An order to scout. Alarm that rebels were crossing. Went swimming in Tenn. River. Half a mile wide. Current swift and water clear. Went to London bridge. Found 45th Ohio there. Took the company up there and showed the breastworks, good fortifications. Rifle pits and acres of trees cut down. Discovered nothing unusual.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 86

Diary of Sergeant Major Luman Harris Tenney: June 21, 1863

Breakfasted and were off at 6. Rained a little. Crossed over to the Jamestown road. Found the roads over the mountain very rough indeed. Hills very steep and rugged. Several hills capped with high pinnacles of rocks. Rested at a house on the creek. One intelligent girl, but secesh. Reached Traversville at 4 P. M. Several houses but no occupants. Grazed our horses, camped. Scouting party went near Jamestown. Bathed in creek.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 74

1st Lieutenant Charles Wright Wills: June 4, 1862

June 4, 1862. No. 10.

We've been living out here a week without any tents until to-night, and General Pope is ripping and swearing because we dared to move them up here without orders. He says we shall not move a thing back. The colonel I am with is a regular army officer and he shows it all over, but I like him very much so far. I won't get to go out on near as many scouts, for will only go when the whole brigade moves.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 96

1st Lieutenant Charles Wright Wills: May 24, 1862

Near Corinth, Miss., May 24, 1862.

I returned last night from a two day's scout. Our orders were to scour the country along the Tennessee river to near Eastport and return through Iuka, Burnsville and Glendale. A Michigan colonel commanded the party and skipped Iuka three miles. There were little bands of Rebels in sight nearly all the time we were in that vicinity, so that I could not gallop off to the place alone, and of course the colonel wouldn't let me have men to go with me.

We rode all day yesterday through a steady rain and over roads that were for miles obstructed by felled trees and bridges burned. We came back through Pope's division yesterday. Think he is as about as well fortified as Beauregard can be. ’Tis astonishing how much ditching he has done within a week. Has also cut down enough trees (to make his left unapproachable) to last all of Illinois ten years for firewood. There's no site for a Bull Run here. Confederate scrip goes among the people here freely. If a man refuses to take it they lynch him. Not the citizens but soldiers do the dirty work. The people here all say that the seceded States will have to go back where they started from.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 91-2

Diary of Sergeant Major Luman Harris Tenney: May 16, 1863

Played at chess in the morning with Chester and Case. Co. returned from scouting. About noon rations came. Issued to the boys. Rushed them through rapidly. Had a shave and spent the evening in quarters. Read the Cincinnati Commercial. Wrote to Lucy Randall and Fred Allen.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 69-70

1st Lieutenant Charles Wright Wills: February 3, 1862

Headquarters, 3d Battalion, 7th Illinois Cavalry,

February 3, 1862.

I am pretty sure that we will start on a scout to-morrow that will give us a ride of 150 miles. From the knowledge I have of it believe that we are going to raise the devil before we get back or get raised ourselves. There are only about 300 of us going, but we are all cavalry and are going fast, will make our mark and then return probably at the same gait. We are going pretty close to New Madrid, into a hot place, where a long stay would not be pleasant. I believe there are 300 or 400 men about 70 miles from here guarding commissary stores. We are going to try and surprise them and destroy the goods, kill what we can of the secesh “and get out o’ that.” It will be my first scout horseback but I'm going if it busts me. This is one of Colonel Kellogg’s ideas and looks more like work than anything I have tried yet. It's awful rough weather to start out in but that makes it more favorable for us. Well, I have got over the hardest part of soldiering, though I doubt if I enjoy myself as well as I did in the ranks. I never in my life spent nine months more pleasantly than those I passed in the “8th.” We had some rough times, but good health and good company made them as pleasant as and often happier than life in quarters. I disliked very much to leave the boys I had been with so long and knew so well, but cupidity and ambition got the better of the just resolves I made never to leave them untill the war was over. John Wallace, Fred Norcott and my chum, Hy Johnson, I did hate to leave. They'll get along just as well though after they have forgotten us. My chances for a lieutenancy in that company were first rate but I have got a better thing, and without so much walking. You never saw a gladder boy than Sam was when he found himself safe out of the infantry. He couldn't begin to hold his body. I suppose he and Keefer are having very gay times all by themselves. Sidney and I concluded that our best policy was to stay here and I'm glad I did so, although I would have liked a visit home more than I can tell. If we can manage it so as to get off together some time this spring we will do so, but I have little hopes now of seeing you untill the war is over. The major (Rawalt), Seavy, Billy Resor and myself mess together. We have the wife of one of the men cooking for us and are living as well as I want to, in regular home style. White tablecloth, white ware and a fork and spoon for every man. Warm biscuits and excellent coffee every meal. My duties are light and not many of them. All writing. We live in a house, too. My health is booming again. That trip brought me out all right. This is a splendid place to camp in — high, healthy and beautiful. There are lots of pretty girls here too, that smile very sweetly on shoulder-strapped soldiers, but well, you understand me. I have Billy Stockdale, Trites, Chancey, Geo. Shinn, Jesse B. and the rest of the Canton boys in the 17th and they are all in excellent health. Chancey will be home in a few days I think. He is second lieutenant in the Fairview Company now. Billy Stockdale is sergeant major. Trites is romantic, enthusiastic and desponding as ever. Major Rawalt is one of the best officers there is in the service. He and I will get along splendidly. We are really off in the morning, and for a 200-mile march. There will be fun before we get back.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 58-60

Diary of Sergeant Major Luman Harris Tenney: May 2, 1863

Major Purington ordered on a scout with 150 men towards Traversville. 7th on the Albany road, I went along. Learned there were 900 rebels in the fight yesterday. Cheke among them. Went to a house and saw another wounded man, wounded in the charge near Monticello, hit in thigh. Rode four to eight miles, leg bleeding, Arthur Brannon of Lebanon, Ky., Shewarth's Regt., wished the war had never commenced, still willing to fight. Citizens represented nearly 100 wounded. All demoralized. Officers could not get them to stand ground. Got into camp at 8 P. M. Rained during the night. I got wet enough.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 68

Private Charles Wright Wills: September 16, 1861

Norfolk, September 16, 1861.

We are still here at Norfolk and now in camp for we don't know how long. We got tents the day after the date of my last, and splendid ones they are. They are full 10 feet high and 15 feet across. They each accommodate about 15 men. Since we have been here we have been out scouting three times. The first time we were down the river about five miles. That was the time our gunboats had the fight with the “Yankee” and the land batteries. Two days afterward a body of the enemy's cavalry came up almost to our camp, and after dinner we were sent out to look them up. We were scooting along through a thick wood when one of our cavalry men came back half scared out of his wits (we had about 20 of the cavalry ahead acting as scouts) and reported a whole mess of men just over a rise of ground ahead of us. Our company was in the van, and the column came into line on us and our cavalry tried to draw the enemy back on our position, but Mr. Enemy “drawed” the other way and again we missed our little fight. Last Saturday we started out again at noon and went down the river 10 miles where we thought sure we'd find secesh, but he had again left. We had 2,000 men this time and 6 pieces of artillery. We had stopped to rest when a cloud of dust was observed rising on our side of the river about four miles from us. Some of the boys had glasses with them and made out the cause to be a body of cavalry. Our right was marched a few hundred yards to the front and placed in line of battle with the left at the river bank and our right extending along an edge of woods and fronting a cornfield and open pass between it and the river. A splendid place (for our side) for a fight. Our gunboat then started down the river, fired at and dispersed one body they saw and then slipped a few shells into Columbus and returned. We were within four or five miles of Columbus where there are (our colonel says) 26,000 troops, and on ground where the secesh were encamped but lately with 16 pieces of artillery. We started back at dusk and got home about 10 o'clock; some of the boys pretty tired. I stand these little trips like a horse and would rather go every day than lay around camp. Yesterday (Sunday) the “Yankee” came up and shelled the woods where we were the day before. She tried to throw some shells into our camp but they didn't reach us by a mile and a half. One of our gunboats has to lay here all the time or the “Yankee” would make us skedaddle out of this on double quick. Don't talk about furloughs. They are played out. A dispatch came this last week to Colonel Oglesby that his wife was dying. He went up to Cairo but General McClernand showed him an order from McClellan, vetoing furloughs, no matter for what. So the colonel had to return here. I'd like very much to go home but I'll enjoy it all the more when this business is finished. The 17th is encamped just opposite us on Island No. 1, but we can't get to see them. Our boys are in good spirits. Sid. and Sam and Theo. are now all right. Milo Farewell thinks he has the dumb ague. Fred Norcott is sick in Cairo. Charley Cooper is also sick I have heard. I am all right. My office is sergeant, two grades below private. Our company goes out on picket to-night.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 30-1

Diary of 1st Lieutenant John S. Morgan: Saturday, April 29, 1865

Work on Muster & Pay rolls all day, boat cam up last night bringing Mobile papers of the 28th with information that at the Mouth of Red river The Rebs were communicating for flag of truce relative to a speedy surrender by Kirby Smith of all the army west of the Mississippi. Many Citizens came in today some from 20 & 25 miles back & all express themselves astonished at the good treatment they rec from our soldiers. We wait patiently for something official from high authority confirmatory of the surrender of Joe Jonston. There is a report that somewhere near there is a rebel force of 400 & that the 1st Brig are ordered out on a scout with 2 days rations, Dick Taylor has not surrendered but is reported with his staff in Mobile. Papers note the arrival at Mobile of a paymaster & rumor says he is paying there. Take a walk after supper with Sergt Miller.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 8, April 1923, p. 596

Sergeant Major Luman Harris Tenney to Emeline Harris Tenney et al, December 2, 1862

Camp at Ray's Mills, Arkansas, Dec. 1, 1862.

My Dear Friends:

I guess you wonder a little why you don't hear from your soldier boy. Well, I presume you will wonder often if we stay in the field and keep up our scouts and marches. Since last Tuesday, my regular day for writing and the day I intended to write, I haven't had a minute's opportunity for writing until yesterday, and then I was busy till night, when I was too tired to write.

Tomorrow another train leaves for the Fort. Several sick boys return. I should have liked to go back for comfort, but after all as long as there is a man in the Regiment in the field, I want to be there, too, though there must be some suffering and sacrifices.

Today I had an opportunity to go into the Brigade Commissary as clerk and get $12 a month extra. Lt. Shattuck, brother of Nina, is acting Brigade Commissary and wanted me to help him. N. thought I hadn't better go. I don't care much. Should have liked the little spondulics though.

Sunday night when we arrived here I found six letters, three from home, two from Fannie, and one from Will. I guess I was happy that night and as usual dreamed of home. Thede, I thank you very much for your good long letter. You did me proud. Please do so more.

I see by the papers that Col. Ford has received his just deserts. I enjoy all the particulars of the home circle visits, calls and town gossip. It is always my Thanksgiving Day when my letters come. My letters both received and written have been quite irregular of late and I presume will be in future.

During the last week we have been on our horses most of the time. My ague left me just in time. Tuesday and Wednesday our detachment was out on a scout down below here a little. We had the pleasure of overtaking 400 of Quantrell's men Tuesday night and turned their course from the north southward on double quick. The Major had 115 men. I had the pleasure of being in the advance and had two or three little skirmishes with the rear guard. None of us, how I don't know, was hurt. Afterwards some of the 3rd Wis. were sent ahead of us and when a few rods in advance were fired into from the bushes and two of the men wounded.

I suppose you have heard by this time of the fight at Cane Hill and beyond.

Thursday our detachment went in advance of the whole division but Friday we were rear guard and the Brigade was left at Cane Hill as a reserve. It was aggravating to hear the roar of artillery and not partake. There will be some hard fighting if we go over the mountains.

I have no ambition to die immediately or anything of that sort. I guess life, real life, is precious to the most wicked, but I do long to have our armies hasten on to victory or defeat. If Schofield's forces join ours, I believe our success will be sure, though earned by a good deal of sacrifice.

Lt. Shattuck has been acting Adj. but has gone now. So I have enough to do his duties and those of Sergt. Major.

I have just been out doors and I could see the “fire on the mountains” along our line of march over the hills from the North.

Tonight the air is cold and the fire in our little stove is comfortable and cozy enough. We are getting well used to bivouacking in the open air with few blankets and no fires. When out scouting we go without fires so as not to let the enemy know our movements. Sometimes we can't get much sleep, though. Don't you believe I occasionally long to creep into that soft bed at home and to sit down at our little supper table? Oh no, never!

Please excuse another hasty letter. The Independents have come as usual. I presume we will remain here a few days and then go over the mountains. I hope so.

The boys are all talking as loudly as can be and I can't think overmuch straight.

With much love,

Luman.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 46-9

Diary of Sergeant Major Luman Harris Tenney: Tuesday, November 25, 1862

Went over to see secesh but they had gone. Shattuck went on detail as chief of commissary. Capt. Seward said I must make out morning reports after this. Major Purington received orders to proceed at once with his command to Evansville. Blair's Battery practised with artillery — shell. Major and detachment started out on a scout, an odd old genius on a white horse as guide. Went by a byroad. When 4 or 5 miles from Cincinnati, crossed a byroad where 400 or 500 had passed. I had charge of advance. Before going a half mile, saw two “butternuts.” Wheeled and ran like fun. Followed about a mile and learned from a family that 4 or 5 had passed not more than ten minutes before. Reported back. Followed most of the time at a trot. When we had gone two miles, we struck the main road and here the rebels fired at us from the brush. I had 20 men. All wheeled but 3 men. Soon rallied. Moved on a few rods and saw 15 or 20 in line by the bushes ready to fire. They fired and we in line fired in return. Soon Major sent word to reload. While reloading the rebels crossed the byroad to the main road. We followed a few hundred rods and were ordered to halt. Soon some of the 3rd Wis. came up, and passed dismounted. When 5 or 6 rods ahead a volley was poured into them, wounding two. Two days after, we heard that they were 400 of Quantrell's men and that they ran to Cane Hill, also that 4,000 went over the mountains. Also that we killed two men. Bivouacked without fires.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 44-5

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Sardis Birchard June 21, 1862

Camp Jones, Flat Top Mountain, June 21, 1862.

Dear Uncle: — We have been here and hereabouts almost a month. Our line of defense extends twenty to thirty miles from New River southwesterly along a mountain range. We have mountain weather. If the wind happens to lull when the sun shines we get a taste of summer heat. At all other times it is very cold. We have fires, wear overcoats, and sleep under winter blankets every night. Our men from the lake shore say it is very much like April and May weather in the neighborhood of home. The men are very healthy; not over a dozen or so unfit for duty out of eight hundred. We have frequent reconnaisances and scouting expeditions against the enemy, not amounting to any great matter. We have not seen or heard of a guerrilla in these mountains since we passed here about the first of May. We get and meet parties of the enemy occasionally, but they are regular soldiers. We suppose the savage treatment administered when we went across a month ago finished bushwhacking in this vicinity. We do not expect any important movement until the event at Richmond is known. Then, whatever the result, we expect to be busy enough.

Soon after we came on to this mountain, I caught a bad cold — the worst I have had in some years. Since I have been in camp I had not had a severe cold before. It held on two weeks, but is now nearly gone without doing any mischief.

Both sides appear to be fighting well in all parts of Virginia now. It seems to be reduced pretty nearly to a question of numbers — I mean, of course, numbers of drilled soldiers. I do not reckon the enemy's recent conscripts nor our own new regiments as amounting to much yet. It seems therefore as if, with the superior numbers which we ought to have at the critical points, we would crush them out during the next six weeks in Virginia. Virginia gone, with what the Rebels have already lost, and the Rebellion is a plain failure. But I think we shall need all our soldiers a long time after that. I hope we shall not be needed another winter, but I greatly suspect we shall.

Sincerely,

R. B. Hayes.

S. BlRCHARD.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 292-3

Diary of Luman Harris Tenney: Saturday, November 1, 1862

Lay in camp. Men save ours were mustered for pay. The boys went out and got the body of the Butternut, and buried him in the cornfield — shot in the neck. Wrote home. Bought a jacket of T. R. S. Saw Major P.'s ring we boys have bought for him — nice. Went to bed rather early. Commenced a letter to Fannie. Interrupted to go out scouting. In the P. M. Capt. Welch with Stewart and Lisering and 25 men went out seven or eight miles expecting to find some bushwhackers seen by a 9th Wis. Found nobody. Stopped at three houses and got horses. One girl, husband pressed into rebel army, plead so earnestly for her pony. It was touching. Finally the captain gave it back. Reached camp at 1 A. M.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 40

Diary of Sergeant George G. Smith: July 11, 1863

“All quiet on the Mississippi and its waters flow unvexed to the sea.” Scouting by cavalry, no rebels to be seen. The Richmond, Commander Farragut's Flag ship, and three gunboats came down.

SOURCE: Abstracted from George G. Smith, Leaves from a Soldier's Diary, p. 88

Diary of Luman Harris Tenney: Tuesday, September 30, 1862

Up long before sunrise and prepared for the scout. At 6 A. M. reported to Gen. Salomon. Wanted us to go 30 miles for coal! Boys all mad. When two miles from Carthage, men fired upon the wagons and us from the brush. Drew up into line but they did not show themselves. Passed through Carthage. Kansas train fired upon. Twelve men went back and met them. Reached the coal pit 13 miles west of C., about dark. Bunked with Capt. Nettleton. Rained next morning at 2 A. M. Went to wagon. Got quite wet. Saw Miss Hood and Shirley at their doors. Heard artillery firing. Proved to be a battle at Newtonia between a reconnoitering party of 500 and against 7,000 rebels. 2nd Ohio Battery covered itself with glory.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 34

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Colonel Eliakim P Scammon, May 2, 1862 – 4:30 p.m.

Camp Number 5, Princeton, May 2, 1862. 4:30 P. M.

Sir: — Company B and a company of cavalry scouted the road towards Wytheville several miles today. They report the enemy all gone to Rocky Gap. None, bushwhackers, or others, anywhere in the direction near here. Numbers of militia who were in service here yesterday are reported escaped to their homes and willing to take the oath of allegiance and surrender their arms. A cavalry company scouted the road towards Giles. They report the Forty-fifth retreated in great haste to Giles, saying they found Princeton just occupied by two thousand cavalry and eight thousand infantry. Their panic on falling in with Colonel Paxton's cavalry was even more complete than was supposed. They left knapsacks, blankets, and baggage. They had marched over twenty miles yesterday to get here and were worn-out.

There was a mistake as to the enemy firing on our couriers. No bushwhackers have been seen between here and Flat Top since we passed. Three parties have passed the entire distance since baggage trains. Negro servants of officers straggling along alone, etc., etc., and nobody disturbed by the enemy. The courier rode past a picket post of one of my scouting parties refusing to halt, and was therefore fired on.

Captain Gilmore is here with his company. Lieutenant Cooper and property left at Shady Spring is here. Forage is turning up in small quantities in a place but amounts to an important item in the aggregate. Fifteen head of cattle have been gathered up. There are sheep and hogs of some value.

Only twelve men reported excused from duty out of seven hundred Twenty-third men who came up. Company C I left behind to look after their wounded. They will come up tomorrow. Russell G. French will perhaps be crippled for life, possibly die. Can't he be put in the position of a soldier enlisted, or something, to get his family the pension land, etc., etc.? What can be done? He was a scout in our uniform on duty at the time of receiving his wound.

If the present indications can be relied on, this region will soon return to its allegiance. If nothing new of interest transpires, will not one dispatch each day be sufficient hereafter, with the understanding that on any important event occurring a messenger will be sent?

Respectfully,

R. B. Hayes,

Lieutenant-colonel 23D Regiment O. V. I.

[colonel Scammon.]

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 244-5