Cross Lanes, Virginia, Sunday, September 22, 1861. Dear Mother : – … We are waiting for good weather to go in pursuit of the enemy. Unless some calamity occurs to us at Washington, so as to enable the Rebels to reinforce Wise and Floyd, I do not think they will fight us again. We shall [...]

September 21, 1861. – Equinoctial storm today. Our regiment does not move. I am getting ready for my new quarters and duties. Just got ready for bed; a dark, dismal, rainy night. Visited the hospital tonight. Saw several of Colonel Tyler’s men who were wounded and taken prisoners in his surprise a month ago and [...]

September 20.– I am ordered to the place of judge-advocate and to be attached to headquarters. I dislike the service but must obey, of course. I hope to be released after a few weeks’ service. In the meantime I will try to qualify myself for an efficient discharge of my new duties. I agree with [...]

Cross Lanes, Near Gauley River, South of Summersville, Virginia, September 19, 1861. Dear Mother:   I am in the best possible health. Since the retreat of the enemy I have been too busy to write. You must look in the correspondence of the Commercial or Gazette for my welfare. If I should lose a little [...]

Cross Lanes, September 19, 1861. Dearest:   It is a lovely moonlight evening. I mailed you a letter this morning, but as Lieutenant Wall of Captain McIlrath’s company has resigned to go with the navy, and will go to Cincinnati tomorrow, I thought I would say a word further while our band plays its finest [...]

September 19. – Offered the place of judge-advocate general by General Rosecrans. Have served in five cases – [on the] 5th and 6th at Sutton, 16th, 17th and 18th at Cross Lanes (also the 12th) –and a few days between those dates preparing reports of proceedings.

Cross Lanes, Near Gauley River, South Of Summersville, Virginia, September 19, 1861. Dear Mother : – I am in the best possible health. Since the retreat of the enemy I have been too busy to write. You must look in the correspondence of the Commercial or Gazette for my welfare. If I should lose a [...]

Cross Lanes, Near Gauley River, Below Summersville, Virginia, September 19, Thursday A. M., [1861]. Dearest: – I fear you do not get the letters I have written the last ten days, as we are out of the reach of mail facilities. I got your letter of the 5th about forty miles north of here out [...]

Birch River, Eighteen Miles North of Summersville, Sunday, September 15, 1861. Dearest: – We are as happy and care-for-nothing [a] set of fellows here today as you could find anywhere. I have now for a while an independent command of four companies, Twenty-third, Captain Moore, Captain Lovejoy, Woodward, and Drake, two companies of the Thirtieth [...]

Birch River, Between Summersville and Sutton, Virginia, September 14, 1861. Dear Uncle : – I have no time to write letters. We are getting on finely. Our battle on the 10th at Gauley River, you have no doubt heard all about. Nothing but night prevented our getting Floyd and his whole army. As it was, [...]

Gauley River, 8 Miles South Of Summersville, September 11, 1861. Dear Lucy: – Well, darling, we have had our first battle, and the enemy have fled precipitately. I say “we,” although it is fair to say that our brigade, consisting of the Twenty-third, the Thirtieth (Colonel Ewing), and Mack’s Battery had little or nothing to [...]

Tuesday, 10.–Marched seventeen miles, drove enemies’ pickets out of Summersville, followed nine miles to Gauley river. Enemy entrenched on a hill, high, steep, and hidden by bushes, three to six thousand strong. We get ready to attack. We have been divided into three brigades: First, General Benham’s, consisting of Tenth (Colonel Lytle’s Irish), Twelfth (Colonel [...]

Monday, 9.–Marched over Powell Mountain and camped eight miles from Summersville. Enemy near us; a battle to come soon.

Sunday, 7 or 8.–As officer of the day, I rode all day– up Birch, crossing it forty times and going fifty to sixty miles. Rode out to pickets with General Benham.

Saturday, 6 [7].–Marched to Birch River.

Friday, [September] 5 [6].–As judge-advocate, with General Benham, Colonels Scammon, Smith, et al., I tried two cases. J. W. Trader, etc.

SUTTON, OR SUTTONVILLE, VIRGINIA, September 5, 1861. DEAREST:–We are in another camp of fine views. This is the last stronghold of our army as we advance toward the enemy. We are now part of an army of from six to eight thousand and are pushing towards an advancing enemy stronger in numbers, it is said. [...]

Wednesday, 3 [4].–Saw General Rosecrans and staff. Caught our guard without a salute. We go with him south today. A good time with McCook and his Ninth. Marched from Bulltown to Flatwoods on road to Sutton, about ten or eleven miles. Camped on a hill with Captain Canby’s Company F of our right wing and [...]

Tuesday, September 2 [3].–Twelve miles from Walkersville to Bulltown. Found McCook and had a good time with him.

Sunday, 1 [September].–Drummed three men (youngsters) out of Captain Drake’s company, by [the] colonel’s order. The men all approve it but it makes me sick. The boys all probably confirmed thieves before they joined the army, but it makes me sick. Also sent back a waggon-master and drivers. This pleased me. The rascals refused to [...]

Saturday, [August] 31,–Mustered today. I called the roll of our five companies and of McMullen’s Battery.

Friday, 30.–Last night Dr. Joe and I did our best to house in Mrs. Sea’s barn (a good Union lady, two sons in the army), the Germans of the Ninth, who lay in the mud, without shelter. Spent today in a jolly way, resting. ______ FRENCH CREEK, August 30, 1861, Friday Night. DEAREST:–”The best laid [...]

Thursday, 29.–Moved into the Presbyterian church to await our tents and train.

Wednesday, 28.–A long march over a bad path–thirty miles–to French Creek, or Scotchtown. Boarded with Mrs. Farrell. A fine Union settlement. Forty years ago a Massachusetts colony came here, and their thrift, morality, and patriotism are the salt of this region. Slept in tent of Culbertson and Lieutenant–of Captain Remley’s Fifth Regiment. Noble and generous [...]