CIVIL WAR LETTER - 7th Ohio Infantry - Describes Battle in West Virginia !!

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI)
This remarkable Civil War letter was written by Henry Hayes Coe, (1830-1908), the son of David Lyman Coe (1796-1836) and Mary Matilda Hayes (1800-1877) of Painesville, Lake county, Ohio. Henry attended the Western Reserve College and made his living as a machinery builder before and after the war.
When the Civil War began, Henry became the band leader of the
7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI)
on 10 July 1861. He joined the Regiment—commonly called, “the Roosters,” at Weston, Virginia, Second Brigade Army of Occupation and was in the Battle at Kessler’s Cross Lanes, Summerville on 24-25 August; at Charleston until November 1st; expedition to Loop Creek and Fayetteville, November 1st to 17th; skirmish at McCoy’s Mills, November 15; expedition to Blue’s Gap, January 6th and 7th, 1862; fight at Blue’s Gap, January 7th. In Third Brigade, Lander’s division, Army of the Potomac, at Hampton’s Heights and Pawpaw Tunnel, until March. Transferred to Third Brigade, Shield’s division, in March. Advanced on Winchester, March 7 to 15. In the battle of Winchester, March 22-23rd 1862, the bandsmen “were engaged in carrying off the wounded, building fires to warm freezing limbs, and carrying water to assuage tormenting thirst.”
Transferred to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Department of Rappahannock, April 1st 1862, they were at Monterey, April 12th, New Market, April 17th; McDowell, May 8th; March to Fredericksburg, May 12th to 21st; march to Port Republic, May 25th. In the battle of Port Republic, June 8th and 9th. Transferred to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Virginia. They were at Alexandria until July.
He mustered out with the band at Washington on 5 July 1862 and later reentered the service as leader of the band for Second Brigade, Third Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, Army of Ohio, September 16th, 1864 and joined the brigade at Rome, Georgia, and participated in the Battle of Franklin and Nashville, and later in North Carolina.
[Lawrence, Wilson, ed., Itineraray of the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry 1861-1864 (Akron: The Neal Publishing Company, 1907), p. 382.]
All four of Henry’s letter were written to his wife, Lucy Ann (Proctor) Hayes (1828-1909), the daughter of Ariel Proctor (1802-1874) and Susanna Harris Hinckley (1807-1891). The couple were married in August 1858.
Transcription
In his letter, Henry describes the skirmish at
Kessler’s Cross Lanes
—sometimes called the “
battle of forks and knives
“—on 26 August 1861 in which Confederate forces under Brig. Gen. John B. Floyd attacked Col. Erastus B. Tyler’s men some three miles from the Gauley River in present day West Virginia. The 7th OVI was surprised while eating breakfast and routed with a severe loss, the two wings of Tyler’s command retreating in opposite directions. Major Jack Casement’s command (the left wing) retreated over mountain ranges and rivers to Charleston, West Virginia, without the capture of a man.
[To read more, see:
The “Bloody Seventh Ohio” at Cross Lanes
, Dan Masters’ Civil War Chronicles, 9 September 2020]
Gauley Bridge, Virginia [now W. Va.]
October 2nd 1861
My Dearest Lucy,
Think I must “Launch Ho” another letter at you for I have received Mother’s warm stockings, the package of old last month’s papers & your very kind, good long letter. It makes me exceedingly glad to get the stockings & to read your letters, but it makes infinitely mad to read some of the papers. The fools have not all gone to the war. Neither have all the cowards gone. We know what some of them would do—place them in danger. I am under no obligations to anyone in the field to defend anyone’s official character or acts. I do not deem it proper always to offer praise where indeed praise or approbation may be due; but when men, who claim to be leaders of public sentiment in the community in which they act and endeavor to lead it by means of the press, come out and make the wholesale & to a man who under easy circumstance honestly endeavors to discharge every duty, the resulting charge of cowardice & that too with but limited means of knowing of the action & the orders which lead to the action he in so public & harsh a manner judges, I refer to some items of Abbot’s editorial on the report of the Paineville Committee. As for myself, I claim no honor in consequence of it for I did not run very fast & not at all until after the fight was over (though probably because I was at a safe distance). All the officers in the action and friends of mine for ought I know—no one more than another, & I will giver them the credit of intelligence discretion & good judgement to show favoritism to no one and to save under special obligations to none of them, so if they say anything to defend anyone, I am in justice moved to do so. I say when men like the Tinker of the telegraph makes the sweeping charge of cowardice against our officers, he either ought to be suppressed as a fool for not knowing the meaning of what he says or he ought to be made to meet them face to face & sustain or retract his charges if his little dirty 500 circulation sheet is worthy of any recognition whatever. However, to give the devil his due, I may give him credit for some ignorance, for if he depended on the report of our Paineville Committee, it was from necessity meagre, or at least somewhat prejudiced. I will give my reasons.
They on their way here first reached Charleston which was the Major and all the Painesville boys who were in the battle. We had had but little communication with them since the battle. They comprised about half the regiment, the other half having escaped by another way. In action, the two parties were so much concealed from each other that one knew little what the other did or how they got out, while continual discussions or reports & surmises soon manufactured undeniable facts (the camp is the place above all others for that( & some apparently deemed it necessary to detract from the glory of one to bring out the splendor of another, though it certainly was not necessary in the case of our Major. It was the fortune of our committee to reach Charleston while this state of things existed & before they knew much of the action & varied fortune of the rest of us, & their information accordingly without their being able to know it. Their minds were particularly made up—their feelings charged, & when they reached here, we could with truth say they were prejudiced & they did not know it. Then the Oberlin men were acquainted with Cox & all had frequent interviews that Cox labored with them, I know, & with some result for I saw that before they left, I judged that Cox had worked to some advantages while Col. Tyler, whose guests they were, is some like me, never very communicative.
While during their stay here there was much excitement as the rebels were close by & skirmishes were almost hourly & a general attack was being attempted, & amid it all I do believe that the committee (though unintentionally) carried home a picture somewhat colored, & to disfigure it still more, the editorial brush has blunderingly put on a final daub. I think if the good Lord would call the telegraph hence—editorially at least—Lake county would be relieved & blessed.
But really, I have covered this whole sheet and have not informed you that I want no more cotton shirts. I have 3 which I would have sent home but I would burden no one with them. I have not worn one for 6 weeks. Government furnishes us some heavy, grey woolen ones & with our continual exposure, it is not safe to wear any others. However outside I wear a pair of nice gingham ones which I got off the sutler & which many of the officers wear. We have a plenty and can get more any day.
We today got us a good quantity of socks & very good, heavy warm large ones. So our feet feel well now. As to getting nearer home, I know nothing though it is said the pay master will be here within 10 days sure. When the Colonel & the men were up New River, the colonel sent us an order to march to Charleston but the Uglies at Headquarters intercepted the order as I suppose, for we never got it.
I am glad to know “Uncle” Whiting has received my letter & I would be glad to get one from him. Tell Lucy I certainly would be glad to get a letter from her. I have been on the point of writing to her several times but something would turn up to prevent. I answer all correspondents & if necessary, you may publish in the papers that anybody who wishes may write to me & I will try and acknowledge receipt &c.
Oh, I should like much to spend a little time at home & maybe I can. I shall make no more whatever until after we have got some money. If the shop business furnishes no more money that you say, I think it better that I am here. As to the fault finding at C. Louis, I care nothing providing they will do no body injustice. It is easy to talk & another thing to act.
There is a large force both Federal and Secesh with 30 or 40 miles of us amounting in all to from 30,000 to 50,000 men. The two bodies lay near within about 2 miles of each other. We expect every day to hear of a great fight & if Rosecrans & Cox get whipped, they must fall back on this place. But we do not expect they will be beat.
[F. A.] Eileman has not been well for two or three weeks & left for home yesterday. I went with him to the steamboat landing about eight miles down & as I had to walk it, we had a tramp of near 16 miles. [James D.] Hennessey & [John] Parmele went with me. Before Eileman returns, he will probably call on you. We want a few more men for the band & Eileman has authority to recruit there &c. I enclose you a specimen or two of the orders I receive which may be curiosities to you. Also I send you a drawing or pencil sketch of our kitchen as taken by our special artist, & it is a very correct representation. “Steve”—our colored servant or “kitchen maid”—is on his way to the river with a camp kettle for water. We [ ] the lumber out of high water flood trash & built the stone work ourselves. The chimney at first would not draw well so we topped it but with a Cracker Barrel. “Steve” wears the cap I gave him—the one I wore from home. Mr. Hennesey’s package by Mr. Brown has not arrived & consequently your letter with stamps. Brown says he don’t know where it can be.
Much love, — Henry
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