Thursday, June 13, Colonel William S. Rosecrans appeared and assumed the command. Our regiment was paraded after retreat had been sounded. The long line looked well, although the men were ununiformed and without arms. We were lucky in having a band enlisted as privates at Ashland. Colonel Rosecrans is a spirited, rapid talker and worker [...]

COLUMBUS, June 12, 1861. DEAR FORCE:–You can’t regret more than I do the issue of this business, so far as you are concerned. I have tried to get two companies (so as to include you and Company A of G.G. [Guthrie Greys]) admitted. Failing in that, I tried one, but the thing is all settled, [...]

Our mustering was completed June 11 and 12. We were guests of Colonel King (for rations) at the log headquarters and slept at Platt’s. Both good arrangements. Wednesday evening, 12th, we got up a large marquee, fine but not tight, and that night I had my first sleep under canvas–cool but refreshing.

COLUMBUS, June 12, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–We are in Camp Jackson–hot, busy, and jolly. Colonel Rosecrans is an energetic, educated West Pointer, very cheerful and sensible. Judge Matthews you know. We are on good terms with our captains, and the whole thing pleases me vastly; but I see no chance of getting out to see you; [...]

COLUMBUS, June 10, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–Matthews and myself are here and find that the governor makes up a list of regimental officers, calls it a regimental organization and assigns to it companies as he pleases, preferring to select officers from one part of the State and men from another. We are the Twenty-third Regiment ¹ [...]

COLUMBUS, June 10, 1861. DEAR FORCE:–I do not dispatch you as to matters here, because it is not certain what will be done, but our present impression is, that we can get no additional companies into our regiment. Full regiments have been made up, and the governor is assigning officers to them, or, rather, he [...]

June 10, Monday morning, after a few hours’ rest at the Goodale or Capitol House, we went over to the governor’s office and learned that the governor had made up a regiment composed of companies chiefly from the extreme northern and northeastern part of the East [State], the field officers being all from Cincinnati, to [...]

(Private–Don’t show this out of the family.) CINCINNATI [COLUMBUS], June 10, 1861. DEAR DOCTOR:–We are not quite certain, but our matters probably stand this way. The governor makes up a regimental staff and assigns to it companies as far removed from it, usually, as possible. We are to be the Twenty-third Regiment and companies will [...]

COLUMBUS, Monday, 10 P. M., June 10, 1861. DEAREST LU:–I have just sent Judge Matthews to bed in the room over the library, and I thought I’d write a few words to my dear wife before sleeping. We have been at the camp all the afternoon. Our quarters are not yet built; all things are [...]

June 7, 1861, I received a dispatch from Governor Dennison asking me if I would accept the majority in a regiment of which William S. Rosecrans was to be colonel and Judge Matthews lieutenant-colonel. I read it to Lucy, consulted with my old law partner [Ralph P. Buckland], who happened to be visiting Cincinnati, and [...]

CINCINNATI, June 10 [9], 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–I shall go to Columbus in the morning under orders. I do not know what is intended, but by telegraph, Judge Matthews and myself are informed that we are to be in a regiment with Colonel Rosecrans–a West Pointer and intimate friend of Billy Rogers, and a capital officer,–Matthews [...]

CINCINNATI, June 5, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–I have received your letter of the 3rd. Am sorry to have disappointed you last Saturday. Shall try to come soon. I have just had a call from Buckland, ¹ and went with him to the Burnet House and saw Miss Annie and Ralph. A dispatch in the Commercial indicates [...]

CINCINNATI, May 31, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–I made my preparations to start for Fremont by way of Toledo tomorrow, as intimated in my letter of the early part of the week, but a gleam of light breaks in upon us in regard to our war project, and I concluded to wait; but if nothing turns up, [...]

CINCINNATI, [May 27, 1861.] DEAR UNCLE:–I have nothing in particular you to write. I heard a good war sermon today on the subject, “The Horrors of Peace”! The weather is very unfavorable for troops in camp–wet and chilly. The tents leak and the ground is low and flat. These things will gradually mend themselves. We [...]

CINCINNATI, May 26, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:—. . . I have been watching the enlistments for the war during the last week with much interest, as the chance of our enterprise for the present depends on it. If twenty regiments enlist out of the twenty-six now on foot in the State, there will be no room [...]

CINCINNATI, May 23, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–I received yours of the 17th this morning, and am glad to know that your views as to finishing and furnishing the house correspond with our own. If I should not go away during the summer, I will, of course, visit you several times, and we can arrange all these [...]

CINCINNATI, May 22, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:—Your last is highly satisfactory. It is by no means certain that we shall get in, but we shall keep trying and sooner or later I suspect we shall succeed. Lucy rather prefers, I think, not to go out to Fremont this summer if I should go away, but will [...]

May 19, 1861.—We find a good deal of difficulty in getting new companies or regiments accepted for the war, but we shall persevere.

CINCINNATI, May 16, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–I have got your favor of the 14th. . . . You say nothing about my going into the war. I have been fishing for your opinion in several of my late letters. Unless you speak soon, you may be too late. My new business arrangement and my prospects, bad [...]

The last diary page of Rutherford B. Hayes before he entered the Union Army for the War. May 15, 1861.–Judge Matthews and I have agreed to go into the service for the war,–if possible into the same regiment. I spoke my feelings to him, which he said were his also, viz., that this was a [...]

CINCINNATI, May 12, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:—. . . The St. Louis and other news revives the war talk. We are likely, I think, to have a great deal of it before the thing is ended. Bryan writes me a long friendly secession letter, one-sided and partial, but earnest and honest. Perhaps he would say the [...]

May 10, 1861.—Great events the last month. April 12 and 13, Fort Sumter [was] attacked and taken by the South Carolina troops by order of the Government of the Confederate States at Montgomery. Sunday evening, April 14, news of Lincoln’s call for 75,000 men [was] received here with unbounded enthusiasm. How relieved we were to [...]

CINCINNATI, May 8, 1861. DEAR GUY:—I have just received and read your letter of the 27th ult. It does me good to hear from you again. I have thought of you often since these troubles began. Curiously enough, having a bad cold and a slight fever, I dreamed of many things last night. Among others [...]

CINCINNATI, April 30, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:—Your frequent letters are very acceptable. I am sorry, however, to be compelled to think that we are indebted to your ill health for the favor. Lucy says, “Why don’t Uncle come down and make us a visit? If the house has a roof and floors, it is finished enough [...]