Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness to Appomattox

Lyman, Theodore. Meade’s Headquarters, 1863-1865; Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness to Appomattox. Edited by George R. Agassiz. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1922.

Staff, Fredericksburg, 2-3 Staff position, 4-5 Railroad journey, woman doctor, Mary Walker, 5-6 Warrenton, 6 Meade, Humphreys, Sykes, 8-9 Clothing, uniform, 10 Troops review, 10-12 Generals, entertain, 12 Meade at Gettysburg, 12-13 Provost prisoners, 13 Rappahannock, Rapidan, Cavalry, 14-20 Austrian officer, 20-21 General Buford, 21 Queen’s doctor, 21-22 Should be moving against Lee’s army, delays, 22, 25 General Benham, Seth Williams, 23 Culpeper, food and sleeping places for visiting generals, 24 Sword presentation for Warren, 25-27 Water, alcohol, 27 Farmer came to retrieve body of his son, 28 Sabbath, Seth Williams, 28 Generals, alcohol, 29 Arming moving, 29-30 Following Lee, 31 Confederate prisoners, 32-33 Spy, 33-34 Meade, Sykes, 34 Prisoners, 35 Meade, Buford, 35 Meade, Humphreys, Sedgwick, 36-37 Meade and Halleck, Lincoln, 37 Meade frustrated, not ambitious, 38-39 Guerrillas, 39-40 Swedish tentmate, 41 General Hays, 42 General Warren, 42 Moving toward the Rappahannock, Kelly’s Ford, 42ff Meade plans, 46 John Minor Botts, 46-47 British officers, 48-49 Warren, troop maneuvers, 50 Mine Run, Meade, 51-59

Winter quarters, furloughs, wives, 59-60 Confidence in Meade, 61 Russian naval officers, 61-63 General Humphreys, 64-65 Officers wives, 64-66 Sedgwick, Humphreys, 66 Old slave, 67-68 Raccoon and Morton’s fords, 69-71 Dinner party, women fashion, officers’ wives, Sykes, 71-73 Meade and Humphreys, disposition, 73 Officers wives, 74 Governor Sprague, troop review, 75-76 Kilpatrick, Custer, 77, 79 Humphreys, Sumner, politicians, 78-79 Sykes, Pleasonton, 80 Heavy artillery, 81 Comstock, 81 Birney, Hancock, 82 Sheridan, 82 Grant, Culpeper, 83-84 Overland campaign, 85ff Wilderness, Hays, Hancock, Meade, 85-99 German color bearer, 96 Earthworks, 99-100 Black troops, 102 Spotsylvania Courthouse, 102--117 Grant and Lee, 102 Gibbon, Meade, Hancock, 103 Intense fighting, hospitals, 106 Death of Sedgwick, 107-8 Humphreys, 108 General Rice killed by sharpshooter, 109 Capture of Generals Johnson and Steuart, 111 Arthur McClellan, 112 Need for death penalty for deserters, 117 Confederate women, 119 Earthworks, 120 Burnside sitting in a church, 120 Aides and orders, 121 North Anna River, 121 Meade and Grant on horseback, 122 Meeting of generals in church, 122-23 Meade’s anger at a major, 123-24 Morale at home and in the army, 124 Cavalry, 125 Meade anger, Grant and Sherman, 126

Burnside’s corps, 127 Griffin, 127 Meade anger at Burnside, 128 Pamunkey, 130 Confederate woman and Grant, 131 Civilian suffering, 132-33 Cold Harbor, 134-54 McClellan, 141-42 Earthworks, 143 Frightened civilian observers, 145-46 Warren, 147 Earthworks, line close together, sleeping, 147-48 Baldy Smith, 148 Artillery fire, 149 Dead horses, 153 Burial truce, fraternization, 154 Grant, speaking and writing, 156 Chickahominy, 157 John Tyler house, 159 Crossing the James, bridge, 159-66 Confederate soldiers guarded by black soldiers, 162 City Point, 163-64 Petersburg, 164ff Grant, 166 General Potter, Ninth Corps, Burnside, 166-67 Meade impatience, 168 Assault on Petersburg, 168-70 Burial truce, 170-73 Delays, units going in wrong direction, Meade impatience, 173-74 Sharpshooters, 174 Meade temper, Biddle, 176 Need for more men for each new campaign, people at home do not realize this, 177-78 French officers, 178 Hot and dry, 178-79 General Wright and French officers, 179 Black soldiers, General Ferrero, 180 July 4, 181 Fraternization, trade, 181-82 Sanitary Commission, 182-83 Slave, 183 Military situation, Confederates, 184 General Ricketts, 185 General Barlow, 186 Respect for Confederate soldiers, 186-87 Idea that the armies could easily settle the war, 187-88 Meade and Christian charity, 188

Governor Sprague, Birney, 188 Hancock, Meade, 189-90 Wright and Early’s advance on Washington, 190 Hancock and servant, 191-92 Butler, Baldy Smith, Halleck, 192-93 Drought, dust, 194 Petersburg mine, 195-204, 214-16 Burial truce, Meade, Beauregard, 201 Artillery, 202 Earthworks, 203-4 Meade, Bermuda Hundred, Butler, 204-5 Ignorant sentries and guards, 206-7 Germans, soldiers, poorly disciplined troops, poor quality of recruits, 207-9 Explosion at City Point, 209-10 Sheridan, 210 Colonel seized during burial truce, 211 Burnside, minstrel entertainment, 211-13 General Parke, malaria, fever, 213 Awakened by artillery fire, 216-17 Deep Bottom, Warren, Weldon Railroad, Jerusalem Plank Road, 216-223 Maryland prisoners, 221 Hancock, 221 Grant and Meade, success and failure, 224 Hancock, Reams Station, Weldon Railroad, defeat, 224-27 Siege of Petersburg, 228ff Railroad travel, 229-31 Boat ride, Christian Commission, 231-32 Hancock, Birney, Ord, 233 Stanton, 234 Globe Tavern. 234-35 Dead soldiers, 236 Butler, 237 Peeble’s Farm, 235-38 Comfortable day, 239 Roebling, 240 Earthworks, 240-41 Biddle, 241 General Benham, 241-42 Picket line, 242 Earthworks, 244 Election of 1864, Lincoln, soldiers for Lincoln, Confederate newspapers sound desperate, 245 Different treatment of officers who favor Lincoln as opposed to those who favor McClellan. 247- 48 Visit by generals and cabinet members, Stanton, Grant Meade, 248-50 Artillery fire, 250-51 Hancock, Warren, 251

Darbytown Road, 250-54 French officer, 254-55 Grant, Meade, report of campaign, 256-57 Election of 1864, Lincoln, Seward, Fessenden, 259 Transcendentalists, 260 Artillery fire, 261 Election, McClellan a victim of his friends, 262-63 Charge that a Democratic commissioner tricked Republicans into casting votes that would be nullified, Meade doubts this, 263-65 Cook, camp servant, 265 Cabinet rumors, Stanton, Butler, Birney, 266 Gibbon, 268-69 Quartermasters and surgeons quarreling, hospital location, 269 Artillery shells, 270 Sheridan promoted, Meade, McClellan, 270-71 Stalemate and killing continued, 271 Meade vs. Grant, Sheridan, 272-73 Camp servant, 274 Confederate raid on cattle, 275 Boxes for soldiers broken open, theft, 276 Thanksgiving, 278-79 Hancock, 279 Senator Nesmith, 280 Fort Harrison, Dutch Canal, 282-83 Shelling, Greek fire, Butler, 283-84 Senator Nesmith and Bull Run, 284-85 Humphreys, 285 Gregg cavalry expedition, 285-87 Meade soldier pay, 287 Hancock, foraging, plundering, 288 Brevets, 289-90 French naval officer, 290 Earthworks, huts, Gibbon, 291 Stragglers, 292 Miles’ division, Hatcher’s Run, stragglers, 292-93 Biddle resignation, 293-94 Weldon railroad, Warren, Jerusalem Plank Road, railroad destruction, 294-95 Bushwhackers attack stragglers, troops burned house, alcohol, 295-96 Worried about Hood and Thomas, 296-97 Grant says Confederates have robbed and cradle and grave to get soldiers, 298 Return of the Sixth Corps, 298-99 Snow, 300 Picket line, 301-2 Coming campaign, Lee, Sherman, Meade, 304-6 General Webb, 307 Rumanian officer, French army, 307-9

Federal battle lines, 309-10 Gregg resignation, cavalry, 310 Engineers, mechanics, railroad, building, theater, minstrels, 311-12 General Crawford, 312-13 General Hunt anecdote of Grant in Mexican War, 313 Women in camp, Grant, Stanton, 314-16 Musical in chapel of 50th New York engineers, women, 317 Medal given to Grant, Elihu Washburne, 318-20 Sheridan and Early, 320-21 St. Patrick’s Day, Irish Brigade, horse race, 321-22 Fort Stedman, 323 Confederate prisoners, 324 Lincoln described, troop review, 325 Plans for drive on Petersburg and Richmond, 326 Meade, Sherman, Sheridan, 327 Hatcher’s Run, 329 Griffin, 330 Humphreys, 332 Five Forks, Warren, 333-334 Petersburg breakthrough, 334-339 Petersburg, 340 Appomattox campaign, 342ff Meade ill, 345, 348 Humphreys, 346, 350 Sailor’s Creek, 350-51 Lee surrender, Appomattox, 355-62