The Mexican and Civil War Letters of Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle
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University of Kentucky UKnowledge Military History History 1999 For Honor, Glory, and Union: The Mexican and Civil War Letters of Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle William Haines Lytle Ruth C. Carter University of Pittsburgh - Main Campus Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Thanks to the University of Kentucky Libraries and the University Press of Kentucky, this book is freely available to current faculty, students, and staff at the University of Kentucky. Find other University of Kentucky Books at uknowledge.uky.edu/upk. For more information, please contact UKnowledge at [email protected]. Recommended Citation Lytle, William Haines and Carter, Ruth C., "For Honor, Glory, and Union: The Mexican and Civil War Letters of Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle" (1999). Military History. 8. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_military_history/8 For Honor Glory & Union For Honor Glory & Union The Mexican & Civil War Letters of Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle Ruth C. Carter, Editor Tnl; U NIVl;RSrry PRJ ;SS 0 li l~ :NTlJCKY Publication of this volume was made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Copyright © 1999 by The University Press of Kentucky Paperback edition 2009 The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Fuson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. All rights reserved. Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 www.kentuckypress.com Frontispiece: Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle. (Courtesy of the Cincinnati Historical Society) Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8131-9296-3 (pbk: acid-free paper) This book is printed on acid-free recycled paper meeting the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials. Manufactured in the United States of America. ~..... '.~ Member of the Association of 'I~ _ American University Presses To John This page intentionally left blank Sunday morning Dear Uncle In the desk by my bedside are those papers I value most. I want them all carefully preserved. they contain many of the fruits of the latter portion of my life in the shape of speeches-poems-translations-essays &c. In case of any accident (which for my friends and sisters' sake God avert) if submitted to the inspection of some suitable person it is possible some few might be thought worthy of publication At any rate they are all, so far, that in the event of my death (which it is well for a brave & wise man always to be prepared for) will aid in grappling my name to the memories of my friends. Affl y yours WH Lytle Letter from William Haines Lytle to Elias H. Haines [1847], Lytle Papers, Mss qL996P, box 30, no. 9, Cincinnati Historical Society, Cincinnati Mu seum Center. Lytle sent this undated letter to his uncle when he entered military service in 1847. Lytle's desire to leave a record for his friends and future generations would have been similar when he entered military service during the Civil War. This page intentionally left blank Contents A Note on the Editing Xl Acknowledgments XlI Introduction 1 The Mexican War Letters, 1847-1848 39 The Civil War Letters 63 1861 67 1862 87 1863 147 Epilogue 203 Appendix A: Buell Court of Inquiry 209 Appendix B: Last Speach by Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle 222 Appendix C: Mexican and Civil War Letters in the Lytle Papers 227 Bibliography 237 Index 235 Illustrations follow page 114 This page intentionally left blank A Note on the Editing Whenever possible, the letters are presented using William Haines Lytle's punctuation, superscripts, and emphasis. In a few cases where it was not clear whether he intended to show superscript for an abbrevia tion, I used a regular font. Lytle wrote in paragraphs but often omitted periods. I added periods for clarity. When I could not decipher a word or words, I used brackets with my best guess at the word or phrase, or el lipses if I could not make a reasonable determination. I tried to preserve Lytle's capitalization and spelling but employed modern usage when nec essary for clarity. Various inconsistencies and misspellings as made by Lytle remain in the letters. Italicized words in the letters were underlined by Lytle. This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgmen ts In preparing this book I am indebted to many people, including, first and foremost, those who wrote and saved the wonderful collection of let ters and other documents known as the Lytle Papers. Their existence is a tribute to William Haines Lytle and his sisters, ancestors, and heirs. With out the Lytle family's sense of history and the value they placed on each other, this publication would not be possible. Lily Foster and Charles Livingood, Lytle's niece and her husband, preserved the letters so carefully saved by the general's sisters, Elizabeth Lytle Broadwell and Josephine Lytle Foster. After Livingood's death, his children gave the collection to the Cin cinnati Historical Society, where it is located today. Virginius Cornick Hall, a great grandson of Josephine Lytle Foster, has enthusiastically supported this effort, supplying me with family lore that is not available anywhere else and reviewing portions of the manuscript. Anne Shepherd, from the Cincinnati Historical Society Library, de serves special mention for she took my project as her own and provided unstinting help and persistence in locating material. We share an apprecia tion for the many contributions the Lytles made to Cincinnati and are happy to have that distinguished family receive recognition for its achieve ments. I am also grateful to all the staff at the Cincinnati Historical Society who have helped me over the years. Wendy Mann, of the reference department in the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh, provided extensive help in creating maps for this book. James Ogden III, historian at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, took me behind the scenes into the park library and furnished copies of material from the park's collection. Van Beck Hall, professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, read an early draft of the book and made many helpful suggestions. Ed ward Shanahan, a friend, librarian, and Civil War enthusiast, has read al most every version of the manuscript and served as a sounding board for XIV For Honor, Glory, & Union some ideas. Rush G. Miller, director of the University Library System, supported my work in several ways and generally encouraged this under taking. I am grateful to the reviewers selected by the University Press of Ken rucky. Their suggestions dramatically improved the book. Any remaining errors and inconsistencies are my responsibility alone. My sister Mary Matsi read part of an early draft and has cheered my efforts. My cousins Eileen and Floyd Hastings and lifelong friend Jo Ann Ruppanner took turns providing me with places to stay during my research trips to Cincinnati. Most of all my husband, John, deserves my gratitude. He accompanied me to Chickamauga and Bardstown, took photographs included herein, accepted those times when I made the book a priority, and provided support in countless ways. And though my parents, Helen and Raymond Brill, are not here to enjoy this publication, I will always be grateful For their love and encouragement. INTRODUCTION BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM HAINES LYTLE, the poet-general killed at the battle of Chickamauga on September 20, 1863, was a fearless commander and highly respected volunteer officer in the United States Army. Like so many other Federal officers, he entered his country's Civil War from a desire to preserve the Union. 1 His Civil War letters resonate with his overwhelming commitment to the Union. Lytle's fervent desire to join the fighting to save the Union overrode his upper class background, Democratic ideology, and close connections to Kentucky. He fought and was wounded-the last time fatally-in three battles during the Civil War: Carnifex Ferry, Perryville, and Chickamauga. His letters written during the Mexican and Civil Wars reveal much of his character-his strengths and weaknesses. They shed light on his in terests and values and the reasons he fought. At the same time the extant letters, mostly to close family members, illuminate his perspective on ac tivities of the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland. Lytle's correspondence is also valuable for his frequent mention of the officers with whom he served, including Generals William S. Rosecrans, Ormsby Mitchel, and Philip Sheridan. Although this narrative provides biographical information on Lytle, his letters constitute the core of this book. They are divided into two sec tions: the Mexican War letters and the letters from Lytle's three years of service in the Civil War (1861, 1862, and 1863). This correspondence allows us into his heart and mind as he shared his experiences and observa tions with his sisters and other close family members. All but three of the 106 letters are held in the Lytle Family Papers, Mss qL996P, in the collec tions of the Cincinnati Historical Society, Cincinnati Museum Center. The remaining letters are in the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and are so noted. Lytle's childhood and education contributed to the formation of his values and ideals, including leadership, honor, bravery, the importance of 2 For Honor, Glory, & Union social graces, Democratic ideology in the Jackson tradition, and a strong, vigorous Union.