For
Honor
Glory &
Union
For Honor Glory & Union
The Mexican & Civil War Letters of Brig. Gen. William Haines Lytle
Ruth C. Carter, Editor
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 Filson 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.
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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.
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To JohnSunday 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 speechespoemstranslationsessays &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.
Affly 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 Museum Center. Lytle sent this undated letter to his uncle when he entered military service in 1847. Lytles desire to leave a record for his friends and future generations would have been similar when he entered military service during the Civil War.
Contents
A Note on the Editing
Whenever possible, the letters are presented using William Haines Lytles punctuation, superscripts, and emphasis. In a few cases where it was not clear whether he intended to show superscript for an abbreviation, 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 ellipses if I could not make a reasonable determination. I tried to preserve Lytles capitalization and spelling but employed modern usage when necessary for clarity. Various inconsistencies and misspellings as made by Lytle remain in the letters. Italicized words in the letters were underlined by Lytle.
Acknowledgments
In preparing this book I am indebted to many people, including, first and foremost, those who wrote and saved the wonderful collection of letters and other documents known as the Lytle Papers. Their existence is a tribute to William Haines Lytle and his sisters, ancestors, and heirs. Without the Lytle familys sense of history and the value they placed on each other, this publication would not be possible. Lily Foster and Charles Livingood, Lytles niece and her husband, preserved the letters so carefully saved by the generals sisters, Elizabeth Lytle Broadwell and Josephine Lytle Foster. After Livingoods death, his children gave the collection to the Cincinnati 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, deserves special mention for she took my project as her own and provided unstinting help and persistence in locating material. We share an appreciation for the many contributions the Lytles made to Cincinnati and are happy to have that distinguished family receive recognition for its achievements. 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 parks collection.
Van Beck Hall, professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, read an early draft of the book and made many helpful suggestions. Edward Shanahan, a friend, librarian, and Civil War enthusiast, has read almost every version of the manuscript and served as a sounding board for some ideas. Rush G. Miller, director of the University Library System, supported my work in several ways and generally encouraged this undertaking.
I am grateful to the reviewers selected by the University Press of Kentucky. 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 countrys Civil War from a desire to preserve the Union. His Civil War letters resonate with his overwhelming commitment to the Union. Lytles 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 woundedthe last time fatallyin three battles during the Civil War: Carnifex Ferry, Perryville, and Chickamauga.
