The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-06-29
A MAJOR IN TIE ARMY.

4
When the rebellion broke out few men Of his
1 age had more brilliant prospect in civil life
4 but as an original Republican he naturally took
sides with TIE Union cause, and his sympathy
/ with it was intense. As illustrating his views
and feelings at this time, the following, written
4 by him on the 18th of January, 1861, may be
] quoted:
/ South Carolina has passed a secession ordi-
/ nance, and Federal laws arc set at llanght in
l the State. Overt acts enough have been COM
1 mitted, forts and arsenals having been taken,
! a revenue cutter seized and d Mai. anderson
.besieged in Fort Sumter. Other Cotton States
| are about to follow. Disunion and civil war
| are at hand and yet fear disunionand war
/ less than compromise. We can recover from
4 them. The free states alone, if we must 20 on
| alone, will make glorious nation. do not
feel gloomy when Hook forward. The reality
is less frightful than the apprehension which
we have all had these many years. Let lis be
| temperate, calm and just, but firm and reso-
lite. Crittenden's compromise ! Win1ham.
| speaking Of the.Tunor that Bonaparte was
! about to invade England, said the danger of
j invasion is byno means equal to chat of peace.
4 A man may escape q pistol, no matter how
/ near his head, but not dose OF yoson.'''
On the 18th day OF May, 1861, he wrote:
'',Judge Mathews and I'have agreed to 60 in
TO the service for the war, if possible into the
same regiment spoke my feelings to him,
which he said were his also, viz that this was
a Just and necessary war; that: it demanded
i the whole power of the country. and that |
\ would prefer to go into it if I knew was to
die or be killed in the conrse of it. rather than
/ live through and after it without taking aaiy
Il part in it,
Mr. Hayes and Judge Mathews now under
dertook to raise regiment for the Union ser
vice, and i'm short time they had companies
Z stl, OC
I Ohio infantry was organized, With W. S. Ro-
secrans as Colonel and9R. B. Hayes as Major.
Hayes and Mathews h&il been schoolmates to-
\ gether, sand it was agreed between them. as
II neither had military experience. that trained
4 soldier must be placed at the head Of the resi-
men6. Hence The selection CT Col.iRosecltns,
who was soon promoted to y larger command,
and was succeeded by Col. Scammon, also !.
West Point 81 a'lu&te. The regiment. as .i;us
organized arrived at Clarksburg, West VA.
July, 81, 1861. and spent the reraainder o. the
year in areluons campaigning under Gen. Rose
I Grams, on whose staff, for a time, Major Hayes
served as Judge Advocate.
OF ste military character o. Gov. Hayes, one
who served with hins in neall5 all of Isis cam
paigns. has writtenas follows: ~
LAS an officer he was notice not OIL FOR strict
loyalty to his superiors, but for g;tssantry in
I.attle and alacrity in the ,ii>chai ges of every
Iteluty, however perilous or sartluons. The first
Suggestion for his nomination for Governor
was strongly dsfavored By the General, who
put quietus upon the movement is.that tlirec-
zion as soon as he heartlof. it. He generally
preferred to remain in the military service as
long as the rebellion lasted. anik no political
promotion was any temptation for him TO leave
it while the triumph of the rational arms was
incomplete. During the war he was nonina-
ted for CONGRESS by the Republicans of the
Second District, and directly afterwards re-
ceved a etterimportuling him to return home
and make the canvass. Gen. Hayes replied to
the letter as follows:
ssIN CAMP, October 2.--Yours Of the Goth
ult.. is received Thanks l have usier bush
mess just now. Any man who would leave. the
army at this time to eleetioneer for Congress
ought to be scalped." Truly yours.
\ ~ r.. B. HAYES.
Notwithstanding this refusal to leave the
4 field to cooperate with his friends in securing
4 his politicalspreferment he was handsomely
elected defeating Joseph c. Batler, the Dem
ocratic candidate, by a majority OF 2,455. in
4 1868 he was reelected, his competitor being
Theodore Cook, and his majority over that
gentleman was 1856. In Congress his indus
y >.<7N. My ~ Sts