Year: 1868

44S 1&ot Ro6 64hcAs W y"


Gov. HAYES was invited to attend
the reunion of the 91st Ohio, which
recently came off at Portsmouth,
Engagements prevented his atten-
dance, but he sent in response the
following letter, which pays a well
deserved compliment to this gallant
regiment.


CINCINNATI, April Is, 1868.


GEN. B. F. CoATEs, PORTSMOUTH,
O.-Dear General: 1 regret that my
engagements do not allow me to en-
joy with you the reunion of the Nine
ty-first Ohio. The regiment formed
part of the Second Brigade of the old
Kanawha Division on the 10Th Of
September, 1864, at Sheridan's battle
of Winchester, and it became part of
my command on that day after the
heroic commander of the division,
Gen. Isaac II. Duvall, was wounded.
1 shall never forget the conspicuous
gallantry of that regiment in the
pinch of that great fight. You re-
member it fell to the lot of General
Crooks Army of West Virginia to
turn and carry the left of Early's
position, and that the Kanawha Divis-
ion was Crooks extreme right. at
the beginning of the movement the
division was form ed in two lines-the
Second Brigade being in the rear
line. AS we advanced it was discov-
cred that our line was too short to
envelop the left of the enemy and the
Second Brigade was obliqued to the
right and hurried forward so as to
form the division in single line,
with the Second Brigade on the right
As the division passed into the fire
of the enemy, no part of the line was
more exposed or suffered more than
the Ninety first, and it is the glory
of that noble regiment that no part
of the line met that fearful fire with
greater steadiness.


The character of that achievement
will be understood by reading the
following extract from description
of the battle, written by j. w. De
Forrest, an officer of the 10th Corps,
whose position was some distance to
our left.


cat three o'clock the hour of de-
feat for Early struck. To our right,
,Uhsre precisely l could not see be-
cause of the rolling nature of the
ground, but in the direction of the
spot where our First Brigade was
forming those PROSTATE and bloody
ranks which l have previously men
tened, we heard mighty battle yell,
which never ceased for ten minutes,
telling US that Crook and his men
were advancing. To meet this yell
there arose from the furthest sweep
Of the isolated wood, where it round
ed away toward the rebel rear, the
most terrific, continuous wall of
musketry that l ever heard. 1t was
not a volley, nor a succession Of vol
leys; but an uninterrupted explosion
without single break or tremor.-
AS / listened to it l despaired of the
success of the attack, for it did not
seem possible to me that any troops
could endure such a fire. The Cap
tain of our right Company, who was
so placed that he could see the ad-
vance, afterward described it to me
as magnificent in its stesdiness; the
division which accomplished it NOV
ing across the open field in single line
without visible support, the ranks
kept well dressed, in spite of the
stream of dead and wounded which
dropped to the rear, the pace being
the ordinary quick-step, and the men
firing at will, but eoolly and rarely"


The brief story of the regiment in
that noble monument to the soldiers
of our State, "Ohio in the War;" by
Whitelaw Reid, does not mention the
conspicuous and honorable part it
bore in the crisis of the battle which
1t was truly said turned the Shenan-
deah from the vally of humiliation to
the valley of triumph for the Union
Cause; but the history of it must not
be forgotten, and l trust that in some
future edition Mr.. Reid will, in just
ice to the Ninety first, mention the
facts I have here imperfectly sketch
ed.


In conclusion, if toasts should be
in order, permit me to give, "The Old
Kanawha Division"


Sincerely, K. B. HAYES.