Captain Sam Lyon November 21, 1862

This letter was my introduction to the Civil War. Sam was the son of Hamilton Shaw Lyon, was born 1836 in Newport KY, just across the river from Cincinnati OH. He enlisted with the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, and became Captain of Company H. Sam alerted me to the fact that slavery was a peripheral issue for many Americans in the War Between the States. Sam settled and lived out his life in Gallatin TN. He died 4/18/1899. Read more about Captain Sam Lyon.

Capt. Sam Lyon 1836-1899

November 21st 1862
Sam Lyon of Green Briar, Kentucky.
Head Qrs Second KY Cavalry
In Camp at "Tyree Springs" Robinson Co, Tenn.

Dear Sister[-in-law] Sallie,

A few days ago I had the pleasure of receiving two letters from you. One bearing date of Oct. 22nd enclosing a letter from Missouri. The other under date of Nov. 1st. And did you know with what particular satisfaction such favors are received by us "Soger boys" in the field, isolated as we are from home, friends and all that we hold near and dear, and how grateful we feel toward our friends at home for these epistolary favors, it would be unnecessary for me to say I thank you for them.

You speak of my getting a furlough and coming home as though one could be had for the asking. But such is not the case. It is almost an impossibility now in our Department to get a furlough. In the first place it would have to be a matter of life & death for our Colonel to approve one for one of his men for he is one of the most rigid and exacting disciplinarians in the army. He is a "regular" from "West Point" A classmate of Buell, Brag, Barry McDowall, Beaureguard etc, etc, and one of a class of soldiers that indulge neither themselves nor their men in furloughs or pleasures while in the field on an active campaign. So in the language of the old song, "until the wars are all over" I never expect to see home of friends unless someone should lose their senses and be guilty of that inconceivable folly of coming to see me.

You ask when will this cruel war be over and peace be again restored. In my opinion then when the sphere of action that the Almighty designed the negro to figure in shall be more generally understood. When a certain party in the north prompted by mistaken pressures shall cease their endeavors to drag him from the sphere that wise Providence designed him to act in as a laborer in the fields. And place him in positions of honor & trust to the exclusion of the white man, whose superior intellect God gave him to fit him for such posts wherein the feeble intellect of the negro would expose him to ridicule & contempt. When the North shall cease this and unite with one accord to establish the "Union as it was" not as their sectional proclivities would have it for there is the rock upon which the hopes of this fair nation has been dashed. Not however let us trust with out hope of eventual reclamation Then and not till then will it be done.

Should we by one tremendous conclusion, such as the proclamation [Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclaimation just over a month later] perhaps eradicate slavery, then though we might have a union of lakes and lands, that more desirable union of the happiness & well being of a people, "a union of hearts and union of hands" would be forever wanting. For so far as the influence of our arms extends or wherever the slaves outnumbered their masters, such acts of rapine & lawlessness would be perpetrated as sickens the heart to contemplate. Such scenes of brutal excess of riot, of arson of pillage and of murder would be enacted as to cause the authors of it such remorse of conscience as no heart could endure and would impose such a barrier to a happy union as no time could surmount.

This view of the affair will give Hamt [Hamilton, his brother & husband of Sallie] great offence, I suppose, if he reads it. my views always used to and when I used to vent them, he invariably made an inroad upon my loyalty. But as I now have shown my "faith by my works” there is no further room.

I suppose Amelia & Alec [Amelia was his wife's sister see Bertram's Corner letter] have been married. To sum all manner of good up in one short word. I wish them well. For old acquaintance sake give Miss Ely [unknown] my regards. Tell her that in her next “affair de cour” I wish her better success.

Tell Hamilton that I am much obliged to him for his half sheet, and will be further obliged when I receive his promised letter, and which obligation I will cancel by an answer.

Since I have been here I have had quite a pleasant visit to Gallatin, where I lived some time ago for about a year & a half. Gallatin is distant from here 16 miles. I was glad to find that all of my most particular friends were union.

Well as it is getting late and I am growing quite chilly for as yet we have got no stoves here I will close.

Your affectionate brother,

S. Lyon

Please write soon again.

Let me hear from Missouri [his sister, recently separated from her husband read the letter] as soon as you hear from her, for I feel quite anxious about them.

Letter from Belle Bertram to Sallie Lyon, 1874

Sarah HARPER LYON
(1833-1919)

This letter was written by Isabella (Belle) Harper Bertram to her sister Sarah Harper Lyon in 1874. It gives a glimpse of her domestic life (every body is sick!). It also tells of the fascinating pursuit and capture of a "vile-looking miscreant", Sylvester Manning. Belle is a widow. Her husband Peter Bertram was killed at the battle of Shiloh. Her children's names are Gay (his real name is Alexander D. Bertram. Gay must be a pet name given before modern connotations—more about that later), and Peter. Amelia/Miel is her sister, Amelia Harper. Alec is the name of Amelia's husband and her son. Unfortunately only one page of the letter survives.

March 30, 1874, Bertram's Corner, Lewis Co. Ky.

Dear Sallie,
After a long lapse of time your last is received. I told Amelia to answer as the letter was directed to her, but as she always takes it in thinking, I concluded to take the matter in hand and write myself. I thought you never would write, but if you are doing all the work, I do not see how you get time for anything.

Are you cooking in the house or in the kitchen? I do wish I could send you a girl, but they are as scarce here as there. I hope by this time you have got one. I think I shall have to come down after a while and help with your sewing. What are you in most need of? Shirts for the boys? or under clothing for yourself, or dresses for Bell? When you write tell me the most pressing needs and I will try to get you something ready to send or bring.

When I last wrote I told you Miel had been very sick, she is still only tolerable, and as she has the prospect of a return of this pain at anytime, she is in a state of uneasiness and anxiety. I never hear a noise in the night but I quake with fear. If anything startles my fears it is the midnight call, in such an hour as ye know not, and the darkness and silence will add terrors even to trifles. Gay has been very poorly for three weeks, he appears a little stronger today than for some time. Peter is still at school at Vanceburg. Aleck is nearly laid up with a cold and nervous headache, coughs more than usual, and is rather feeble.

We have got trace of the goods and have arrested some of those concerned in the business. Ten horses were stolen from Tollesboro about ten miles from here, and a constable, Hiram Warder accompanied by Nat. Toll went in pursuit forthwith and were only about 6 hours behind. It so happened that one of the horses had on a peculiar shoe, easily distinguished from all other tracks and they got on the trail which they kept day and night without difficulty. They found the place where they stopped, and the first thing they saw was the horses. A girl was standing in the yard, who vanished the instant she saw them and in a few minutes two men came out and made for the hills. They rode up to the door asked for their dinner and asked to buy cattle. After a good while finding the men did not return, they told their errand plainly, took possession of the horses, the saddle packets, and overcoats, which were hanging out in the yard to dry (it had been raining), and came home. Of course I can't go into the particulars of their trip. It was hazardous, and exciting, but accomplished in safety. There in the saddle packets was found a pair of shoes stolen from us.

We had sent such samples of the goods as one happened to have to reliable parties and a careful description of the boots and shoes, and this was the very first clue, away in Wayne Co, Virginia.

Late one night Const. Warder made his appearance with the shoes which belonged to us, and so next morning he & Aleck started—Warder armed with carbine and revolver. Mr. Varian's store in Orangeburg had been robbed of several hundred dollars worth of goods & clothing and the overcoats belonged to him. Aleck & Warder got four others, well armed with pistols and at Vanceburg and started to some place in Black Oak Bottom above Vanceburg called Spy Run, made a descent on several houses, found women with dresses on made out of our gingham, found men with the boots on, and different things. They followed up the line of development, went over the river, arrested Sylvester Manning, a vile looking miscreant, and probably one of the ringleaders, and had a preliminary examination at Vanceburg, and pending other parties implicated made another descent on one Tad Harens, supposed to be respectable and found a quantity of our goods, 50 lbs. coffee, ready made dresses... [remainder of the letter is missing]