Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
LH-MISC MSS
Photocopies of the Civil War diary of Cyrus Wing and family correspondence were donated by descendant Lesta Voght in 1999. The original manuscript as well as other family material is located at the Western Reserve Historical Society. The typed transcript was prepared by Verna Young and Janet House.
Cyrus Fernando Wing, born 1837, resided with his wife, Ann Eliza., in Scott Twp. Sandusky County, Ohio in 1860. With him lived Hiram Wing who may have been his brother. Cyrus Wing enlisted as a private in Company I of the 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Wing was sometimes remembered by his regiment as the last soldier of the 72nd to die in battle. Under cover of darkness, Wing bravely penetrated the Rebel defenses at Spanish Fort. He was killed that same night, April 8, 1865, while aiding a fallen comrade.
The collection consists of photocopies of the Civil War diary of Sandusky Countian, Cyrus Wing who was killed April 8th, 1865 at Spanish Fort, (Mobile) Alabama. Beginning in January of 1865, Wing made daily entries through April 6, 1865. Although brief and somewhat illegible, the entries provide possibly the only account of the regiment's activities during the final days of the war. In February of 1865, the regiment moved to New Orleans and then embarked on the ocean steamer Empire City, heading for Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island in Mobile Bay. The regiment landed on the east side of the bay, moving up the Fish River, thirty miles from Spanish Fort. On the 27th, the rebel fort was invested, the siege lasting until April 8th. Wing records his various army duties (tending to mules, picket duty, foraging) as well as the weather and the regiment's itinerary. Included with the diary are photocopies of two letters written by Regimental Quartermaster A.B. Putman, directed to Wing's widow. Putman details the circumstances of Wing's death and his heroic actions. A third letter to Ann Wing, dated March 14, 1865, is from her brother John Hill of Albion, Iowa. And a final letter addresses Mrs. Wing's prospects for gaining a pension. Included with the collection is a listing of the original Wing manuscript material at the Western Reserve Historical Society and a transcription of the Cyrus Wing diary prepared by the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.
Ac. 5477
5 items.
Diary: January 1, 1865 to April 6, 1865
Letter from John Hill to Ann E. Wing, dtd. March 14, 1865
Letter from R.Q.M. A.B. Putnam to Ann E. Wing, dtd., April 8,
1865
Letter from R.Q.M. A.B. Putnam to Ann E. Wing, dtd., May 24,
1865
Letter from attorneys Robinson & Brooks, dtd., August 17, 1865
Diary of Cyrus Wing, January 1, 1865 to April 8, 1865
Sunday, January 1, 1865
Took up the line of march about noon marched to Wanes Backross
distance 12 miles had a cantein of whisky got pretty light Weather fine and
pleasant heard canon roar ? Some distance to the front. Went to camp at 5
Monday 2
Took up the line of march about 9 oclock marched all day Went
in camp at 5 pm got super and went out foraging got some honey and sausage got
back at 12 oclock at night camp at the Tenn river.
Tuesday 3
laid (?) in camp at Clifton all day it commenced raining in
the morning it rained till aroun[d] afternoon pleasant nothing occured worth
notice Went outside the country found it a poor place to forage got one ham
Wednesday 4
laid(?) in camp till one oclock and then left camp for the
boat got on board the gun boat no 36 laid at the wharf till sundown so so (?)
And then we left for Eastport said to be 40(?) miles up the Tenn (?) River (?)
Said to be fighting up the [re] (?)
Thursday 5
laid (?) on board the gun boat all day the fleet all moored up
the river Our fleet numbers ? boats It commenced raining about noon drisling
rain all day nothing occured worth notice
Friday 6
laid on board the gun boat all day anchored in the middle of
river it rained all day very cold had to stay on the up[p]er deck ? went to ? on
a gun boat ? Eastport is a little town on the river houses all burnt
Saturday 7
landed on shore at Eastport at 10 oclock Went ? camp at 8
oclock this camp is said to be our winter quarters Went out at foraging Went
about 4 miles got 2 hams of meet some flour and potatoes and some chickens got
back to camp at 8 oclock
Sunday 8
camp near Eastport on the Tenn River Went on Brigade ? The
weather warm and cloudy moved our camp about 40 rodds. "dock" is culling (?)
boards for to build a shanty nothing occured worth notice
Monday 9
Camp near Eastport on the Tenn river was on detail to throw up
breast work it rained all day got us wet ? a ? drowned ? and cold enough to
freeze had no dry place to sleep rained all night
Tuesday 10
laid in camp all day Was on detail to clear up the coller line
got done work at noon it rained all day was very cold at night it commenced
snowing dock went out and got a flock of birds
Wednesday 11
laid in all day Worked a little at our house was not very well
the weather as warm and pleasant General Smith and General Gerard and General
McClurther rode by they was laying out the ground for a line of breast works
Thursday 12
laid in camp all day Was at work at our Shanty got it all done
the day was warm and pleasant the boys are to work on the breast works We have
orders to be ready to march at 2 (?) oclock in the morning
Friday 13
laid in camp all day did not feel very well we had marching
orders orders [sic] was to move at 8 AM the order was countermanded we look for
orders to move in a day or so the [boys] are swearing they have just got their
winter quarters done
Saturday 14
on detail to work on the breast works did not feel very well
Consequence I did not do much work quit work at 4 oclock went to camp got
sup[p]er and to playing cards played a a [sic] few games and went to bed
Sunday 15
Weather very warm and pleasant was detailed to go to the river
to unload boat left camp at noon and got back at dark received a letter from
home dated Jan first was the first that I got for a month was glad to hear from
mom
Monday 16
Weather weather [sic] and pleasant was detailed to work on the
breast works worked 6 hours in all (?) day (?) it will take about 4 days to
finish the breast works
Tuesday 17
laid in camp all day had inspection of arms and napsacks the
weather was warm and pleasant the nights are cold but the days are warm
Wednesday 18
Was on detail to work on the breast works and went on guard at
night wrote a letter home nothing occured worth notice weather pleasant
Thursday 19
the Weather warm but cloudy looks like rain (?) I laid in camp
all day had nothing to do the times are dull nothing adoing it is very lonesome
and the time passes off very slow
Friday 20
Weather warm but cloudy and rained all night did not do
anything all day and piled (?) it up at night
Saturday 21
Weather cloudy and very rainy Rained all day I stayed in the
Shanty all day and tryed [sic] to make a finger wring [sic] but did not succeed
Sunday 22
rained all day and at night it snowed was on detail to go down
to the river to unload boats got back at noon and wrote a letter home
Monday 23
Weather cloudy and cold with snow on the ground every thing
quite [sic] in camp the boys went out rabit [sic] hunting got 3 rabits [sic]
used one (?)
Tuesday 24
the weather clear but cold was detailed to drive team at
Division Headquarters went down to the boat and got six mules last night was
very cold night
Wednesday 25
Weather clear but cold was down at the corell [sic] and was
taking care of 6 mules last night was the coldest night we have had this winter
Thursday 26
Weather clear but cold and windy was down to the corall [sic] taking care of mules We have about 400 mules in the corell [sic]
Friday 27
Weather warm and clear the night very cold Was down to the
corell [sic] taking care of mules three of our mules died last night nothing
occured worth notice
Saturday 28
Weather clear but cold Was down to the mule corell [sic]to
take care of the mules Wrote a letter home in the evening
Sunday 29
Weather warm and clear bot [about?] like Spring We have
nothing to do but take care of mules We are corelled [sic] on a side hill close
to the creek
Monday 30
the weather is warm and pleasant I think we will leave ? in a
days [sic] We are waiting for them to ? our wagons and harness
Tuesday 31
Weather warm and pleasant Nothing occurred worth notice Was up
to the regiment (?) The Boys are all well Came back to the corell [sic] and took
care of my mules and this ends this month
February Wednesday 1 1865
Weather cloudy and rainy (?) We drew our pay today Nothing
ocurred worth notice
Thursday 2
Weather still raining and mud[d]y Nothing ocurred worth notice
Friday 3
Weather still raining and very mudy We was at work fit[t]ing
our harness and hitching up We had a very mudy [sic] time of it We got mud all
over
Saturday 4
Weather cloudy I was releved [sic] from driving teams and was
sent back to my boat
Sunday 5
Weather warm and pleasant We have orders to move on board the
boat We are su[p]ose to go to New Orleans
Monday 6
Went on picket in the morning and was releaved [sic] at 3
oclock in the afternoon got on board boat City Memphis [City of Memphis]
It snowed in the afternoon
Tuesday 7
Still on board we arived at puduca [Paducah] some time in the
layed there till morning and then started for Caro [Cairo?]
Wednesday 8
On board the steam boat We arived at Caro [Cairo?] At noon the
boys went on shore they stole every thing they could lay hands on and the guards
could not
Thursday 9
Weather pleasant laid on board bout all day at Caro [Cairo?]
Was detailed to load rations Wrote a letter home
Friday 10Weather pleasant we left Caro [Cairo?] at 3 oclock in the afternoon and started down the river
Saturday 11
Weather warm and pleasant we arived at Memphis at dusk we was
27 hours coming from Caro [Cairo?] to Memphis
Sunday 12
Weather warm and pleasant We left Memphis about 11 oclock our
next port will be vixurgh [Vicksburg] I am geting [sic] tired of boat riding I
wish we was at our journeys end
Monday 13
Weather rainy We landed at Milikuns bend [Milliken's Bend]
about 7 oclock at night laid on wood laid there all night it rained all night
Tuesday 14
left milikuns bend [Milliken's Bend] at day light and landed
at vixburgh [Vicksburg] at 9 oclock in the morning laid on the boat all day
Wednesday 15
Weather pleasant We landed about 9 oclock and got a pass and
went up in town Came back about noon and then we had orders to move out about 4
miles We got in camp at dusk
Thursday 16
Weather warm and pleasant laid in camp all day had a game of
ball in the forenoon and afternoon farmers ? ? plowing here
Friday 17
Weather warm and pleasant We have nothing to do here but play
ball so the time passes off very slow
Saturday 18
Weather warm and pleasant We had a game of ball today Was on
guard at night orders came about 12 oclock at night to move on board steam boat
Sunday 19
Weather warm and pleasant the bugle sounded at 4 oclock in the
morning we marched at 8 oclock for the boat We did not go aboard the boat till
sundown
Monday 20
We left vixburgh [Vicksburg] at 4 oclock in the morning we
passed (?) And several (?) small towns on the river the is warm here We passed
red (?) river some time in the night
Tuesday 21
on board boat the weather is warm it comenced [sic] raining
about 3 oclock in the afternoon the wind blowd very hard and the river was rough
the old boat cracked and screeched as if to go under
Wednesday 22
Weather very rainy We landed at New Orleans at 10 in the fore
noon Was on detail to unload the boat Went to camp at 3 in the afternoon
Thursday 23
Weather very rainy Got a pass and went to the city of New
Orleans and but a = x 11 = +W Er (?) came to camp at dusk and found the camp
very muddy
Friday 24
Camp Jackson ( ?) laid in the afternoon it was warm and
pleasant Went up to (?) In the morning got back at night had (?) of fun = 'xo-,
=1 our camp is very muddy I wish we were ?
Saturday 25
Weather warm but cloudy I was up in town came back in the
afternoon =1- = + our camp is very muddy
Monday 27
Camp Jackson Weather rainy got a pass and went up town the
distance from camp to town is about 5 miles x =
Tuesday 28
Camp Jackson Weather drisling [sic] rain Was on guard We got
orders to go on board steamship went on board about 2:00 in the afternoon We
left New Orleans about 8 in the evening
March Wednesday 1 1865
On board steamship Empire City We arived [sic] at the
mouth of the Miss river about noon but it was so fogy that we could not see to
cross the sand bar at the mouth of the river
Thursday 2
On board steam ship Empire City lyin[g] in the mouth
of the river waiting for the fog to clear so they can see to cross the sand bar
the fog cleared way about noon and we are underway bound to (?)
Friday 3
on board Empire City the weather was some what rough
Some of the boys got seasick and heaved up (?) we landed on dauphin island in
mobile bay at dusk we passed by fort gaines on the island
Saturday 4
Camp near Fort Gaines on dauphin island Went down to the
oyster bed and got about half bushel of oysters in the ? shell made about '4/8
(?) dozen after they was taken out of the shell Weather was wind and cold (?)
Sunday 5
Camp near ft. gaines on Dauphin island Went out after oysters
Dock and Francis K ? and myself We got about 20 dozen and them came back to camp
our camp is nothing but one bed of (?)
Monday 6
Camp at ft gaines on dauphin island Al[abama] Weather dry and
windy laid camp all day nothing ocured worth notice
Tuesday 7
Camp at ft gaines laid in camp all day at night I went up by
landing stole a (?) And came back to camp Weather cloudy rained in the evening
Wednesday 8
Camp at fort gaines Al went out after oysters in the forenoon
and in the afternoon I went to town +^=l/ Weather warm and pleasant
Thursday 9 Friday 10 Saturday 11 Sunday 12 Monday 13 Tuesday 14 Wednesday 15 Thursday 16 Saturday 18 Sunday 19 Monday 20 Tuesday 21 Wednesday 22 Thursday 23 Friday 24 Saturday 25 Sunday 26 Monday 27 Tuesday 28 Wednesday 29 Thursday 30 Friday 31 April Saturday 1 1865 Sunday 2 Monday 3 Tuesday 4 Wednesday 5 Thursday 6 [April 1865]
Camp at ft gaines on dauphin Went to the oyster bed and got
about and went out in
? and got about six bushels of oysters in the shell Jeneral
[General] C (?) and Jeneral
grung (?) came down where we were getting oysters very rainy
in the afternoon
Camp at ft gaines we had 2 hours drill in the forenoon and 2
hours in the afternoon Weather is very windy and cold and the sand is continual
[ly] flying
Camp at ft gaines we had drill in the forenoon and afternoon
in the (?) We had a great time throwing the boys in a blanket the weather windy
and cold
Camp at ft gaines we had Brigade inspection Jenral Austerhausi
[General Osterhaus ?] inspected our Brigade Weather was warm and pleasant
Camp at ft gaines went out oystering Dock and francis keenan
and myself went out after oysters got about 75 dozen got back to [camp?] at 4
oclock I went to meeting in the evening weather cloudy and (?)
Camp at ft gaines laid in camp all day it rained (?) So hard
that I did not get out of my tent but once all day
Camp on Dauphin island laid in camp all day rained in the
afternoon weather windy
Camp at ft gaines was on drill in the forenoon in the
afternoon we got a pass and went for oysters dock and francis keeman and Mur?
and myself we got a good many We got back at too oclock in the night
Camp at ft gaines laid in camp had nothing to do but drilled 2
hours in the day weather pleasant and warm but the night was cold
Camp on Dauplin Isl was in camp all day I washed my shirts and
pants We expect to get marching orders minute (?) Weather pleasant and warm
On board J M Brown left ft gaines about 12 ocl we
laid on board all night the is fair ther[e] is about 20 boats loaded with troops
bound for Mobile
On board steam boat J M Brown We left fort Morgen (?)
about 9 ocl in the forenoon We went up fish river and landed at 4 ocl in the
afternoon we marched 2 miles and went in camp
Camp in fish river Weather rainy in the forenoon and pleasant
in the afternoon I was on Brigade headquarters guard
Camp on fish river we was out building breast works there was
conciderable [sic] picket firing today I was on detailed [sic] to go to the
river to unload boats I got back to camp about 12 ocl at night
Camp near fish river Al[abama] Was out to the picket line
there was some picket [firing?] I did not see but one rebel weather warm and
pleasant
left camp at 4 ocl in the morning to go on a recrenorter
[reconnoiter] We went out about 3 miles We saw 6 or 8 rebs but did not get to
shoot at them We returned back at 10 ocl
We took the line of march at 8 ocl in the morning We march
about 8 miles we went in camp at 4 oclock in the afternoon I was on picket at
night I ? for too [two]rebs
took up the line of march at 7 ocl in the morning We got in
camp at half past 2 in the afternoon we throwd up breast works there was some
skirmish in the afternoon
took up the line of march at 6 in the morning marched about 3
miles and then we came up to where the rebs are in strong breast works they
comensed [sic] shelling at half past 9 our skirmishers are in gun shot of their
fort
We moved our camp about a half mile we are in plain sight of
the works I am to go on picket tonight
On picket today we had a good time a shooting I shoot over 200
rounds of cartridges
I think I give one or too rebs the bel[l]y ache
Camp near Spanish fort laid in camp all day and was detailed
at night to Sap and mine We worked till 12 ocl the bullts [bullets] flew just
like hail
Camp in the field was a good [ ] of canonading today the water
Baterys [sic] opened on the rebs boat and drove them away from their position
Weather warm and pleasant I was on detail to help build a fort
on the river Nothing occurred worth notice
Camp in the field I was in camp all day and was detailed at
night to go on picket the weather is pleasant there was canonading [sic] today
Was on picket we had a pret[t]y warm time of it the shell and
shot flew very fast We are in about 3 hundred yards of the rebs works I went
outside of our lines and crawledup to the rebs works got back safe
Camp in the field the weather is pleasant We opened with
artiley [artillery] all along the lines at 5 ocl in the afternoon the shelling
was terrible it lasted 2 hours
Camp in the field weather pleasant the regt was detailed to go
to the bend to get forage for the division we got back a 4 ocl in the afternoon
there was very little firing along the lines
Camp in the rear of Spanish fort the weather is cloudy looks
for rain I was out to the rifle pits one of the rebs shells bursted in?