PRESIDENT RUTHERFORD B. HAYES - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 07/20/1862 - HFSID 27599

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
Future President Hayes congratulates a comrade who is getting a promotion while Hayes was a Lieutenant Colonel.
Autograph Letter Signed: "R" as Lieutenant Colonel, 1p, 7¾x9¾. No place, 1862 July 20. To Robert [Kennedy] who was up for promotion to Major. In full: "'Press of business' (viz getting our contrabands to fix up a decent dinner for 'Col. & Staff' expected yesterday) occupied me yesterday so I forgot to reply to your note of the 19th in time to send by courier this A.M. - Major Kennedy, will sound well - repeat it to yourself once or twice and you'll be pleased with the 'cadence'. You haven't seemed to take to 'the tactics' very profusely, and I couldn't 'conscientiously' expatiate on your strategy but I am sure you are pluck and have 'git' in you, which are quite as important, so I say what you find enclosed. [not present] If you hadn't tied me down to say nothing except 'conscientiously' I might have expatiated more largely - Go Ye Major". Hayes adds: "P.S. You may address the enclosed to any old core who is supposed to be potent in appointments. If you would like a direction in my hand writing send it back with the name you want me to insert, or what is the same, get the poorest scribe you know of to direct it with his left hand and eyes shut." RUTHERFORD B. HAYES was commissioned Major of the 23rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, on June 27, 1861, Lieutenant Colonel on October 24, 1861, Colonel on October 24, 1862 and Brigadier General of Volunteers on October 9, 1864 and was brevetted Major General of Volunteers on March 3, 1865. The 23rd Regiment was stationed at Giles Court House May 7-10, 1862, Flat Top Mountain July 4 and Pack's Ferry, New River, August 6. They moved to Washington, D.C., August 15-24, 1862. While Hayes was still in the Army, Cincinnati Republicans ran him for the House of Representatives. He accepted the nomination, but would not campaign, explaining: "an officer fit for duty who at this crisis would abandon his post to electioneer...ought to be scalped." Elected by a heavy majority to the term beginning March 4, 1865, Hayes did not leave the Army until the war was over, taking his seat in Congress in December 1865. Irregular left edge. Lightly creased. Pinhead-size hole at lower blank left. Glue stains from verso show through touching text. Lightly soiled.