Monday, April 14, 1862

William started early on horseback to reach the Parkersburg train in time.  He will reach Washington tomorrow.  We hoped tonight to get a letter from Ephraim, but no letter came and there is no consolation in the newspapers.  It is evident that Sherman's division received the first attack of the enemy, and that it was a complete surprise.  It was early Sabbath morning.  Many of the officers and men were asleep in their tents, where they were fired upon and bayoneted before they knew the enemy was near.  There seems to have been a culpable want of generalship somewhere.  The only wonder is that the whole army were not captured, slain and dispersed.  We should be thankful for the good Providence which brought Buell's forces up in time to retrieve the fortunes of the day, and turned this bloody battle into a victory for the national arms.  The State Journal has an article which speaks handsomely of the 53rd regiment and says there is no better fighting muscle in the state than that composing this regiment which is made up in part of miners from the iron region of Southeastern Ohio, in part of Kentuckians, and that the regimental officers are high toned gentlemen and that if they failed it was not from cowardice but from some other cause.  George Cutter is extremely anxious about his twin brother William who is in the 77th regiment and was in the battle of Pittsburg Landing.