Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/98

 it 2 Southern Historical Society Papers.

At the close of the war he resumed the practice of law, was elected to the Legislature of Ohio, and in 1857 was an unsuccessful candi- date for Lieutenant-Governor on the Democratic ticket. Soon after- wards he became major-general of the Ohio militia, and at the beginning of the civil war was commissioned colonel of the Tenth Ohio Regiment, which he led in West Virginia in 1861. At Carnifax Ferry, on September 10, 1861, he commanded a brigade, and was severely wounded. He was again wounded and taken prisoner at Perry ville, Ky., October 8, 1862, and, when exchanged, was pro- moted to brigadier-general, November agth. Thereafter he served actively under Rosecrans till he was killed while leading a charge of his brigade at the battle of Chickamauga. General Lytle had much literary taste and genuine poetic talent, and was the author of many poems of merit. His best-known poem is the one we copy above, written in 1857. No book collection of his verses has ever been made.

On the death of this brilliant poet-soldier, General W. S. Rose- crans issued the following :

HEADQUARTERS, CINCINNATI, O., January 8, 1864.

As Brigadier-General Wm. H. Lytle fell leading a gallant charge against the foe advancing on our retreating troops, I may be excused from departing from the strict rule of mentioning those officers whose good conduct could be properly officially noticed by the general com- manding only. This brave and generous young officer, whose first wounds were received while fighting under my command at Carnifex Ferry, where he fell desperately wounded at the head of his regiment, was also badly wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Perry - ville, where he repelled a desperate onslaught of the enemy.

On rejoining the Army of the Cumberland with his well-earned rank of brigader, he was assigned second in command to General Sheridan. When he fell gloriously on the field of Chickamauga, Ohio lost one of her jewels, and the service one of its most patriotic and promising general officers.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major- General.

[A paragraph in the preceding very interesting account, to which attention is called, is corrected in the issue of the New Orleans Picayune of December i, 1895, as follows. ED.]