Rutherford B. Hayes is not one of the towering giants of US history. Even people who take an interest in presdiential history gloss over his life and achievements.
But make no mistake. Hayes proved to be a true man of action; he was a successful lawyer, governor, Union commander, and, of course, the 18th president of the USA.
However, his diary, which he kept for almost all of his life, provides great insight into the man. He proves to be a compassioante, stoic, and complex figure, very intelligent and astute in his observations:
“The real difficulty is with the vast wealth and power in the hands of the few and the unscrupulous who represent or control capital. Hundreds of laws of Congress and the state legislatures are in the interest of these men and against the interests of workingmen. These need to be exposed and repealed. All laws on corporations, on taxation, on trusts, wills, descent, and the like need examination and extensive change. This is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people no longer. It is a government of corporations, by corporations, and for corporations."
And also romantic and emotive:
"She sees at a glance what others study upon, but will not, perhaps, study out what she is unable to see at a flash. She is a genuine woman, right from instinct and impulse rather than judgment and reflection. It is no use doubting or rolling it over in my thoughts. By George! I am in love with her! So we go."
Hayes' diary and letter also provide an insight into the daily life of the man; at three very different instances in his life (as a law student, as a commander, and as president), he writes what his day-to-day looks like.
The first entry was written when he was at Harvard Law School between 1843 and 1845:
"October 27.--
Hoffman, in his "Law Studies," gives a number of resolutions proper for a law student to make on setting out on his journey into the dreary wilderness (the figure is true if not in good taste) of the law. He prescribes a course of study,which, if adopted and faithfully pursued, cannot fail to render a man an able lawyer. Now, why not adopt the resolutions, deojuvante, and pursue the course? No harm can result from it; much good may, and no one would be willing to acknowledge his inability to prosecute to the end the course of studies pre-scribed. Method and regularity are necessary in this, as in all great undertakings, for anything worthy of the name of success.
If I rise punctually at six o'clock in the morning, I will have time enough to exercise before breakfast. Then, Mondays, the law till II; German till 2 p.m.; moot court till 7; the evening, to write out my notes and at least an hour for Hoffman's course and my old friends, Whately and Chillingworth.
Tuesday, the law till I P.M.; the whole afternoon, to devote to Hoffman and moot questions; the evening, to law and my aforementioned favourites.
Wednesday, till 2 the same as Monday, and the after-noon to Hoffman and moot questions; the evening, the same as Tuesday.
Thursday, law till I; afternoon to German; and evening like Tuesday.
Friday, till 2 law and German; afternoon and evening to bring up arrears in law, German, and Hoffman.
Saturday, two hours to law, and the rest of the day and evening to sport and Hoffman's course.
Sunday, attend corre-spondence, once to church, and in the evening for friends. Now, may I safely promise myself a good degree of success if I repeatedly commence and continue the line marked out? At allevents with the gallant Miller, "I'll try, sir."I am now in the midst of my preparation for an argument in moot court. Reading for authorities is, indeed, like feeding on narcotics. The stimulus is too great for a healthy stomach—agreeable and exciting at first, but speedily followed by satiety and disgust.
The green leaf says that of all funds, refunds are the poorest. "Never turn a cold shoulder upon a friend in distress. The Lord only knows how soon you may exchange places with him. Be wise in time."
The second comes during the Civil War (1861–1865), in which Hayes became Major General of the 23rd Ohio Infantry:
"Camp Jackson, Sunday, June 16, 1861.
DEAREST L--:--
Morning work done and waiting till Dr. Hoge begins, I write to my darling wife and boys. Would you like to know our daily routine? (Mem.:-- Colonel King, commanding state troops, and my superiors, Colonels Rosecrans and Matthews, all having gone home, I am now in command of all at this post: eighteen companies of United States troops and sixteen companies of state troops, in all three thousand men and upwards. A sudden responsibility for a civilian, but the duties are chiefly such as a civilian can easily do, so it is strange rather in appearance than reality. First, at 5 a.m., a gun fired and reveille sounded, calling all men to roll-call. I was up and dressing. Owing to the bright light in a tent, the sound of sleeping in the cool air, etc., this I did not find difficult. In a few minutes, all the captains call at my tent to report themselves and the condition of their men.
I sit at a table looking towards the front entrance of the tent; an orderly on my right to go errands; a clerk at a table on the left to write; an adjutant ditto to give orders and help me guess what ought to be done in each case; and a sentinel slowly pacing back and forth in front of the entrance whose main employment is telling men to take off their hats before entering on the surroundings. The first business is looking over the orders of the day and telling the adjutant to see them carried out. These areas are guards and themselves, which are stereotyped with slight adjustments to suit circumstances, such as guarding wells, fixing new sentinels where men are suspected of getting out, etc. Next comes issuing permits to go out of camp to town and to parties to go bathing in the Scioto, one and a half miles away. Then comes, for an hour or more, the morning reports of roll call, showing the sick, absent, etc., all to be looked over and corrected, and mistakes abound that are curious enough. Once we got all the officers returned as "under arrest," One captain lost a lieutenant, although he was present as plainly as Hateful W. Perkins was in Pease's anecdote. Then rations are returned short; at that point, I am strong, and as the commissary is clever, we soon correct mistakes. Then we have difficulties between soldiers, which are very slight and easily disposed of, but difficulties between soldiers and the carpenters whose tools disappear mysteriously and farmers in the neighbourhood who go to bed with roosts of barnyard fowl and wake up chickenless and fowlless are more troublesome. The accused defenders of their country can always prove an alibi by their comrades, and the thing is impossible by the sentinels whose beat they must have passed.
Since writing the above, I have waited under a tree, with a flag raised, for three quarters of an hour for Dr. Hoge's congre-gation, but for some reason he did not come, and an audience of one thousand were disappointed, possibly (? ), however, not all disagreeably. I have sent five men and a sergeant to arrest two deserters in Columbus (not of our regiment) belonging to Captain Sturgess' company of Zanesville; one sergeant and two men to see safely out of camp two men who were about to have their heads shaved for refusing to take the oath of allegiance; a lieutenant and ten men to patrol the woods back of the camp to prevent threatened depredations on a farmer. This all since I began writing. The wind is rising, and the dust floats on my paper, as you see. As yet, we eat our meals at Colonel King's quarters—plain good living. Guard-mounting is a ceremonious affair at 9 a.m. At 12 p.m., drum-beat and roll-call for dinner; at 6 p.m., ditto for supper; and at 7 p.m., our band calls out the regiment for a parade—not yet a "dress parade," but a decidedly imposing affair, notwithstanding. The finale is at 10 p.m. The evenings and nights are capital. The music and hum, the cool air in the tent, and open-air exercise during the day make sleeping superb. We have cots like our lounge, which are only slightly smaller and bought in Dayton. Our men are fully equal to the famous Massachusetts men in a mechanical way. They build quarters, ditches, roads, traps, dig wells, catch fish, kill squirrels, etc., etc., and it is really a new sensation—the affection and pride one feels respecting such a body of men in the aggregate.
We are now feeling a good deal of anxiety about Colonel Rosecrans. He is said to have been appointed a brigadier. If it were to take effect six weeks or three months hence, we would like it if he should be promoted, but now we fear some new man over us who may not be agreeable, and we do not like the difficulties attendant upon promotion. The governor says we shall not lose Colonel Rosecrans, and we hope he is right. I enclose a letter in the Cleveland Herald written by someone in one of our Cleveland companies. With Colonel Rosecransin's command, we should have no trouble with our men. We have reconciled them, I think, perfectly, or as nearly so, as men ever are with their officers. But if Colonel Rosecrans goes, we are between Scylla and Charbydis, you know—officers, a tour head whom we may not like, or men under us who do not like us—but it will all come right. I am glad I am here, and I only wish you were here. I was in Platt's last evening for an hour or so. Laura was expecting Platt by the late train, but as he has not yet come out here, I suspect he did not arrive. Love to all. Kiss the boys.I enjoyed reading your talk about them and their sayings.
Affectionately,
R. B. Hayes.
MRS. HAYES."
The third and last of such entries comes when Hayes was president of the USA (1877–1881):
"March 18, 1878.
Mr. Conkling in the Senate remarked that the President had one-sixth of the legislative power of the United States government. I suppose he means that with the Senate, House, and President having the whole power and the President and one-third of either house being half, the result is: I rise at about 7 a.m. and write until breakfast, about 8:30 a.m. After breakfast, prayers, i.e., the reading of a chapter in the Bible, each one present reading a verse in turn, and allkneeling repeat the Lord's Prayer; then, usually, write and arrange business until 10 a.m. From 10 to 12 in the Cabinet Room, the Members of Congress have the preference of all visitors except Cabinet ministers. Callers "to pay respects" are usually permitted to come in to shake hands whenever the number reaches about a half dozen waiting. Twelve to 2 p.m., on Tuesdays and Fridays, are cabinet hours. On other days, that time is given to miscellaneous business callers.
At 2 p.m., lunch. I commonly invite to that—a cup of tea and biscuit and butter with cold meat—any gentleman I wish to have more conference with than is practicable in the hours given to miscellaneous business. After lunch, the correspondence of the day is well briefed, and each letter in an envelope is examined. By this time, it is 3:30 p.m., and I then drive for an hour and a half. Returning, I glance over the business and correspondence again, take a fifteen- or twenty-minute' nap, and get ready to dine at 6 p.m.
After dinner, callers on important business or on appointments previously made occupy me until 10:30 to 11:30 p.m., when I go to bed, and I am tired enough to sleep pretty well unless too worried to throw off the vexations of the day, a thing which fortunately I generally can do with a little effort. There is not enough exercise in this way of life. I try to make up by engaging in active gymnastics before I dress when I get up, by walking rapidly in the lower hall and the greenhouse after each meal for perhaps five to ten minutes, and by doing some good hand rubbing before going to bed. I eat moderately; I drink one cup of coffee at breakfast, one cup of tea at lunch, and no other stimulant. My health is now, as usual, excellent. I have gone to church at least once every Sunday since I became president. On Sunday after lunch, I ride regularly with Secretary Sherman for two to three hours. We talk over affairs and visit the finest drives and scenes near Washington."
Sources:
https://www.rbhayes.org/diary-letters-of-rutherford-b.-hayes/?query=(misc5.like.dreary%20wilderness)
https://www.rbhayes.org/diary-letters-of-rutherford-b.-hayes/?query=(misc5.like.Morning%20work%20done).and.(misc1.eq.Volume%20II%20%5B1861%20%E2%80%93%201865%5D)
https://www.rbhayes.org/diary-letters-of-rutherford-b.-hayes/?query=(misc5.like.Mr.%20Conkling%20in%20the%20Senate).and.(misc1.eq.Volume%20III%20%5B1865%20%E2%80%93%201881%5D)
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