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William Haines Lytle was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 2, 1826. He came from a long line of military ancestors. On April 9, 1750, his great grandfather, William Lytle, was appointed captain by Governor Robert Morris of the Province of Pennsylvania and later placed in command of Fort Hamilton. During the American Revolution, he served as a colonel in the Colonial Army. In 1779, he immigrated to Kentucky. His grandfather was General William Lytle who fought in the Indian Wars in the West in the Blue Lick and Lexington area. At the age of sixteen, he commanded a company of fifty men in Colonel Daniel Boone’s division. He was a friend of President of Andrew Jackson and held the office of Surveyor-General. His father was Robert Lytle who represented Cincinnati district in Congress. i.
William H. Lytle was educated in the local schools in Cincinnati. At the age of sixteen, William H. Lytle graduated from Cincinnati College with a degree in law. He studied law under his uncle E. S. Haines. During the Mexican War, at the age of twenty, he joined the military and became a captain in the Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served with distinction during the war and when he returned home, he returned to his profession as a lawyer. He was elected to the Ohio legislature and was the speaker of the House of Representatives. He also became Major-General of the Southern District the Ohio Militia, a position previously held by his father and grandfather. In 1858, Lytle wrote the famous poem “I am dying, Egypt, dying!”
When the Civil War erupted upon the American landscape, he joined the Union army and organized a regiment at Camp Harrison, which was the first camp organized in the West. On June 4, 1861, he was elected Colonel of the Tenth Ohio Infantry and on June 24, 1861, he left Camp Harrison. Colonel Lytle and the 10th Ohio Infantry headed for West Virginia, where he served under the command of General William Rosecrans. His first engagement was on September 10, 1861, at Carnifex Ferry. During the battle, Lytle along with the 10th Ohio charged an artillery position. During the charge, he was shot and unhorsed. The bullet cut clean through his leg, but did not hit any major arteries. His horse was killed. While recovering, he was in command of a camp of instruction at Bardstown, Kentucky, where he remained for three months. He trained ten thousand soldiers. Afterwards, he was assigned to command the 17th Brigade, of General O. M. Mitchell’s division. During Mitchell’s absence, Lytle was put in temporary command of the division. Lytle also evacuated Huntsville, Alabama. With his command he brought up the rear of Union General Don Carlos Buell’s army from Alabama to Louisville, Kentucky.
On October 7, General Alexander McCook's army corps moved by the way of Taylorsville, Fairfield, Bloomfield, and Chaplin, camping the night before the battle of Perryville at Mackville. At that point, there were only two divisions of the army I corps: Union General Lovell Rousseau's and General James S. Jackson's. The Third Division under General Joshua Sill was detached and headed towards Frankfort, Kentucky. Lytle originally received orders at Mackville to move out at 6 a. m. Before daylight, however, he received orders to move immediately. His command was in motion in twenty minutes, since he had no tents. His brigade had the right of Rousseau's division, which had the advance of General Alexander McCook’s I Corps.ii.
Lytle arrived on the field of battle about 10:30 a.m., and when he reached the battlefield, he saw a column of Union troops on the Springfield road, which he thought was a portion of Union General Charles Gilbert's III corps. General Rousseau directed Lytle to place a good skirmishing regiment in advance, so Lytle sent the Tenth Ohio Infantry skirmishers forward.
General Rousseau's original line of battle was placed at right angles to the road, with his right resting near the Russell House. Lytle’s speed up his march when he heard cannonading, under Hotchkiss battery. At 10:30 a.m., Lytle arrived on the field and a section or more of Loomis’ artillery was thrown forward and opened fire. Eliciting no response, General Rousseau directed Lytle to move his brigade towards Perryville. Although the skirmishers of the 10th Ohio had not yet returned, the impression was that the Confederates had retired.
Lytle’s orders were to march, so he sent an order to Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Burke, commanding the Tenth Ohio Infantry, to fall in in the rear of his brigade, and directed Colonel John Beatty, of the Third Ohio Infantry, with his regiment to take the advance. iii.
During the battle, Lytle’s command consisted of the Third and Tenth Ohio Infantry, Fifteenth Kentucky Infantry, Forty-second and Eighty-eighth Indiana Infantry, and Loomis' 1st Michigan battery. In compliance with orders about 12 o'clock Lytle had resumed the march, with the Third Ohio on the right. The impression of the Union army at the time was that the Confederates were retiring. Lytle’s column was in motion, as directed, when his attention was directed to a scattering fire on the left of the road. He thought that the scattering fire was coming from the skirmishers of the Tenth Ohio. Riding up to the eminence where Lytle and Harris’s artillery had been posted in the morning, commanding a ravine, an officer from Lytle’s staff approached him and said he discovered the Rebels on the opposite side of the ravine.iv.
With his binoculars he saw heavy masses of rebels, under Confederate General Patrick Cleburne and Confederate General Bushrod Johnson apparently deploying into line of battle. The morning was bright and clear. General Rousseau directed Lytle to form his line of battle immediately. Lytle’s column descended the hill into the ravine. His brigade had the right of Rousseau's division in line of battle. Colonel Leonard Harris' brigade was on his left. Having cut Rousseau’s third brigade off in the line of march, General Jackson was now on the left of Rousseau. An artillery duel broke out between the Union artillery and the Confederate artillery, which lasted two hours. v.
After the artillery duel of two hours, Captain Loomis reported that his long-range ammunition was nearly out. Lytle accompanied him and reported to General Rousseau. The general and Loomis rode off together. Lytle returned immediately to the front.
Lytle reported the position of his regiments to General Rousseau and his orders from Rousseau were to hold his ground as long as practicable, and in case he was not able to hold his ground, he was to retire in good order. Shortly after his return to the front he saw Loomis' battery retiring. He dispatched a staff officer or orderly to inquire that since his artillery was retiring, should he change his position? Rousseau did not answer. Shortly after 2 o'clock p.m. the rebel artillery slackened and their infantry advanced. The Third Ohio was immediately ordered from the slight depression of ground that partially screened them from the artillery fire to the crest of the hill. The Fifteenth Kentucky was ordered to support them. The Tenth Ohio was on the left of the Third Ohio. The Eighty-eighth Indiana was held in reserve. vi.
Lytle and Harris held their position for two hours or more, and finally, being without Loomis battery and exposed to a severe fire of Confederate artillery as well as that of an Confederate infantry force greatly superior in number, the brigade fell back in good order and reformed. Lytle reformed his brigade to the original line selected in the morning near the Russell house. vii.
Lytle reported that the rattle of small-arms was deafening. He could see only two regiments on his left. Around two or three o’clock, while the fighting progressed, he determined that his position was outnumbered. Lytle’s battery had been withdrawn and the brigade was exposed not only to a severe fire from the enemy's infantry posted in the ravine, but also from a heavy fire of Confederate artillery, which swept the crest of the ridge. He sent back a staff officer for re-enforcements. The staff officer returned with a message that Lytle should hold the position as long as he could, and if he was not able to hold the position, he should retire. Reports arrived stating that General Jackson was very hard pressed and no reinforcements could be spared. Between 3 and 4 p.m. Lytle again asked for reinforcements, but he received no reply to his request. viii.
Meanwhile his whole line, after a “most obstinate and resolute struggle and severe loss,” had been retired, with the exception of the Tenth Ohio. Lytle finally sent back for the Eighty-eighth Indiana and was determined to hold his position until reinforcements arrived. Before the Eighty-eighth arrived, the Tenth Ohio was nearly surrounded by General John C. Brown’s brigade and had to fall back. A barn caught on fire on the flank of the Third Ohio Infantry, Colonel John Beatty, Colonel Harris’ Brigade, and the men were forced to fall back, leaving one third of their men on the field. The 15th Kentucky, under the command of Colonel Curran Pope filled the vacant position of the Third Ohio, but also had to fall back, leaving all the field staff and half of his men on the field. A most destructive fire was poured on the regiment's front and from the flanks. Colonel Lytle dismounted and led a charge on the flank. A shell fragment struck him on the left side of the head, behind the ear, covering him with blood. Sergeant Dunbar lifted Lytle in his arms, but Lytle told him to “Leave me; I am done for. Stand by your colors.” Lytle was left on the battlefield for dead, along with Robb, his orderly, Lieutenant J. St. John, his aid, and 265 men out of 528.
The brigade of Colonel Leonard Harris had to retire for want of ammunition, because of the attack of eight or ten Confederate regiments, which was concentrated on the three regiments: the Third Ohio, Fifteenth Kentucky, and Tenth Ohio, which were the last to retire.
According to Confederate Major W. T Blakemore, an adjutant for Confederate General Bushrod Johnson, the color bearers of the 10th Ohio were piled five or six high around their standard, each man having been shot down as he tried to save the colors. The last color guard when shot in his desperate attempt struck the staff in the ground which was shot away. The two brigades fell back to their original position with Colonel Starkweather’s brigade and resisted three assaults. ix. Blakemore stated that Lytle was seated on a rock, still holding his sword, dazed by his injury. He had a ragged tear in his cheek marking the shell fragments course and riding up to him Blakemore said: “My friend, you seem to be hurt, Can I do anything for you? Lytle said that those on the field needed more immediate help than him and gave his sword to Blakemore. Blakemore stated the sword was exquisite with a diamond studded hilt and gold scabbard, which was presented to him by his admirers in Cincinnati. Blakemore refused the sword stating that a person who commanded such men during the battle should not suffer such indignity. According to Blakemore, Lytle told of the Confederates matchless bravery, undaunted courage, and unfaltering devotion to principle. He stated that Lytle’s expression was “absolutely sublime.” Blakemore took Lytle to the rear toward Dr. Gentry’s hospital, but along the way they met Dan Perkins, who was an attaché for Bushrod Johnson’s headquarters. Major Blakemore turned Lytle over to Perkins with instructions to turn over all his valuables to Dr. Gentry, the brigade surgeon, for safe keeping. Major Blakemore returned to his troops. A few days later Perkins came to Blakemore and said that a member of Confederate General William Hardee’s staff accosted and demanded General Lytle turn over his sword. Blakemore turned the incident over to General Bushrod Johnson, who proposed a court martial but the staff member of Hardee’s staff had already left the command. About a year later in Virginia, Blakemore was on crutches when the staff member from Hardee’s command approached Blakemore. Blakemore denounced him and declared that only the return of the sword to General Lytle’s family could entitle him to recognition among gentlemen. x.
After Lytle was taken prisoner, he was taken to Harrodsburg, Kentucky and was staying in the house of Colonel Bowman, a Union citizen. J. Stoddard Johnston, an aide to General Braxton Bragg, learned about Lytle being at the Bowman house and rode over to render him any service. The meeting between Stoddard and Lytle was cordial. After a short time in conversation, several other men who were present in the room asked him if there was any way in which they could serve him. He thanked Johnston and said he had every comfort he could desire, but thinking a moment he said there was something which Johnston could do he would be most grateful for. He feared that the report of his death might reach his wife and if Johnston could send a flag of truce to Union General Don Carlos Buell’s lines a letter to his wife stating that Lytle was not seriously injured. He hoped that Johnston would send the letter to Union lines as quickly as possible. Johnston told Lytle that he would do so with pleasure and rose to leave. He shook Lytle’s hand and as he was shaking his hand, he realized that as a personal staff officer with Bragg gave him authority. He told Lytle: “Suppose instead of sending a letter for you by flag I should send you.” Lytle replied: “Ah that would be too much to ask or expect.” Johnston told Lytle to prepare to leave in a half hour. Johnston rode to Bragg’s headquarters and Bragg approved Johnston’s actions. Johnston assembled an ambulance wagon with a flag of truce escort and rode to Bowman’s house. Lytle was ready. Johnston paroled Lytle not to take up arms until duly exchanged and after he shook hands with Lytle, he was on his way to Buell’s lines which he reached within an hour. xi.
After the Battle of Perryville, on November 29, 1862, he was commissioned a brigadier general. On January 10, 1863, he was exchanged. He arrived at Murfreesboro, Tennessee and was assigned to command the First Brigade, General Phil Sheridan’s division, Army of the Cumberland. Just a few weeks before the Battle of Chickamauga, the men in his old command gave Lytle a Maltese cross of gold, studded with diamonds and emeralds. During the Battle of Chickamauga, he fell when three bullets struck him while leading a charge. He was originally buried near Crawford Springs, but later his body was taken to his home. In Cincinnati, his body laid in state in the rotunda of the court-house for a day. He was buried with military honors. He was laid to rest in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.
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