Fort Lyon, VA
Nov 28, 1861
My brother and sister it was with pleasure that I received your letter baring the date of the 16th and was glad, yes very glad, to hear from you that you are as well as you are and I am glad to write to you once more that I am well and hope these few lines may find you the same. The hand of providence has restored to me my health and I am thankful and hope I shall keep well during the war.
I have no news to write to you. We do not know where we shall winter. Some think we shall winter here, we shall know soon. I think the war will end by spring, I do not care how soon. Rebels are deserting continually, the rebel army is dwindling away.
We had a oyster dinner today, they are plenty here.
It would surprise you to be in our camp one day, to see the beggars both black and white, old and young, men and women, it is the reward of slavery. You have heard the report in Michigan but the half was not told, I never knew there was a race of beings in America so retched as the people are down here. They are despised more than the black man, they are trampled under foot by both master and slave, and I have never seen but one schoolhouse in this state.
The slaves are running away by numbers. I do not know how much tea is a pound. I am cooking for the company now.
I send my respect to all the neighbors, both friends and foes. I must bring my letter to a close, I give my love to the children. Bub must lay up an apple for me,
Samuel Mathews
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Written by pen on a plain sheet of paper, and folded like a booklet.
The first paragraph of this letter explains how important letters and news were to the soldiers. There were millions of letters (Not an exaggeration) which were sent during the Civil War. Even when, as Samuel says, there was no news to write, letters would be written and send. Throughout the series of letters, it is apparent how much Samuel cared about receiving letters, even to the point of telling his sister and brother-in-law that he thought they had forgotten all about him.
The 3rd did not winter in Fort Lyon, but rather, on December 18th, moved to Camp Michigan and set up winter camp there.
Samuel incorrectly assumes that "rebels are deserting continually, the rebel army is dwindling away." In fact, the rebels were in high spirits after their success at First Bull Run. This statement also shows how the federal army also had good moral. Since George B McClellan was made commander of the Army of the Potomac, he had been working hard to get the army well drilled, fed, and clothed. This raised the spirits of the fighting men considerably, which made them feel invincible.
Shortly after this letter, the 5th Michigan infantry was attached to Richardson's Brigade. In June of 1864, after the three-year enlistments were done, the remaining soldiers of the 3rd who reenlisted for another three years or until the war was over were incorporated into the 5th Michigan and finished the war.
As Samuel says, the slaves were indeed running away in large numbers into the ranks of the Federal army. Once they arrived they were proclaimed as spoils of war, and were put to work acting as company cooks or private servants of the officers. Most of the ex-slaves were all too happy to be helping and to be, to an extent, free.
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| Israel B Richardson, brigadier general of the Third from their arrival in Washington until March of 1862 |
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| A "contraband" cook |
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