Sorry!

My apologies everyone for not posting for a few weeks. I've been really busy lately, trying to get ready to spend summer in Montana in addition to reenacting amping up quickly. I hope to get a few more letters done before I leave town, but that may not happen at this rate. My projected finish date now is sometime this coming fall. Getting three letters done a week took some huge chunks of time which I don't have available anymore. Thanks to everyone who's been reading this blog, I really appreciate it.
God Bless!

February 5, 1862

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Camp Michigan

Feb 5th, 1862

Dear Sister and Brother, it is with pleasure I sit down to write you a few lines to inform you of my health. It is good at present and I hope these few lines will find you all well. I received your letter baring the date of Jan 22, and I was glad to hear from you that all was well. I have plenty to eat but was sorry to hear that Boney was dead. Tell Charles Caswell he can come to see me and to bring his wife with him, I should like to see her too. 

Our Regiment has been on picket duty for the last four days and counting. Coutis [sic] had one skirmish with the Rebels and killed several of them with out receiving any loss. I was not in the fray but heard it and started for the scene, but the fun was over before I could reach the scene of action. Our men retreated, there was but seventy-one of our men and the rebels had some four hundred.

Jane spoke of England interfering with with us in our present troubles, but there is no danger, they dare not interfere. As far as I am concerned I would rather they pitch in as not.

I have sent you my likeness, it is not very good but it is better than none. I did not put on any accouterments for I thought you would rather see me in my old fashion.

I had a letter from Lem not many days ago, they are all well. Henry and Hiram Hyde have enlisted, they are in the 6th Regiment. They must be to Baltimore now, and Frank has enlisted somewhere. Buby, I will be home soon to eat those apples. Tell all my enquiring friends that I send my best respect to them. Tell Margette to wait patiently until I return. George, when I am back I will fetch you a black girl. 

You must write soon. This is from,

   Sam

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Written by pen on a plain piece of paper and folded like a book.

Charles Caswell was a neighbor of the Taylors (Samuel's sister and brother, Samuel lived with them before the war and worked on their farm).

Company H and I of the 3rd were involved in a skirmish with the rebels on February 3 near Occoquan village. They had been sent on a scouting mission, and when the companies pulled up on the opposite side of the river than the village, they surprised some rebels who were drilling on the other side. The confederate troops ran at the companies "Bull Run" style, and took positions within several houses. Captain Lowing of Company I told the men to "Show them what the new Austrian rifles can do", and the men from the 3rd fired several times, and after dropping four of the opposing soldiers, they retired to a more protected area. 

The firing, being heard at regimental headquarters, caused the reserve of each company to be sent forward. 30 men were sent from Company G, and it appears to be that Samuel was one of them, though that fact is not verified. The reinforcements were disappointed to arrive a little too late, for the scouts were already falling back and the extra troops followed them back to Camp Michigan.

By this time, the 3rd had all but disposed of the old shoddy gray uniforms made for them by a Grand Rapids contractor and had replaced these with the standard issue uniform, with the exception of getting black greatcoats instead of the standard light blue.

Samuel mentions the chance of England interfering with the war. It was a great hope of the south that England, after using up all its cotton stores, would come to help the Confederate States so they could keep the fabric mills running. Unfortunately for the south, 1860 had been a bumper crop of cotton and the storehouses in England were stuffed to the rafters. By the time England begun to run out of cotton, Abraham Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the confederate states (not the northern states, of which there were a few who still retained slaves). Because England had outlawed slavery years before, they could not support a country that was now fighting to keep slaves due to the proclamation and the fact that the north was now fighting in part to free the slaves.

Buby (or Bub) is Samuel's nickname for his 10 year old nephew Levi, the son of Tunis and Sarah Jane Taylor.

Levi and his father Tunis Taylor many years
after the war.
 

January 18, 1862

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Camp Michigan 

Jan 18th, 1862

Dear sister and brother, I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know I am well, and I hope these few lines may find you all well. I did not wait to receive a letter from you. I went to Alexandria and got my likeness taken, it is not very good but my head looks natural.

We have got out pay, so money is flush at present. It is very muddy and warm here. It is muddier here than I ever saw it in Michigan, they have to go the uncles road. There has come new guns for this Regiment, they are rifles. I think the war will cease in a few months, you may look for me home next fall. Last Tuesday I had the sick headache and I had it very hard.

I send my love to the children. I want you to write to me all the news. I want to know what has become of Maria Byers and Jane Currier, Jane in particular, and Perrild Rectar. I had a letter from Geary Hay, they are well.

   S Mathews

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Written by pen on a plain sheet of paper folded widthwise three times over.

The 3rd was still in winter camp at this time, at a place know as Camp Michigan about 3-4 miles toward the front from Fort Lyon.

In this letter Samuel mentions going to Alexandria and getting a picture taken of him. There were thousands of pictures take during the Civil War, and many of them were portraits (See lots of pictures of Civil War soldiers here). Sadly, the picture of Samuel has been lost during the 150 years since it was taken, or is one of the hundreds of pictures of unidentified soldiers.

The 3rd was issued "Austrian Rifles" to replace their old muskets, which were ill fitted for the skirmishing that they had been doing lately. It was generally proclaimed that the new rifles were vastly superior and had far better accuracy. The Federal army purchased a total of 226,924 Austrian Lorenz rifles, and the quality range from good to horrible. The worse Lorenz's where purchased near the end of the war, whereas the good quality tended to be made early on in the war. They were made in .54 caliber, though most of them were drilled out to .58 so they could use the same ammunition as the 1861 Springfield and the 1853 Enfield. The Lorenz was just slightly shorter than the Springfield, with a 37" barrel compared  to the Springfield's 40" barrel.

3rd Michigan NCO's with new Austrian Lorenz rifles (Image from Seeking Michigan)

Original Austrian Lorenz

January 3, 1862

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Camp Michigan VA 

January 3rd, 1862

My dear friends in Michigan, I suppose you are anxious to here from me. I have neglected to answer your letter for I have been so busy. I am still cooking and it occupies all my time. My family is so large, 811 men.

We have moved since I wrote to you. We have advanced in Virginia three miles from Fort Lyon. I am well yet and hope these few lines may find you enjoying the same. I have no news to write tonight, perhaps you hear all the news of the whole army as soon we do. The weather is pleasant here and so far we had but flurry of snow and that was not enough to track a man. 

I want Tunis to see if he could let one hundred dollars out at twenty percent if I should send it to him. If he can and get twenty percent on it I will send it to him. He must take a mortgage on land and record it in mason in the county clerk’s office. I think Byers would like the money and if you could let [unintelligible word] better I will rase it the first of March. 

I am well satisfied with a soldiers life. We are quite comfortable now in our new camp. We have built log huts and enjoy ourselves various ways; some singing, some playing cards, some getting drunk, and some fool away their money, but you can guess what I do with mine. I send my love to you all and to my neighbors.

Write soon this is from,

Goodbye,  S Matthews

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On December 17, 1861, the 3rd moved three or four miles to the front to set up winter camp. I have not discovered where Camp Michigan's exact location is yet, other than it is three miles into Virginia from Fort Lyon. Getting to work shortly, the 3rd quickly constructed cabins and other items to help them relax and live in comfort during the boring winter months. 

The huts were made by stockading the tents, which was done by lay logs on top of each other in a fashion not unlike building a three to five log high square with Lincoln Logs. Then the soldiers to who the hut would belong would substitute two or more (depending on the number of occupants) shelter-halves for the roof. A makeshift fireplace and chimney would be made of brick, stone, or wood, depending on the inclination of the men and the materials at hand. If made of wood, it would be made in the same method as the stockading on which the tent was placed, and a good coating of clayey mud would line the fireplace. A barrel opened at both ends usually went on top of the chimney, and it was not uncommon for these to catch on fire.

The soldiers would also fashion stools, tables, and other furniture. The tables were made by turning a box upside-down then adding poles for legs. Bunks were built along one of the walls to save space, and at the head of each bunk would be a bundle of spare clothing that would double as a pillow during the night.

The 3rd stayed in Camp Michigan until mid-March, when they departed for the Peninsular Campaign.

The Byers family were some neighbors of the Taylor's (see Behind the Letters: Samuels Story for more info on Samuel's background) and were mentioned several times by Samuel in his letters to Sarah Jane and Tunis Taylor.

Cavalry building winter quarters (Click to enlarge)

Winter camp (click to enlarge)

Inside view of a log hut (Hardtack and Coffee)

November 28, 1861

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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.

Israel B Richardson, brigadier general of the Third
from their arrival in Washington until March of 1862

A "contraband" cook

October 12, 1861

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Fort Lyon,  VA

Oct 12, 1861

So my brother and sister, it is with pleasure that I attempt to write you a few lines to let you know how I am. My health is returning to me and I am glad for it, for I have had some hard times on account of my health being poor. I hope these few lines may find you all well and George making heaps. I received your letter, baring the date of the 16th, and was glad to hear from you.

I have nothing new to write to you this time. We are encamped in sight of Alexandria, south west of the city some two miles and over looking the city. It is quiet around Washington now. The rebels have fallen back so we do not apprehend any battle here, though some think we shall soon advance and give them a brush. The rebels have blockaded the river below us not over 15 miles from our camp. We can hear their cannons when they fire into our ships.

It is very cool here now, we have a fire in our tent which makes it very comfortable now for me. We have plenty to eat, it consists of bakers breads, pork, beef, peas and beans and potatoes, tea, and taffy.

Bub, that apple tasted good.

Write again before you go to Lems. I have received no answer from Lem yet, I guess he has forgotten me. There is no prospect of the close of the War as I know of. I must omit making remark which I should like to. I feel sorry about Clarimode losing her whole family. I should like to see Boney he must dream of me.

I send my love to as many as are inquiring after me, and I send my love to the children. I must bring my letter to a close so goodbye,

S. Matthews

So see my friends that far way my heart doth truly burn and my humble prayer to God shall be that I may safe return.

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Written by pen on a plain sheet of paper.

Fort Lyon, like Fort Richardson, was constructed by the 3rd as part of the Washington defenses. It was built in obedience to one of McClellan's first orders, that is, to increase the amount of forts surrounding the capitol. Fort Lyon, when finished, contained a total of 31 guns, 4 of them 200 pound parrots, and the others mortars. In 1863, long after the 3rd was gone from the fort, a black powder explosion erupted in the fort sending debris everywhere. It killed 25 soldiers and destroyed 8 tons of powder and was seen for miles. Fort Lyon was the last fort constructed by the 3rd, preceded by Fort Richardson, Fort Scott, and several other small redoubts and earthworks.

It is possible, if not probable, that Samuel had received a package from home when he mentions that he liked the apple. Many care packages were sent during the Civil War to soldiers away from home. These packages usually contained some sort of food, be it hard candy, pies, or other sweets to supplement the soldiers diet, something knitted at home (socks, mittens, ect.), newspapers, and occasionally the alcoholic beverage was baked into a loaf of bread or otherwise disguised.

Diagram of Fort Lyon

26th NY with Fort Lyon in background. Samuel's brother Henry
fought in the 26th and is probably in this image.

Location of Fort Lyon

October 2, 1861

Fort Richardson PA
Oct 2, 1861
My Brother and Sister, I sit down to try to write you a few lines to let you know I am sick. I have had the fever but it has broken. I have no appetite so I gain no strength. I am now in an old house close to our camp but we shall have to leave it soon, for an order has come for us to move, but I do not know where. Direct the letters to Washington and I will get them all the same. The enemy have left Munster Hill and have fallen back to Bull Run. Tell all my friends that Mathews has no news for them. My head is not good, I cannot think of any thing to write today so you must excuse me this time. I should like to see the children and lick Bub on his butt. Tunis, if Pollock comes and wants that note let him have it for Polk has paid me.
             Samuel Matthews

There is no frost here yet but it is cool.
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Once again Samuel had taken ill, though this time it appears to be much worse than before.

Fort Richardson, now just a suburban area of sprawling Washington DC, was not much more than a detached redoubt for protecting that vital city named after the 3rd’s own brigadier general Richardson. It had a perimeter of 316 yards and contained 15 guns and the 3rd built it and quartered there several times.

Apparently, Samuel had done some business with the Pollock family and they owned him money, and so Mr. Pollocks son, William (or “Polk”) Pollock paid Samuel back. The Pollocks were close neighbors to the Taylor family and seems to have been good friends.

Location of Fort Richardson

Picture of Fort Richardson