The following letter was written by Brooklyn born 18 year-old Zebulon P. Ryder (1841-1909) who enlisted in April 1861 as a private in Co. I of the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He was the son of Christopher and Adeline Ryder. Zeb’s father worked as a Butcher in Brooklyn. Zeb must have lied about his age when he enlisted as he claimed to be 20 but census records tell us he was born in 1844-45. His younger brother Frank was born in 1848-49. Zeb survived the war and mustered out of the service on 16 May 1865.
Zeb’s letter was written from Suffolk, Virginia, in September 1862. He informs his mother that they were preparing for an attack at any time by a force with superior numbers but boasts that their Gray Horse Company—Company I—was dreaded so much by the Confederates that he didn’t think they’d come.
See also—1864: Zebulon Pike Ryder to Delia (Powell) Ryder on Spared & Shared 20.
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Suffolk [Virginia]
September 21, 1862
I received two letters from you last night—the first I received in a good while—and I was very glad to hear that you were well. You said you sent me letters before but I never got them and I suppose thy must be in the post office yet, The letters I got last night had 8.3 cent and 2.5 cents postage stamps in them and they came very handy. I got the box last Tuesday night and everything was all right—especially the bologna as I soon finished them. You said that you was glad that you thought it was hard for me to stay out here when all the boys went home but you thought wrong as there is nothing that suits me better than soldiering. And as for starving to death, you need not be alarmed about that as there is enough thrown away to keep two more companies besides ourself.
You said you would like to see me but not more than I would like to see you and all the rest of the family but there is a good time a coming yet so you must not worry about me. It would not do any good and it only makes you sick. And if I was home, you would not want me to stay home when I could do my country any good so take my advice and try and not worry about me. You say it always makes you feel so much better when you. hear from me. If I could write to you every day I would, but we don’t have much time to write now and if you should not hear from me for a week, you must not think strange as we are expecting to have a fight every day and they are a sending up troops from Washington by the thousands and we are ordered to hold the place at all hazards.
The infantry is busy cutting down the trees as they are a trying to clear a road through Dismal Swamp so as to let the artillery play on the Rebels if they try to out flank us as there is four roads for them to come on us. But if they know what is good for them, they will stay back as we will soon cut them to pieces. But we have got 15 thousand men and they have got about 30 thousand, but they are still coming up in the cars and we will soon have force enough to hold out against any number of men they can send against us.
They crossed the Black Water last night and was going to march down and make an attack on us and we was sent out to scout around the country and caught two of their pickets and when they heard that the Grey Horse Company was a coming, they turned back and went across the river again as they are in dread of our company because when we were over on the Peninsula, the farmers used to tell us that they heard them say they would never come down as long as the Grays was around and it must be so for 8 of us chased 25 of them over there and ran them down a steep hill and 4 of them fell into a hole that had been dug for a grave and it broke their necks and killed their horses.
But I must stop as I want to write to my grandmother 1 and Father so I must bid you goodbye. From your son, — Zebulon
Suffolk, September 21st 1862
Dear Brother Frank, I received your letter with my mothers and I was glad to hear that you was a getting along so well and that you was a going to school and I hope you will not play truant and that you will try and learn.
I got that knife and I thank you for sending it to me and I will send you a secesh button so as you can see the Virginia coat of arms. And I have got a dagger that I took from a man I caught when I was out on picket and I will send it to you when I get a chance. Write to me as soon as you can. From your brother, — Zebulon P. Ryder
1 The letter that Zebulon Ryder sent to his Grandmother on 21 September 1862 can be found in the digital archives of the Pamplin Historical Park. See 2015.002.081a.
Spared & Shared 23 