The author of the following letter has not been identified though his initials appear to be “G. C. M.” The letter was datelined from Camp California on 4 January 1862. This camp was located southwest of Fort Worth, two to three miles west of Alexandria, Virginia. It was occupied principally by units from New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island that were part of Sumner’s Division including the famed 69th New York, the 63rd New York, the 57th New York, the 5th New Hampshire, the 53rd Pennsylvania, the 8th Illinois Cavalry, the 52nd New York and the 88th NY. It was named Camp California because the Division commander — Gen. Edwin V. (“Bull”) Sumner — had recent service there. It was approximately eleven miles (by horse) from Washington D. C. in Fairfax county, Virginia. 

A soldier from the 69th New York described it: “We are located on a very fine hill, overlooking a magnificent valley, studded with white tents, and presenting a view of some ten miles in every direction.  The location is exceedingly healthy, the soil is dry, firewood abundant, in fact inexhaustible, and the men getting wise by experience, have not only put up their tents scientifically, cut drains round them, but have been able to put in substantial floors, and glean as much straw in the neighboring fields as to make themselves beds.”

The soldier wrote the letter to his sister who is not named in the letter though I suspect her children were “Mary, Stuart, Lizzie, and little Harry.” I’ve checked the rosters of all the above named regiments for a soldier with those initials but did not find an obvious match. More time would be needed to search exhaustively though the content is not particularly newsworthy. The author’s handwriting skills were quite good so I suspect he was not in the Irish Brigade regiments (63rd, 69th, and 88th New York Regiments) as they were mostly Irish emigrants.

[Note: This letter is from the personal collection of Greg Herr and was transcribed & published on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Transcription

Camp California
January 4th 1862

Dear sister,

I received your letter. Also the package from Richard for which I am much obliged.

We have had some very cold weather since I last wrote home but we have changed our quarters and are fixing up fr the winter, I think, now that we will stay in the place we are all winter. We live very comfortably although we have not much room. I spent Christmas out on picket duty and New Year’s Day in Alexandria. We had a very pleasant dinner party at one of the restaurants for which we had to pay $5 apiece—rather dear. In our county the same dinner might be gotten for one dollar. We had terrapin and canvas back duck, oysters, &c.

There is very little of anything occurring here to write about except the army and that you can see in the papers everyday. Nothing but drill all the time except when it comes our turn on picket. I thought a great deal of home on Christmas. I think it is one of the first I ever spent away from home. I could very easily imagine what was going on in my absence. I should like to see all the children. I suppose they will have grown considerably by the time I get home if I am lucky enough. I think I may get home in the spring if nothing happens and things look now as if the war would end before many months.

I like military very much and think I would like to spend some time at it in a good position. I got a letter from Cele last evening and am looking out anxiously for a box from home. Almost every man in the army has got one.

We had quite a snow storm here yesterday but it did not amount to much. I should like to enjoy a little sleighing at home. I suppose my sleigh has been out already. I hope the folks will be able to enjoy it. I got a letter from Charley and will answer it soon as I get time. I must draw this to a close as I have several others to write. Give my love to all the family. Tell them I am well and never enjoyed better health. I suppose the children are have fine times. I would like to see little Mary, Stuart, Lizzie, and little Harry especially. Write to me as often as you can. I am always so glad to hear from home. I never enjoyed letters so much as I do now.

Remember me to all. Direct as before. Your affectionate brother, — G. C. M.