The following letter was written by James Perry Cowles (1830-1913) who enlisted on 7 November 1861 at the age of 31 as a bugler in Co. H, 10th New York Cavalry to serve three years. He was captured at Sulphur Springs, Virginia, on 12 October 1863; paroled prisoner, April 28, 1865; mustered out, July 1, 1865. at New York city.

James wrote the letter to his mother, Lois Ann (Browning) Cowles of Orwell, Bradford county, Pennsylvania.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Havre de Grace
Camp Shields, Co. H
April [May] 5, 1862

Dear Mother,

Your kind letter of April 29th was received Saturday and read by me with the greatest pleasure. I was extremely glad to hear of your good health and sincerely hope that it may continue. My health is as good as usual which is generally better than when I was at home. I have nothing to complain of in the way of living as our army provisions tastes as good as cakes, pies and puddings used to and I never have to hunt after my appetite as it always makes out to be around about meal time and doesn’t get lost, strayed, nor stolen.

There is twenty men in the squad which I am in. We draw our rations and live by ourselves. We dug a place in a bank and put a roof over it and closed up the front side in which is a door and window. This we use as a kitchen. For a dining room we put up a large round tent called the Sibley tent, so that a part of the tent reaches over the kitchen, from which we pass the dishes and grub through a hole in the ground to the tables which by close packing will accommodate all of us. There is a fine spring of good water which we have opened within 30 feet of our cook room. We have another tent of the same size as the first which is used for sleeping and sitting room. The tents are better than the barracks for they do not leak so much when it rains and can be well ventilated when it is hot by moving a bonnet on the top.

It was quarterly meeting at the Methodist Church here yesterday. They run the love feast on the ticket plan so that a soldier could not get in. I went to the 11 o’clock services and heard the Presiding Elder preach a first rate sermon. He was not afraid to put himself squarely on the side of the Union and the Government which is more than the regular preacher does as he has strong sympathies with the rebellion or is said to have, and I think with truth for he does not seem to like the northern soldiers much. There was not as many people to the church yesterday forenoon to hear the Elder as usually turns out on Sunday evenings to hear the resident preacher. His small congregation was not the result of any lack of talent on his part but probably comes from the secession tendencies of the people here.

I had a letter last week from Betsy & heard of your being in that neighborhood. Also that Grandpa and Grandma had got back to their house to live. Give them my love and tell that I shall come back to see them when the war is over which I think will be soon. Tell Miss Emma that I hope that her eyes will soon be well so that I can have a line from her which I shall be looking for. It is raining a fine shower and our supper is coming up so that I shall bring this to a close by sending my love to all and subscribe myself your most dutiful son, — J. P. Cowles