This letter was written by Winfield S. Miller, a 23 year-old blacksmith from Hudson, Columbia county, New York, who was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Miller. He enlisted September 17, 1861, at Hudson; mustered in as corporal, Company L, 2nd New York Cavalry (a.k.a. Harris Light Cavalry) on September 25, 1861 to serve three years; transferred to Company A, August 29, 1864; and mustered out, to date November 6, 1864, with detachment, at New York City.

I believe he wrote the letter to John Miller (1832-1906) of Coxsackie, Greene county, New York whose 1860 household included Ella Miller (b. 1859).

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

Arlington, Va.
Harris Light Cavalry
Camp Palmer, Co. L
January 15, 1862

Friend John,

Having a little leisure time and thinking you would like to hear from me, I thought I would pen a few lines to you. I would have written before but don’t get much time to write. If I undertake to write, I will be called out three or four times before I get a letter wrote. I am well and enjoying good health and hoping to find you and your family the same. It is very lonesome here stormy days. It has been snowing here all the morning. It is a very disagreeable day. We have had what I call cold weather two or three days. The weather down here has been quite mild. I suppose there is quite a difference in the weather here and Coxsackie. There has been some ice along the shores of the Potomac but now is all gone. The boats are all running here now.

We are situated on the banks of the Potomac 1 mile above Long Bridge on the old homestead of Gen. Lee. I suppose you hear a good deal talk about him. He is in the rebel army. I would like to have you see Old Virginia. It looks very bad. There is a great many houses burnt and torn down and a great deal of woods chopped down. There is nothing but soldiers around here as far as we can see. There is no use of me saying anything about the war. You can read more in the papers than I can tell you. We don’t hear much here. I use to hear more about matters up home in one day than I hear here in a week.

I don’t think much of this regiment for all it was cracked up so before I left home. It is a one horse concern. It is a money making arrangement all the way through. This regiment is 80,000 dollars in debt that can’t be accounted for. I don’t think it will stand long. There is to be a lot of cavalry disbanded and transferred into infantry. Gen. McClellan only wanted 27 regiments of cavalry and they have 52 regiments which is of no use to them. It cost 225 dollars to equip every soldier that is in the cavalry besides the tents so you can see what expense cavalry is.

All the regiments around here are under marching orders. They expect an advance in a few days. The most of the boys are all spoiling for a fight. We have a minister [Joshua B. Davis] in this regiment but don’t think much of him. He gets as tight as a brick. He was so drunk the other day he did not know a Bible from the New York Ledger.

Our horses begin to look very bad. They stand out in the weather without any covering over them. It looks hard. They sent 200 horses away to Washington yesterday condemned and unfit for service. There was a sale of horses the other day to Washington and they were sold from 25 cents to 30 dollars. I don’t know as I have much more to write at present. The bugle is sounding for drill and I must wind up this letter. Give my respects to Nancy and take good care of my little girl Ella and write soon and I remain your friend, — Winfield S. Miller

Direct your letter to Harris Light Cavalry, Co. L, Washington D. C.