The following letter was written by Samuel Thoman (1813-1862), the son of Johann Heinrich Thoman (1757-1835) and Magdalena Fredrika Hoffman (1769-1856) of Perry county, Pennsylvania. Samuel married Sarah Novinger (1820-1893) in 1839 and moved to Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, where he was employed as a miller. In September 1861, at the age of 48, Samuel enlisted in Co. D, 46th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was killed in the First Battle of Winchester in May 1862 in which Gen. Banks’ troops were heavily outnumbered and forced to retreat 35 miles to Williamsport, Maryland.

In his letter, Samuel speaks of the construction of a log shanty for winter quarters at Camp Mathews and of his hope that his wife might come and visit him. Samuel and his wife had only one son—Emanuel Thoman (1844-1915).

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

Camp Mathews [on the Upper Potomac in Maryland]
January 4th 1862

Dear wife & son,

I sit down this morning to inform you with these few lines that I received your letter which you wrote on the 31st the 2nd day of January and was happy to hear that you was still enjoying good health and your letter found me in the same. I would have wrote the next day but we was going to put up a log cabin and we were just in time for yesterday evening after we had it done, it commenced snowing and so we live very comfortably to what we have done before. We have got a small fire place in it that we can cook our sausage in which you send to me, but they are nearly all gone. The box that you send I received the second day of Christmas and was very glad to get it. But all the rest of the soldiers got boxes sent to them during the Holidays. Now I cannot account what is the reason that I get some of your letters so quick and some I don’t get at all, or else you don’t get mine for I write to you every week. I wrote one on the 15th and one on the 22nd & one on the 27th and one today, and I have only received one for the three. In fact, I have wrote a letter every week since I am in the army except the first week. I have wrote at least 50 letters since I left home and I have not received half that many yet

Now I will let you know that we have not drawn our pay yet and the money is getting low in our purses but I think we will be paid off next week and then I will try and send you some money home again. But some says that we won’t get more than one month’s pay this time. But I think if we get any at all, we will get the whole of it. I would like very well if I could get a furlough to come home and see you after pay day but I think we can not get away from here for we don’t know what day we may be called away from here. But I hope we may stay here all winter since we have gone to the trouble of building our shanties.

Archibald Griffin is a going to send for his wife to come to see him after pay day and he wanted me to send for you to accompany her and if you wish to come and see the country, I will send you the money to come and stay a while for you could board at some of the farm houses and I could be with you nearly all the time for it would not cost a great deal of money for you to come here and then you would see more than ever you did before. You could see what for a life that soldiers have. There is two of the Harrisburg women here now. Their husbands live in our shanty with Griffin and me and we can afford to keep you here as well as they can so if you want to come, let me know as soon as you get this letter.

And I want you to let me know how much that box cost you that you sent to me so that if I get hungry again, I will send for another one if they don’t cost too much for I may as well have a little comfort here as the rest of them for I don’t know how long I can enjoy myself in this world. All the things that you sent me was just as nice as they were when you put them into the box. I did not know what to commence on first.

So I think I will come to a close for this time but do not forget to write soon again for it always makes me feel happy to hear from you so I will bid you goodbye for this time. Your most affectionate husband. — Samuel Thoman

Sarah Thoman
Emanuel Thoman

Direct as before.