This letter was written by 44 year-old Fisher A. Cleaveland (1819-1899) from East Freetown, Bristol County, Massuchusetts while he was serving with the 35th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, Co. I. Fisher was married to Jane Rounsevell (1825-1914) and the couple had three children—a boy and two girls. He wrote this letter to his 14 year-old son Henry (1849-1876).

According to muster records, Fisher was a mechanic when he enlisted in the 35th Massachusetts on 16 August 1862 and was wounded in the fighting at Sharpsburg a month later. He recovered, however, and returned to his regiment to serve out his term of duty, mustering out on 9 June 1865. The 1890 Veteran’s Schedule informs us that Fisher lost his right index finger but does not tell us if it was the wound in received at the Battle of Antietam.

A large number of Cleaveland’s letters may be found at Duke University Libraries and made available on-line through the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center. The detailed letters describe work assignments, fortifications, the regiment’s locations, and troop movements. Cleaveland was located at various places during the time period covered by the letters, including Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, 1862-1863; Vicksburg, Miss., summer 1863; Kentucky, fall 1863; Tennessee, (1863, Nov.-1864, March); Petersburg, Va., (1864, June-1865, Feb.); and Alexandria, Va., (1865, Apr.) He was part of the forces participating in the Battle of Antietam, the Vicksburg campaign, and the siege of Petersburg. The collection includes a tintype but it is of a much younger man than Fisher.

Other letters published on Spared & Shared by member of the 35th Massachusetts include:

Andrew Henry Frame, Co. A, 35th Massachusetts (1 Letter)
George W. Creasey, Co. B, 35th Massachusetts (1 Letter)
John Williams Hudson, Co. D, 35th Massachusetts (1 Letter)
William Washburn, Jr., Co. G, 35th Massachusetts (1 Letter)
Alfred R. Ellis, Co. I, 35th Massachusetts (1 Letter)
Christopher K. Call, Co. K, 35th Massachusetts (1 Letter)

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

Camp of the 2nd Brigade
35th [Mass.] Regiment near London, Kentucky
October 6, 1863

To Henry,

Dear son, I thought that I would write a few lines to let you know that I was well hoping that I should get an answer from you when you receive this.

We started from Crab Orchard on our march October 2nd at 7.30 a.m. Stopped at Convalescent Camp one mile from town one hour for the convalescents to get ready. 150 of them went with us. Marched 11 miles and then encamped one mile from Mt. Vernon. Arrived at camp at 3 p.m. The road was very muddy and some pretty hard hills to climb. About 25 of the 35th of the provost guard acted as advance guard. The rest and the 51st provost as rear guard to pick up the stragglers. The advance guard was ordered to keep some 8 or 10 rods in advance and to let no one pass them.

The next day we acted as rear guard and so keep changing from [front] to rear every other day. The advance guard is commanded by a sergeant, the rear by a Lieutenant who commands the whole provost when in camp. We all expected to be sent back to our regiment when we were ordered to march but like this way better. Our teams did not get up until 8 the next morning and only those that carried the baggage. We struck tents and marched. Some 20 of us of the rear guard were ordered to town [Mount Vernon, KY] and a guard was stationed at every house and store and ordered not to let any soldier pass in. I was stationed at a store. Our brigade passed through at 9.30 a.m. We then marched in the rear. We marched 5 miles today and then encamped 3.5 miles from Mt. Vernon. Part of the road was about as bad as I ever saw for half a mile. As we went down the mountain, it was about as rocky as any road I ever saw. The ledge ran across the road and the wheels would have to drop [ ] feet perpendicular where there was no large rock, the road full of loose stones so that [if] you were not very careful how you stepped, you would fall and almost as steep as Pine Hill.

There was a large spring near our camp. The water was very cool and good as any that I ever saw. It came out under a rock in a stream some 10 inches in diameter. There was a cave [Pine Hill Cave] close by the springs. Some of the soldiers went 20 [ ] rods into it. I went into the mouth. The first part was as large on the floor as our house and about 12 feet high to the top, There were two holes some 5 feet in diameter about 5 feet from the floor. After you had passed in, they were high enough to stand up in some 8 rods but you had to have a candle to see, I did not go in as I had no light. The rest of our teams came up here.

We struck our tents Sunday at 7.30 a.m. Marched 11 miles and encamped near Rock Castle Creek. The road for 6 miles was very good for this country. We then crossed Wildcat Creek. We then had to climb the mountains. It was then up hill and down, the last 4 miles as bad a road for a team as I ever saw. We started the next morning at 7.30 a.m., crossed Rock Castle Creek, and then had to climb a mountain for half an hour mile. It was as steep as Pine Hill. The regiment had to halt before they got to the top as we were all out of wind.

After we had got to the top, there was some tall marching. We were two hours and 40 minutes from camp to camp, 8 miles, and stopping but once. After we got up the mountain in 7.5 miles each man carrying some 55 pounds weight and pretty hilly at that, the rear guard was some 15 minutes longer as we had to stop for stragglers. We may stop here another day as we expect to have to stop until the batteries come up. The 11th New Hampshire is encamped here three miles from London. We expect they will go on with us. The houses on average between the towns are some half a mile apart. We have not received any mail since the 1st of October but expect one tonight.

I suppose that you are a setting traps now for rabbits and partridges. The last are very plenty out here. So are quails, pigeons, and grey squirrels and god many coons and deer. Almost all the land is covered with wood back from the road. I went some 4 miles in them yesterday after chestnuts and walnuts but did not find any as the squrrels and hogs had eat them up. I saw white oaks four feet in diameter without a limb for 75 feet or more. There are several kinds of white and black oak, chestnut, maple, basswood, sycamore, elm, black walnut, and butternuts in the woods and on the tops the mountain, two kinds oof hard pine. One that looks like ours at home. The other the needles or leaves are not more than one third as long. There is also some four hemlocks. I found Sunday on the side of the mountain Noble Liverwort a growing and as plenty as at home. Also checkerberries—the first that I have seen since I left Virginia.

Almost all the houses are built of logs, hewed on the outside and inside. The spaces filled with clay. The corners locked together. The chimney built of stone and on the outside. Some have two, one at each end. Most of the houses have but 2 rooms. I suppose that you go to school now. I want you should try to learn all that you can and not contract any bad habits such as drinking beer or cider, smoking or chewing tobacco, or using bad language. And try to speak and write correctly as all of these will be of use to you in after life. If you could see the drinking, chewing, smoking and swearing in the army, you would be so disgusted that you would wish to do either. I wish that you would try to save your Mother all [the] labor that you can. As I wrote a long letter, I must now close so goodbye for the present from your father, — Fisher A. Cleaveland