The following letter was written by 19 year-old Orville Baxter (1842-1862) of Co. G, 3rd New York Cavalry. Orvill enlisted at Rodman and served in the regiment until 14 November 1862 when he died of disease at New Bern, North Carolina. Orvill was the son of Benjamin B. Baxter (1797-1858) and Lucy Chamberlin (1805-1866) of Jefferson county, New York.

When Orvill wrote this letter in early December 1861, the regiment was attached to Stone’s Division of the Army of the Potomac, stationed near Poolesville, Maryland.

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Camp near Poolesville, Maryland
December 8, 1861

Dear Uncle,

I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well and in good health and hope this will find you the same. I’ve written to you but I have not had any answer. I would like to hear from you very well. I have wrote to most all of our folks on the hill but I don’t get but a damn few answers. Maybe they don’t want to write. If they don’t, they can go to hell. I am here and they are there but Uncle Jabe, I don’t want you to go back on me for I want to hear from you and your folks. Tell Uncle Oliver that I am just as round as a peach. Tell the dumb shit fool that I have wrote to him once or [twice] but I don’t get any answer somehow or ruther.

It is very fine weather here yet. We have not had any snow to amount to anything. We expect to stay in our small tents this winter. We can do it and be comfortable. We have pretty good times here now. We drill only once a day but it is not likely that we will drill much longer for it is so damn muddy that we all have to have a general wash after it. It is a sight to see five or six hundred horses on the field at once and making a charge. All hell cannot stop some of the horses. They are as wild as the devil, some of them. We was on drill today and one man fell off his horse and three or four run over him and fell down and there was a fine old pile of them in a hurry. The one that gets up and away first is the best fellow.

There, the belly organ has sounded and I shall have to stop writing now but write soon as you get this and let me know how you are a getting along. Direct your letters to Orvill Baxter, Company G, [James Henry] Van Alen Cavalry.