The following letters were written by Sgt. John Merring Stroud (1837-1873) of Co. K, 86th New York Infantry (a.k.a. the “Steuben Rangers”). This regiment was organized at Elmira and mustered in on 20 November 1861. Upon arrival in Washington D. C., they were attached to the 2nd Brigade, Casey’s Division, Army of the Potomac until March 1862, and then reassigned to Wadsworth’s Command of the Military District of Washington until August 1862. Their first real battle did not occur until December 1862 when they participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg. John service record indicates that he left the regiment in October 1862, however—discharged for disability.

John was from Bennett’s Creek in Steuben county, New York. His parents were Joseph D. Stroud (1799-1870) and Elizabeth Merring (1802-1883). It’s amazing that John’s letter was delivered given that he did not write Steuben county on Lottie’s address.

Letter 1

Headquarters Provost Marshal Office
Washington D. C.
May 1st 1862

Friend Lottie,

Yours came duly to hand and was received today, Was glad to hear that you are not discouraged although nay of your old associates have fallen even here. You see but a very small part of the horrors of war. It is truly hard to see those who you have ben almost daily with laying at the point of death and in the intensest agony. Although I have witnessed much of it, I cannot look upon such a scene without feeling for them and the friends that are to mourn their loss. All of this only makes a man fear death less, Makes him think that maybe his lot, should it be his only hope, may it be in the battle field where he may at least kill one before it is his lot to fall.

The 86th [New York] are in better health than they were a short time ago. I enjoy life well although we have to be on duty every other day and some of the time oftener.

We have many secesh prisoners here to try every day as well as a great many contrabands. The contrabands think there is no other man like Massa Lincoln. He is all right. The slaves are all freed in the District and tonight are holding a meeting celebrating their freedom. ¹ Many contrabands have come from Mississippi here and every other state that own slaves. I should be happy to tell you much more but space will not permit. I think I shall come home on a furlough the last of May. Then I should be happy to see you. You must come home then. Won’t you?

Lottie, I thank you for your kindness in sending me those cakes of sugar. They were very nice and I enjoyed eating them very much. I hope you may enjoy the coming summer well in teaching. I enjoy life well here but hope to have a very nice time when I come home which will be in the course of a few weeks.

The war is progressing finely and I hope a few more months will end the main fighting. New Orleans is undoubtedly ours. When we gain Yorktown and one or two more strongholds, we must gain the whole thing which I am confident we will.

In yours you wrote you had learned a very rich thing concerning Miss Taft and myself. I should be happy indeed to have you write what it is. I cannot guess. Please do.

Excuse these imperfect lines. Also rapid penmanship and write soon. Ever yours, — Sgt. J. M. Stroud

¹ There were some 3,000 slaves living in the District of Columbia in April 1862 that were freed by D. C.’s Compensated Emancipation Act. It was passed on 16 April 1862 and it compensated the slaveholders for their “property” and gave freed black people money to emigrate if they wanted to.

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Letter 2

Old Capitol Prison
Washington D. C.
June 12, 1862

Friend Lottie,

Yours came duly to hand. Was glad to hear you were having happy times this summer. We are yet in Washington and have charge of the secesh prison. See full better times than we would were we in the field. It is not very hot here now except once in a while a day. It does not seem as hot as it did one month ago.

Our Boys are getting reduced in number to quite a small regiment. There is a quite a god many in the sick list now with mumps and there is some few cases of the varioloid. I hope that the last mentioned disease will not rage to a very great extent but it may notwithstanding. Byron has been complaining a little for a couple of days but I do not think there is anything serious got hold of him.

We have had a good deal of rain and a considerable of cold wind.

Lottie, I do not know what to write that will interest you but will write gen[eral] news. Perhaps that will be as well as I can do this time. We had some pretty hard opposition near Richmond but hope that all opposition may be overthrown. Our forces have been driven back—all that has opposed their progress thus far and may they still drive them until they are subdued.

You must write me soon. I think of coming home next week. Then I should be happy to see you and the friends of New York. I think we could have a jolly old time. I can talk far faster than I can write. Write soon. I will close. Yours truly, — J. M. Stroud