This letter was written by Matthew Davis (1838-1933) who enlisted on 24 May 1861 in Co. G, 16th Illinois Infantry. According to his enlistment records, Matthew stood 5 feet 9.5 inches tall, had black hair and blue eyes. He claimed that he was single “farmer,” gave his birthplace as Doddsville, Schuyler county, Illinois, but his residence as Sulphur Hill, Shelby county, Indiana. He was transferred to the 60th Illinois Infantry on 1 January 1864.
Matthew was the son of Jesse Davis (1804-1893) and Rachel Melinda Moore (1811-1842). He was married in September 1864 to Hannah Agnes Seward (1844-1878) of Schuyler county, Illinois, to whom he wrote this 1863 letter. Following his marriage, the couple moved to Hancock county, Illinois where Matthew lived out his days as a farmer.
In his letter, Matthew writes of encountering elements of Earl Van Dorn’s army with whom “we tried to get a fight but could not do it.” Three weeks later Maj. Gen. Van Dorn was killed at Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Transcription
Nashville, Tennesee
April 17, 1863
Friend Hannah,
I now seat myself to write you a few lines in answer to your kind letter of March 13th. I was glad to hear that you were all well.
I have neglected writing but I think that I have a good excuse for not writing sooner. I received your letter on the 7th and on the 8th. We got marching orders. We started with five days rations and that run out and sent for 5 days more. We eat that up and then returned to camp. We were out ten days without tents or anything except one blanket apiece. We fared tolerable well with the exception of 3 or 4 days that it rained which was very disagreeable.
We tried to get a fight but could not do it. The Rebels drove in our pickets once but they did not come any closer. [Major Gen. Earl] Van Dorn and his army have got in the rear of our army and we were sent out for the purpose of driving him back which we did and that without a fight. Our force was two thousand commanded by General [James D.] Morgan. There was but five companies of our regiment.
“One of our boys got badly wounded the other day on the cars caused by the Rebs firing into the train but the best of it was there was a load of secesh prisoners on the train and they killed 7 of them. I wish they had of killed all of them for I hate them worse every day of my life.”
One of our boys got badly wounded the other day on the cars caused by the Rebs firing into the train but the best of it was there was a load of secesh prisoners on the train and they killed 7 of them. I wish they had of killed all of them for I hate them worse every day of my life.
You said that you wished that all of them Copperheads would be drafted. I do hope to God they will all have to go in the army and I hope they will be put in the front and made [to] fight for there is nothing under the heavens that I hate as bad as I do a Rebel at home. I think a traitor in arms a gentleman by the side of one of those sneaking traitors in our rear.
You said that Dave 1 had ran off. He has not come here. If he does, I will inform you of it. I received a letter from John and he was well. Baird Pitman 2 has just come to our company. He has been home sick. He enlisted last fall and was taken sick before he got to the regiment and was sent home. You know him I suppose.
I shall have to come to a close for it is late and I am tired as I have been marching all day. This leaves me well and I do sincerely hope that it will find you the same. Please write soon and excuse bad writing and spelling.
Yours truly, — M. Davis
1 This is probably a reference to Hannah’s younger brother, David Allen Seward (1848-1928). David ran off to join the 3rd Illinois Cavalry, Co. B.
2 Baird Pitman (1833-1864) was a recruit from Rushville, Schuyler county, Illinois, who enlisted on 10 August 1862 but apparently did not join the regiment until April 1863. He was with the regiment in the Battle of Nashville where he was killed on 15 December 1864, leaving a wife and children.
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