Stephen A. Matthews to Mariette Hutchins, 26 May 1865
Washington D.C. May 26/65
 
                        Dear friend
                                                I will improve a few moments in converseing with you through the medium of my pen. yours of the 13th was received in due time & with much pleasure by me. its found me enjoying life to a good advantage. we have pretty nice times here now we are encamped on East Capitol St about 200 yards from the capitol we have the priveledge of visiting the capitol at all hours during the day also the park which is a beautiful of specimen of the work of nature. I wish you could be here to ramble with me at sunset through the capitol yard & park I think we could spend an hour or two satisfactory to both of us. what do you say??/
you have doubtless heard of the grand revew of the armey in the city of the 23 & 4 well to discribe the some splendor of the two day revew would take a novelist one week my talent of composision will not permit me to do justice to it so I will not try. I will say that the Regt your Brother is (or was) in is here. I never saw a better and or more inteligent looking lot of men than in that Regt I talk some of going over to their camp in a few days & perhaps will call and see him as it will not be much trouble to me as I have got some friends in the same Co if I wer acquainted with him I think we might have a good time but it may be so that I will form his acquaintance here & it will make it more plesant for me when I shall come to Mich. you said you would be happy to receive a visit from me in your little School house. be assured my friend there is nothing that would please me more & do not be to sure that we do not meet this side of eternity for someday/when you least expect me you will stand face to face with your Stranger corispondant in your little cozy Scoolroom. I am quite certain of seeing you before Sept next we expect to be discharged every day without doubt and will have the pleasure of returning to our Homes & mingleing our voices with those that are near & dear to us. oh will not that be a happy day for us deprived Soldiers. I guess you will say yes, yes, indeed. it will! I will tell you what we are doing here in Washington. we are doing guard duty at the Old Capitol Prison & Carroll Place Prison. we have in confined in these prisons many accomplices of the murder..Wretch! Booth his Brother is one I will not mention the names of but a few of the most distinguished carictors confined…Ex. Gov. Vance of N.C. Gov Brown of Georgia Gov. Letcher of Va Dr Duff Dr Trumblety & Miss Harris who shot (name I have forgotten) the man in the treasure Dept about one yeare ago I will not say anything more on this subject but if you wish to know the particulars keep this letter & when I visit you I will explain all satisfactory/
 
you will excuse this short letter this time as I have got to go on guard in a few minits when this reaches you I may perhaps be at Home & when you answer it I think you had best address your letter to—West Falls. Erie Co N.Y. & if it should be that it arrives before me my folks will forward on to me I will close hopeing to hear from you soon & that it will not be many days before I will have the pleasure of seeing you.
 
I remain Respectfully your true friend as ever
                                                                        Stephen A. Matthews
914
DATABASE CONTENT
(914)DL0136.01513Letters1865-05-26

Letter from Stephen A. Matthews, 116th New York Infantry, Washington, D. C., May 26, 1865, to Miss Mariette Hutchins, Berlin Station, Michigan


Tags: Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Camp/Lodging, Crime, John Wilkes Booth, Peace, Prisoners of War, School/Education, The Grand Review, United States Government

People - Records: 2

  • (352) [recipient] ~ Hutchins, Mariette
  • (358) [writer] ~ Matthews, Stephen Anson

Places - Records: 1

  • (75) [origination] ~ Washington, DC

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SOURCES

Stephen A. Matthews to Mariette Hutchins, 26 May 1865, DL0136.015