Letters home from Mathias Mosman
Army of the Potomac 5th Corpse Camp of the 188 reg. N.Y. V. November 22nd 1864.
Respected Brother
Charles Reynolds is in our company now. He brought some paper here for sale. I bought this of him to send to you. I had a talk with him about the Johnies. He said that he has a talk with them every few days. The last time he was on picket 8 came into there our lines. The Johnes are comeing in quite fast “now a nights.” They say that they are sick of the war and that they are not disposed to fight an other 4 years, as there officers say that they were going to. He said that he went to their picket line the other day and had a talk with a rebel Lieutenant he the Lieut said that they will never come back into the union again (But the privates say that they will not fight any more.) The rebbles do not alow their privates to come to talk with our men. They are a feared that our men will enduse them to desert. He asked him why he did not let any of his men come out to hear the talk, the rebb did not answer him. Charles told him that he knew what was the matter.
November 23th 1864.
Since I have writen the above, I received your letter of the 11th inst. I saw it was postmarked, Olean Nov. 18th 1864, which brought it to me in 5 days from the time it left Olean and 11 days from the time you wrote it. I am glad to know that you think of the things which I need and am thankful for that sheet of paper and those stamps which you sent in your letter. I had only 2 sheets left yesterday morning but I had a good chance to buy some of Charles Reynolds so I bought 12 cents worth. If it had not been for that, I should been nearly out now. This makes me 35 letters I have written since I left home. But I did not send them all to Humphrey. But I sent nearly half of them there. I have writen as much as one every week to Mary and sometimes two. I have received 5 from her and 2 from you. “All quiet on the Potomac” It is pretty cold this morning. It frose pretty hard last night. We had 3 or 4 very rainy days. It cleared off yesterday. We were to march again the next morning after it comminced to rain, but the rain stoped us.
If Mary has not sent those gloves yet tell her to send them right along without delay, as I kneed them now every day. And tell her to put a card inside of them stateing where they came from and to whom they are sent to but she must not put in any other writing. This is done so that if the outside directions are injured the inside directions will show what to do about it when it goes into the dead letter office if it should have the misfortune to get there. I saw in a paper the other day that was the way to direct. I am waiting every day to learn how your father made out with that Mr. Allen of Machias about that money and bond. I can not think of any more of importance to write to you at present. Give my respects to Barny and Sarah and Mr. Salisbury and his wife and to all the “Tickletown” folks, and I will remain yours in the service of our Country.
Matthias Mosman to Charles Ganung I am in good health
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Army of the Potomac in the field near the Appomatix Corthouse, April, 9the 1865 Dearly beloved wife
Thanks to Almighty God, that I can record the news that Lee has this day surrendered the Armys of the so called Confederycy to General Grant, the last Cannon that was fired was fired over our regiment. It did not hurt any one. Charles Reynolds and Alonzo Wheeler came to see me and staid about 10 or 15 minutes and left this moment. They are all well. We all feal happy. And so do the Johnies. We feal that we shall soon be permited to see our friends again. It is most dark and I must Close. And remain yours as ever your effectionate husband. Matthias Mosman Co. A 188 reg. N.Y.V.
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MATHIAS MOSMAN is the son of William Mosman, who was born in Germany in 1801, came to America in 1847, and settled in Erie County, where he died in 1881. Mathias came to Humphrey in 1854 and worked by the month for Rufus and Gilbert Sweet, buying of the latter fifty acres of land in 1860. In 1862 he married Mary E., daughter of James Ganung. Their eldest child, William J., married Gertrude Wagner and has one child, Coral. Sarah A. and Charles B. Mosman, the two younger children, are at home. In 1864 Mr. Mosman enlisted in Co. A, 188th N.Y. Vols., and joined the Fifth Army Corps. He was in the Weldon Raid, the first and second Hatcher’s Run battles, and was present at Lee’s surrender. He was discharged at Arlington at the close of the war. Originally a Republican he was one of ten men who organized the Prohibition party in Cattaraugus county, to which he still belongs. He bought his present farm of eighty acres in 1868 and built his new house in 1882. He was a member of the first Excise Board in Humphrey and has been a deacon of the Baptist church fifteen years.
[From the 1893 History of Cattaraugus County, p. 741]
