CIVIL WAR LETTERS OF
MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE RICHARDSON
(Mark L. Richardson)

DECEMBER 14th, 1862

This letter was written while Mark was stationed at General Grover's Headquarters on the Potomac near Washington, D.C. It is addressed to his cousin, Deborah Blanchard Rideout of New Gloucester, Maine, in care of Dr. Henry T. Cummings of Portland, Maine. Dr. Cummings was husband of Deborah's sister, Mary A. (Rideout) Cummings. Deborah Blanchard Rideout was my great grandmother. This line is detailed at my Rideout page.

Front of Envelope. At left an extended hand offers a bouquet of flowers, wheat, and an oak branch. On a large leaf is written the recipient's name, "Miss Deborah Rideout, Portland, Me." On the ribbon at the base of the bouquet are Mark's initials and his unit (Co. C. 23rd Maine). At the lower left is written "Care of Dr. H. T. Cummings." She apparently was staying with him and her sister, Mary, at this time. She soon returned to her home in New Gloucester, Maine, however as Mark asks for her New Gloucester address and directs his January 10th letter to her there.

(Page 1)
Camp Grover Dec. 14, 1862
Dear Cousin
I recd your kind letter in due time and you may rest assured that it was read & received with much pleasure by me. I did not expect one quite so soon but it came just the right time and was such a good one that I must thank you most kindly for it, and only wish that I could return the complement by writing as good a one, but my gift does not lie in writing down my tho'ts. I much rather sit down and talk with my friends than to write.
When I wrote to you last I expected to have been on my way to Texas ere this but here we are in just about the same place as before we have moved our Reg't about 4 miles from our old Camp so that our Brigade is all together now. and I rather think we shall stay here all winter as our Reg't is not able to move at present on account of the measles which are among us and a good many of our men are sick with them. They go quite light and the sick are doing well at present. I think I was quite fortunate in having them last fall although I tho't it was very hard at the time

(Page 2)
but we cannot always tell what is for the best although it may seem hard at the time I find it is far different to be sick here than it would be at home with kind Friends to care for You. and I think that I am among the favored ones in enjoying such good Health as I have since I have been here in Camp. we have quite a numb. sick with typhoid Fever and is generally fatal. our location is very Pleasant and it is a splendid country around us but it wants a few Yankee farmers down Here and it would soon be a different looking Place from what it is now I have not seen a Church nor even a School House since I left Washington so you can judge for yourself that it lacks the enterprise of old Maine. and the Farm houses have an old look and a great many of them are built of Logs and are wretched things for a civilized man to live in now days. we are enjoying fine warm weather now it does not seem much like a winter in Maine especially last winter and I can hardly realize that it is so late as this but we have something worse than snow that is mud every where one goes it is nothing but mud, mud. but I am getting use to it and can get along with it quite well

(Page 3)
I suppose that thanksgiving passed with its usual amount of pleasure & happiness I could not be there to enjoy it. but still I know that I should not be forgotten on that Day and that many friends would wish him a Place at their Thanksgiving Dinner and I know that I could have done justice to most any dinner on that Day for hard work is a fine thing to give one an appetite.
We have got news tonight that Richmond is taken but it is to good news to be true but the Soldiers have great faith that it will soon be ours if not all ready and think if we are succesfull that it will end the War I do hope it may prove so.
I rec'd a Letter from Jennie last week She was well and said she was going to write You. The pictures came all right and I am obliged to You for sending them to her. she was much Pleased with them I got her Picture last week. I have just finished a sketch to Day of part of our camp the Capt tho't it was very Nice and was bound to have it but I did not give it up and am going to send it to Jennie I wish had more time I should like to draw more but my time is pretty well employed during the Day I can hardly get time to do any thing for myself for the Boys are teazing

(Page 4)
to do something for them all the time and I hate to refuse them but it keeps my employed and I think I fare the better for it.
Now Cousin I hope you will answer this poor apoligy for a letter as promtly as you did the other and not take Pattern by me and neglect it although I will write often if there is anything of importance takes place You need not be affraid of getting your letters to long. where is Bertha and how shall I direct a letter to her. My love to all Now please write soon and tell any of my Cousins to write and not wait for Me to write them
from your aff Cousin
Mark
what is your N. G. address.

"Jennie" seems to be Mark's sister Jane E. Richardson. "Bertha" is Deborah B. Rideout's sister (sometimes spelled Bethia).

The rumor reported in this letter of the taking of Richmond is an interesting one as this letter is dated the day after General Burnside's series of disastrous assaults on Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg, Virginia, 60 miles north of Richmond. The capitol of the Confederacy would not fall into Union hands until early April of 1865.