Alvin Stone Matthews in Civil War uniform

born: 12 Jul 1840, Shelby Co.,Indiana

died: 15 Oct 1862, Petersburg,Virginia,as a Civil War POW

                      |--------Joel MATTHEWS (1755, (probably) Virginia - 1834, OH)
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           |---------James MATTHEWS (1779, Virginia - 1837, Indiana)
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           |          |--------Patty (1757, (probably) Virginia - )
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  |------Tunstal Quarles MATTHEWS (1807, Kentucky - 1878, Nebraska)
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  |        |---------Margaret REED (1784 - 1824, Ohio)
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Alvin Stone MATTHEWS (1840, Indiana - 1862, as a Civil War POW)
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  |------Harriet STONE (1808, New York - 1895, South Dakota)
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Alvin was in charge of a Sunday School class in South English and greatly admired by the boys for his high ideals, his sincere personality and his love for humanity.

Alvin enlisted in the Eighth Infantry, Company F from Keokuk County, Iowa for the Civil War. He was captured at Shiloh and died while a prisoner.

According to other sources, Alvin was held at Libby Prison in Richmond, Va. He was exchanged but never made it back and was buried in the Mississippi River.

Alvin believed in the cause he died for. Some letters written home by him from camp survive. They were transcribed by Shirley (Anderson) Reed from the originals. There are smudges and ink blots on them and they are very hard to read. Alvin was a fair penman but a very poor speller. Below is a transcription of the most interesting letter, written from St. Louis in October. \newline Dear Mother:

I set down to right a few lines to let you know how I am getting along it raind last night and is mudy this morning we and a good prare meating last night in our quarters. I think it was as good a meting as I ever was at.

We have got our gunes but we have not got our uniforms yet but I think we will get it before long. I escspect we lill leve here frida as we have Marchin orders we will go to Jeferson City the fifth regiment is there I am willian to go eny plase for I beleave that I am in a god cose and if I diy here in the feald I hope we will meat in the feald and if am spared I escspect to meat you all at home one of these days

the water is very pore here it is not as god as we had at Devenport we have to do our one washing or pay five cents apise I do my own I wold like to have some bred and buter agin I have got tired of beaf and bakers bred we have plenty of rise but it hant cooked ver well and hant god I roat a leter to Elisha Sunday I have rote several home since I have got eny

We have a very nise camp ground here the fore ground here is the nicest base? that I ever sene as fur as ware house nuse is concerned I escspect you no as much as I do I want Pap to rite me a leter and Iwant them all to rite top me and tell me abot every body My paper is scarse you must kiss ely for me and all the rest of the We have our company ful now we have a hundred an to I sene in the paper that President sed that he woldn't draft in the west eny more till the east has furnished it fule number and was glad that there note a going to be any drafting there I must quit this ----- as my sheet is nerly ful and I dont no whether you can read this or not

\hspace{30ex} Harriet Matthews
\hspace{30ex} A. S. Matthews

Here's some description of Alvin's regiment in the Civil War, The Eighth Infantry was organized during the summer of 1861, rendezvoused at Davenport, moved to St. Louis in September, where it remained two weeks, received its equipment and moved to Syracuse, where it was stationed for three months engaged in scouting and pursuing Price in His retreat through Arkansas. It returned to Sedalia in November and went into winter quarters. In March, following, it went by steamer to Pittsburg Landing, arriving just before the battle of Shiloh, in which it was engaged, and was its first battle. Company F was so stationed as to receive the brunt of the assault and captain Hoin was killed. The Eighth was the last to leave the advance line of the Union Army at Shiloh on that terrible Sunday battle. It could have retreated and saved itself from capture, but its motto was to obey orders and it was left alone to defend itself and the battery before it for and hour after supporting column had fled in terror from the field.

Sources for this individual: @S147@ @S27@ @S405@