Civil War Letter from 10th N.Y. Cavalry, January 3d, 1863

 Oxford Times, January 14, 1863

From the 10th N.Y. Cavalry, Camp Field near Falmouth, Va, January 3d, 1863

Dear Times:  When I last wrote you it was a time of excitement, and a time when many a brave heart ceased to beat in the service of country, and for the defense of our dear institutions, and with what results you know as well as I can tell you.  We have an enemy of no mean ability to contend with, but on the contrary they are in skill our equals, and they, standing on  the defensive, and being at home and knowing all the country crossroads and paths and advantageous positions.  This knowledge is worth thousands of men to the enemy every month, for they have leaders who know how to make the best of all these things and they do it.  You of the Empire State, who have not traveled in the old dominion, can have but a faint idea why it was chosen for the battle field in this contest against the Government at Washington. The impassable gulfs, hills and streams, perhaps present more obstacles to an invading army than in any other place in America.  In order to move a train six or eight miles it is often necessary to go three or four times the distance to get there, owing to the natural obstacles in the way.  You think you have hills and bad place in your section, but any road in McDonough would be compared to the roads here, that the artillery and army wagons travel over--A nice Plant Road it is true, we do not often find any stones but such sand gulfs and sand hills could not be passed except by the indomitable enemy of the Yankee. And while our foe that we are contending with knows every ford and path, and can take advantage of it, we have to search them out ourselves, and then the vastness of our army, to be confined to a single road it would reach from New York city to Richmond, the army wagons alone, and then think of the artillery, cavalry and infantry force of the command. As I go out on duty and see all these things every road that by Herculean strength and indomitable zeal can open, filled with wagons, and these wagons filled with army stores for the supply of man and beast. The only wonder to me is that the army is able to move as fast as it does.  I know I used to be one of those who used to think that some things could be done as well as others. But the only way I know of to satisfy that class of men that there is some things that cannot be done as well as others, it to send them down here and try for themselves.  I must close as I began by saying that our enemies are our equals at least in their mode of warfare which they chose. Yet I believe they are not our equals in an open fight, and I am equally certain that if they would come out of their hiding places and meet us on a fair field, they would be whipped, and this they know full well, and therefore they choose their own mode of warfare, and we have to meet him where he chooses, which gives him all the advantage in every engagement, for their Generals are all smart enough not to be out flanked by us.  It has been tried, but as often they have foiled us and we in turn were flanked or they in the darkness slipped away and left us to choose a new base of operations.  I am now convinced that it will be a long war or peace must be brought about by an honorable compromise. But the army will never submit to anything but what is honorable to our cause. The men of our little Company are usually well, we are not all together, some 46 of our Company have been detached as orderlies to the different Generals of our army corps, which is under command of the General Reynolds. All letters to this Company should be addressed to the Headquarters, 1st army corps and not mention the 10th Cavalry as it only delays them, as they go to the old Regiment.   F.