Summary Information
James M. Chatfield Papers
1862-1868
WVM Mss 544
0.2 linear ft.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)
Papers of James M. Chatfield, an officer in Company D, 2nd Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War. The majority of the collection consists of letters he wrote home to his wife, Julia, during the war. Chatfield described the life of a cavalryman in camp and on the march, writing about tending the horses and doing scouting missions. He also described some of the battles his unit was involved in, such as New Madrid and Perryville. Letters written from convalescent camps and hospitals later in 1863 describe an illness that would kill him in December. Two letters from an Ohio woman to Chatfield's mother describe the seriousness of his illness and give condolences after his death. Also included are photocopied papers documenting Julia Chatfield's efforts to receive a government pension.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00544 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
James M. Chatfield was born circa 1838. He married Julia and, in April 1861 they had a daughter, Mary. The family lived in Grand Haven, Michigan as the Civil War broke out, and he enlisted into Company D of the 2nd Michigan Cavalry on September 6, 1861. With that unit he began his service in the Western theater, where he saw some light skirmishing. While moving throughout Mississippi, the 2nd Cavalry came briefly under the command of Philip H. Sheridan, a recently promoted colonel who would rise to the rank of brigadier general later in the war. Chatfield and his comrades moved into Kentucky, where they participated in the battle at Perryville in October 1862. Toward the end of the year they moved into Tennessee, where they remained for much of 1863.
Chatfield was promoted to the rank of corporal in January 1863. In the summer of that year he became ill, suffering from chronic diarrhea. He noted the sickness in a letter written in July, and by October he was in a convalescent camp with other soldiers suffering from various maladies. By November he had been moved to a Union hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. On December 7, 1863 Chatfield passed away, becoming one of over 27.500 Civil War soldiers to die from chronic diarrhea. He was buried in Nashville.
Scope and Content Note
The James M. Chatfield papers consist almost entirely of the letters that he wrote home to his wife, Julia, from 1862-1863. The majority of the letters describe happenings in camp, such as tending the horses and waiting to get paid. He writes often about sending money home, and gives Julia advice on saving money and “being economical.” Company D of the 2nd Michigan Cavalry did not see very much fighting during the time period that Chatfield wrote home, so there are not very many accounts of battles. Two exceptions are New Madrid (March-April 1862) and Perryville (October 8, 1862).
As early as July 1863 Chatfield mentioned that he was sick, though he assured his wife that it was nothing serious. By October he wrote his letters from a convalescent camp and a Thanksgiving letter was written from a hospital in Nashville. In it, he asked his wife to spend money wisely in case he got killed in battle or died in the hospital. He also closed the letter in an uncharacteristically sentimental way that suggests he may have known his health was deteriorating. Less than two weeks later he died.
A letter written to Chatfield's mother by an Ohio woman provides some interesting insight into the days right up to his death. Annie Kinnan, from Ohio, was visiting the hospital in Nashville and happened to see Chatfield. She ascertained, either from him or from hospital workers, that Chatfield had not informed his wife about the severity of his illness. So she took it upon herself to write to Chatfield's mother and plead with her to visit her son in Nashville and to try to get him moved to a hospital in Michigan. Ironically, Kinnan's letter is dated December 7, 1863, the day Chatfield died. Later, Kinnan wrote a letter of condolence to Chatfield's mother.
The remainder of the papers relate to Julia Chatfield's efforts to receive a war widow's pension. Included are affidavits and applications attesting to her identity as Chatfield's wife.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Joan Deneen, Janesville, WI and Rosemary Deneen, Mazomanie, WI, 2003. This collection was organized as a result of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission project grant (2003-075).
Processed by Russell Horton in 2004.
Contents List
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Series: Civil War
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Subseries: Correspondence
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Box
1
Folder
1-2
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James Chatfield to Julia Chatfield (wife), 1862-1863
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Annie Kinnan to Mary Chatfield (mother), 1863-1864
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Pension materials, 1863-1868
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