1864-65: Isaac Taylor Letters

Capt. Isaac Taylor, Co. H, 3rd Minnesota

These nineteen letters were written by Capt. Isaac Taylor (1834-1909), the son of Isaac Putnam Taylor (1806-1854) and Martha Green Skidmore (1807-1885) who relocated from Saratoga Springs, New York, to Peoria, Illinois about 1839. Isaac was a descendant of Gideon Putnam—the developer of Saratoga Springs.

Isaac entered the volunteer service as the 2nd Lieutenant of Co. H, 3rd Minnesota Infantry, was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in March 1864, and to Captain of his company in April 1864. His request for resignation of his commission was accepted on 18 April 1865. 

Commissioned in November of 1861, the 3rd Minnesota Regiment was initially sent to Tennessee.  As part of the Army of the Cumberland, the third Minnesota joined a brigade guarding the important crossroads of Murfreesboro.  Here they were surprised and captured by Confederate forces under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest in July of 1862.  The paroled regiment was sent back to Minnesota where it took part in the Dakota War.  As the only fully trained unit in General Sibley’s Command the 3rd Minnesota was important to his success, particularly at the battle of Wood Lake.  After reorganization the 3rd was again sent south in January 1863 joining the 2nd Division of the 16th Army Corps.  The following summer they took part in the siege of Vicksburg and later were part of the Arkansas campaign and transferred to the Army of Arkansas.  They were among the forces supporting the unsuccessful Red River Campaign the following year.  They remained part of the 2nd Division, 7th Army Corps, Dept. of Arkansas until discharged in September, 1865.  As occupation troops in Arkansas the regiment suffered many losses due to disease.

Isaac wrote all of these letters to his wife, Mary Bartlett (Bourne) Taylor (1838-1934), and mailed them to their home at Trivoli, Peoria county, Illinois. The couple were married in October 1860 but had no children until after the Civil War. Mary’s parents were Meletiah Tobey Bourne (1806-1885) and Mary Loring (1805-1884).

Col. Hans Mattson, 3rd Minnesota Volunteers

Letters in Virtual Archive

1. 20 October 1864, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
2. 6 November 1864, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
3. 10 November 1864, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
4. 17 November 1864, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
5. 4 December 1864, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
6. 23 December 1864, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
7. 4 January 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
8. 8 January 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
9. 18 January 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
10. 19 January 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
11. 5 February 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
12. 19 February 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
13. 2 March 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
14. 6 March 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
15. 14 March 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
16. 16 March 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
17. 19 March 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
18. 27 March 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
19. 10 April 1865, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas