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Regiment: 3rd Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Missouri Jan. 10th, 1862
Aunt Sophia,
You say in your letter which I received last night that if I am always as punctual as I was in writing your last letter that you think I will always succeed in whatever I undertake. I trust that you will always find me while I am in the army just so punctual at least as far as answering letters is concerned. But you need not give me too much credit for it for with me it is a matter of necessity no less than a matter of choice for I get so many letters that if I did not answer them immediately I could not get time to answer them at all. As a specimen of what I have to do in the line of correspondence I will tell you what I have done this week. Sunday I received two letters one from my wife and one from my sister-in-law. In the evening I wrote to my wife and Monday I wrote to her sister. Tuesday I neither received nor wrote any letters. Wednesday I received a letter from Mary and one from Esther and wrote to Esther. Thursday I received a letter from and wrote one to my wife. I also wrote one to Grand Father Rowland. I likewise got your very welcome letter which I am answering at this time. And I have just received an epistle from Father and one from Cousin Helen in Iowa. Those I must answer tomorrow unless I do it this evening. How many I shall get tomorrow yet remains to be seen. And this week is about an average of the whole time.
You see that my spare moments are pretty much occupied in writing and reading the news. I get all papers which are sent to me and should be glad to have you send as many as you can make convenient.
You ask me what I think of the Mason-Shidell affair. If I recollect aright, St. Paul says somewhere in his writing that for him all things were lawful but all things were not expedient. Well I think the doctrine of expediency had something to do with their release. But really I can not say whether I think their capture was strictly in accordance with international law or not. There seems to be two sides to the question as there generally is to all questions of that kind. But I am not one of those who talk of having our revenge for British arrogance at some future time. The thing has passed by and we can do no better than to let the matter rest. Under the circumstances their release was no doubt for the best although I doubt if England would have made the demand if we had not been situated under such peculiar circumstances.
I have just discovered that I have been writing the last page on the wrong sheet but I cannot afford to lose so much writing and so I will send a part of two sheets.
I hardly think that England will interfere with us that is if there is any energy in the men who lead our armies. I must confess that they have not made manifest a great deal of that quality lately.
But I must bring this to a close for it is nearly time for us to go and take care of our horses so hoping to hear from you soon I remain as every your affectionate nephew
O. W. Rowland
Miss Sophia Rowland
