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News
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 Soldier's
Letter was
a semi-weekly, regimental newspaper published by the enlisted men of
the Second Colorado Cavalry, first from Kansas City and then Fort Riley
from August 1864 to November 1865. The name possibly stems from the
fact
that in 1864, the U.S. Mail Service announced that Union soldiers could
send
their letters home for free as long as they wrote "Soldier's Letter" on
the outside of the envelope.
It was printed on a single fold sheet with stories, poems and
regimental news printed on the front cover and inside pages. The back
page was left blank for soldiers to use to add their own personal news,
drawings, gripes or stories that they could mail home to keep their
families informed of the war and of their own well being. So long as
military security was maintained, it was apparently uncensored and
proved a great tool to boost morale, help fight boredom and instill
pride among all the scattered companies of the regiment. It's important
to note that Colorado was not yet a state, but a territory during the
Civil War. Before statehood, territorial residents were outside of the
Union and often regarded as less than true Americans. As such, the
paper reflects the soldier's desire to prove their patriotism to the
Union and was also staunchly against slavery, advocating progressive
citizen rights for freed black men.
For more
information, go here: 1999winter_miller.pdf
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Remembering
the 2nd;  A tribute to: George
Washington Baldey
George Baldey was a private in the army in 1847-48; a private, sergeant, and first lieutenant, in the 2nd Colorado cavalry, serving in New Mexico, Missouri, and Arkansas in 1862-64; and a major and lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Missouri which would later become the 65th United States Colored Troops. He was brevetted Brigadier General and stayed in the regular army after the war being discharged in 1870. |
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| To view a
collection of 2nd Colorado Cavalry headstones, click here: 2nd Colorado Cavalry Markers |