{ Camp Patterson - Park -
{ Baltimore. July 21^st 1862

    A long, very long time has elapsed since I received your kind long letter - Spring has passed away - Summer has come and nearly gone, yet I can hardly realize that such is the case - three months and almost four have gone by with the wings of the wind - and still your letter has remained unanswered - Truly, indeed, have I been very negligent- My conscience upbraids me severely for being so remiss. In the future I will be more punctual - if you'll forgive me this offence, and I think you will as you see I am truly penitent! A great many events have transpired since I wrote you before, that would have been interesting at the time - a great many scenes of camp life that would have been worth relating - but now, after so much time has elapsed - they seem old and stale to me and I can not bring myself to the task of transcribing them. A great many changes have taken place in four months - we have moved from one place to another - It seems like an age since I wrote to you before - That was from Gettysburg - since that we've moved to Perryville, from there to Havre de Grace, and from the latter named place to this - in each of which places volumes might be written, if everything that concerned us or was of interest to us was faithfully recorded - Such a task I shall hardly impose upon myself - Suffice it to say that in each place there have been many incidents - both pleasing and otherwise - Many hopes raised, which were destined some to be realized, others to be dashed to the ground! Many changes made - Some agreeable - and some not! but such is the way of life!
    The most of the time I have enjoyed good health and have been in good spririts. I was sick for some time at Perryville and Havre de Grace, and have had another siege here - I have been under the weather for the past two weeks - have been in the hospital since last Sunday - but have got so as to be around again - got my discharge from the hospital this morning. We have an excellent physician and get the best of treatment - The ladies are very kind they bring in everything that will tend to make a sick person more comfortable - but for all of that it aint like home - I must confess, while I laid in the hospital I was homesick - would have given anything in my power to have been at home - But as I got stronger that feeling passed away - I do not wish you to understand me that I care nothing about home - for such is not the case - I would like of all things to go home for a while but that is impossible - But then I should want to come back again. - I believe that every man that is able and has no more to keep him at home than I have is either a coward or a traitor if he does not respond to the call of his country - in this its hour of danger. I believe our cause to be a righteous one, and until treason is crushed and traitors punished, if God gives me life and health, my arm such as it is shall beat the service of my country.
    I have got so accustomed to camp life, that it seems to me as if every one knew all about it - But I will tell you the main features - so that you can form some sort of an opinion as to how we live and what we do. In the first place we do everything by sound of the bugle - At sunrise the bugle sounds for roll call - we then have to get up and get into line immediately to answer to our names - if we happen to be absent from roll call at any time either at night or morning without having been previously excused - we get put on guard - one day extra duty - After roll call we have a drill of an hours duration - then comes breakfast - each Co. is divide into four messes - and each mess cooks for itself - we have a man detailed for the purpose of cooking and he is excused from all other duties - When we were in Havre de Grace there were five or six of us in a mess and we took turns in cooking - I got along well enough - but I didn't like the business - However we never have lived better since we left home than we did then - but I am getting off from my story - to return - After breakfast comes the sick call when the Orderly Sergt. of each Co. has to report to the Surgeon all men who are unwell - at 9 o'clock is guard Mounting - Of course none but those who are detailed each day have to appear at guard Mounting - well at ten o'clock the commissioned officers have a drill and at 2 P.M. the non-commissioned officers - of course we have dinner at noon - Well then we have nothing else until most sun down when we have Dress Parade; we have supper either before or after Dress Parade just as we see fit - at 9 P.M. we have roll call which winds up the programme.
    At present we are not drilling a great deal - We expect our horses soon, and then I suppose they will put us through - It is expected that we will be sent to Annapolis Junction as soon as we are mounted.
    We are living in tents of course. Sergt. Binnell and myself have one by ourselves and we live as cosy as you can imagine - Our camp is situated in a splendid grove just outside of the City - within ten minutes walk of Fort Marshall - I assure you the shade has been very acceptable, as it has been awful hot - some days as high as 100º in the shade.
    I suppose you are still with Mr. Brown? Give him & Mrs. Brown my kindest regards - Also all other friends who think it worth while to inquire concerning me -
    Antoinette wrote to me that you were at home to spend the 4^th - I wish that I might have been there too - as it was I was a good little boy and stayed in camp all day - for the very good reason that I couldn't get out - not a man was allowed out during the day - Last Tuesday was my birthday - Next time I write guess I'll have to make you a present to remind you occasionally that you have a cousin among Uncle Sam's boys - We sent home one of our boys to be buried last week, he died in the hospital while I was there -
    Do you ever hear from Miss Coley or Mrs. Townsend?
    I hear from Sayer occasionally - he is about the only regular correspondent that I have - I wish he was with us instead of being where he is!
    I wish you would send me an Elmira paper occasionally - I haven't seen one in a long time -
    I guess it is about time to quit - have written more trash already than you will care about wading through - You can't complain about its being too short this time - but suppose you will about the lack of sense.
    Please write soon to

Your unworthy Coz -

Guy Wynkoop

Source:

Wynkoop, Guy, "Wynkoop, Guy; 10th N.Y. Cavalry, Co. H., Letters (1862-1863), 2 items," New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, Albany, New York, New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Collection Call Number: 19402, [8 pages].

    Richard Wynkoop's 1904 edition of the Wynkoop Genealogy, (pages 155-156), has this to say about Guy and his family:

    780. Nile Frost Wynkoop, (Benjamin 444, Benjamin 178, Benjamin 53, Benjamin 8, Cornelius 1,) born November 9, 1807: married, October 15, 1840, Sarah Anne Heermans, born May 23, 1820, sister to Phoebe, who married his brother Alonzo [777]. He lived on a part of the old plantation of Maj. William Wynkoop [138]. The compiler received from him valuable information, and interesting letters.
    Children of Nile F. and Sarah A. Wynkoop:
1316. Guy: b. July 15, 1841, in Chemung, N. Y.: d. Aug. 30, 1864, in the rebel pen at Andersonville. He left school, when nearly ready for college, and enlisted in the 10th Reg., N. Y. Cavalry. His party were surrounded, while defending a ford, and Guy was captured and imprisoned.
1317. Sayer: b. Mch. 12, 1844: m., Nov. 23, 1875, Arabella Clark, in Zilwaukie, Mich. He had served 3 years, in the war for the Union.
1318. Delia Antoinette: b. Sept. 29, 1846: m. Henry S. Bridgeman.
1319. Alice Louise: b. Sept. 1, 1852: m. Charles Rockwell.
1320. Philip Heermans: b. Sept. 25, 1854.
1321. Ada Bell: b. Oct. 31, 1857.
1322. Joseph Frost: b. May 26, 1864.

    Additional information:

Franklin County, N.Y. G.A.R. Posts:     Sgt. Guy Wynkoop, Co. H, 10th NY Cavalry. Joined at Waverly Oct. 1861 as Sgt., age 20; captured at Sulphur Springs, VA, Oct. 13, 1863; died Aug. 30, 1864 at Andersonville, GA.

History of Tompkins, Schuyler, Chemung, Tioga 1879; Chapter 52 - Town of Chemung, Chemung County, New York:

Guy Wynkoop, private, Co. H, 10th N.Y. Cav.; enl. November, 1861, taken prisoner Oct. 12, 1863; died at Andersonville.

Sager [sic] Wynkoop, private, Co. E, 29th N.Y. Regt.; enl. October, 1861; disch.

Andersonville Prisoner Profile:

                   Andersonville Prisoner Profile

          Code No:  17334
         Grave No:  7334
        Last Name:  WYNCOOP
       First Name:  GUY
             Rank:  SERGEANT
          Company:  H
         Regiment:  10
            State:  NY
Branch of Service:  CAVALRY
    Date of Death:  8/30/1864
   Cause of Death:  SCORBUTUS
          Remarks:  G. WYNCOOP, H 12 NY CAVALRY [1][2][3]
       Reference*:  p 44 [3]; p 663 [48]
   Place Captured:  SULPHER SPRINGS, VA
    Date Captured:  10/12/1863
  Alternate Names:
           Status:  DIED AT ANDERSONVILLE
  More Information  NO
        Available:

* Reference descriptions.

National Park Service
Andersonville National Historic Site
496 Cemetery Road
Andersonville, GA 31711

Reference Descriptions:

3 List of Union Soldiers Buried at Andersonville; Dorence Atwater, 1865.

48 Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1894, Volume III, State of New York, 1895.