A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO OZARKS
Remembering a Civil War Veteran
Story by Annie Lisenby Smith
Back in Southwest Missouri 1860s history
Lemuel “Lemon” Valentine Cupp’s final resting place in Carthage, Missouri.
As we approach Memorial Day this year, Americans are given a chance to look back on battles fought, lives lost, and families changed forever. For one Monett family, they have a rare treasure that has opened their eyes to their ancestor’s life while fighting in the Civil War. Lemuel “Lemon” Valentine Cupp joined the Union Army in 1862, a year after fighting had begun. At the time, he was living in Ohio and joined the 126th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He continued fighting in the war through 1865.
During his time in the Army, Cupp wrote many letters home, and one of his sisters kept them safe. These letters have been passed down through the generations and now belong to Cupp’s great-grandson Gerry Bounds of Monett and Bounds’ daughter Lacey Siver of Monett.
The only available photo of Cupp taken after the Civil War. Early in the war, Cupp complained that photos were expensive and wouldn’t buy them. Later, he lamented his decision because there were no more photographers around.
These letters are extremely rare and show a soldier’s direct point of view and experiences in the Civil War. Bounds intends to have them evaluated for their historical significance through the State Historical Society of Missouri.
This letter was written using stationery printed by well-known Cincinnati printer James Gates. With Cupp’s letters are also the envelopes and stamps from the Civil War-era.
“My Uncle Fletch (Clarence Fletcher Cupp), my mother’s oldest brother, had given the letters to my mom years ago,” Bounds said. “Uncle Fletch was an avid history buff and a war hero in his own right. He flew 30 bomb missions in World War II.”
Bounds said that his grandmother passed the letters to his Uncle Fletch because he wanted to write L.V. Cupp’s biography and to save them for posterity. L.V. Cupp survived the Civil War even though he was injured by a bullet and was held as a prisoner of war. After the war, L.V. Cupp settled in northern Missouri, later moving to Carthage in 1869. He worked for the Turner Carriage and Harness Company for 17 years before opening his own grocery store. He was active in the store until he was 80 years old. At age 90, he passed away in Carthage. His obituary recounted that L.V. Cupp was “vigorous” in his later years and “mentally alert and often recounted many stirring reminiscences of Civil War days.”
Hoping to share a glimpse at life during the Civil War, Bounds shared these letters. The following excerpts show insight into daily life, politics, battles, and the challenges of living through the Civil War.
Camp Chase
Sept 30th, 1862
Dear Sister,
Please permit me to once more to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am still on the land of the living. I hope that you may never have to experience the service for it is a trying thing though we are not in the danger that the ones are that is in the active service but we are confined pretty close and we have plenty of duty to perform. We have to stand guard every other night but we expect it to be every third night here after. But that is all that we have to do and another great objection I have to it is it is the wickedest place I ever saw. There is all kinds of people here and every thing to lead people astray. I tell you there is no respect to the Sabbath here.
Well, I will not try to write you a very long letter for it is improbable for me to write for there is fifteen of us in one house all in one small room. There is too much conversation so you will have to excuse all mistakes and bad spelling. It is hard for me to say when I will get home again… I will have to close for I cannot write when there is so much talking. So no more at this time but forever remain your affectionate brother.
-L.V. Cupp
Camp near Brandy Station, VA
Nov. 22nd, 1862
Dear Sister,
As I am not very tired, I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am still alive but have had a sore face for the last week or so. I caught cold in my jaws. It makes me look fat. I received your letter last night a week, was glad to hear that you were all well. I have plenty of clothing. I received two shirts from home last Sunday. We have plenty to eat and drink such as it is we have fish fresh, hard tack, soft bread, sugar, coffee, candles, soap, etc. My health is better now than it was at first. Captain is still in Libby prison. I wish he was with us again. We got a fresh supply of green backs yesterday. I will include $5.00 in this letter for some stamps. We cannot get them here. I must close for this time. Write soon. I remain as ever your brother.
-L.V. Cupp
North Mountain Station
Camp in the Woods, VA
Dec 15th, 1862
Dear Sister,
I received your kind and welcome letter this morning. Was glad to hear that you were all well. I had gave up all hopes of getting any more word from you. I thought you had forgotten you had a brother out in the world fighting for the union all right.
We left Cumberland last Friday night about 10 o’clock, arrived here the next morning at 5. We have a beautiful place here to camp. I received a box of apples, apple butter, and molasses about an hour before we were ordered to leave there… We were ordered out on a scout yesterday morning. We only had 10 minutes time to fix up rations to last till today. We had a nice time but did not see any rebels in arms. We saw where they had been along the railroad. They tore up ties and set fire to them and then put the rails on and bent them so they could not lay them back. They swore the damed (sic) yankees would never have any more shipping on this road. I have the opinion they will. There is good prospects for it now for the damed (sic) yankees are laying down fast enough they only lag a mile and a half a day. It has only been tore up about 5 a week. When the rebels were tearing it, they were all bare footed. Their skins strapped on their bare feet… It is no wonder for we can see blood on the stones yet where their feet bled while they were at it. We started out with the expectation of getting into a fight yesterday but we come up missing. I am not anxious to get into a fight. I have just had my breakfast. I had crackers, cow butter, apple butter and cold beef and so on. I think we will have some beans for dinner tomorrow. I have not got a letter from home for over a week. I got a box though that was better than a letter. It takes a letter three days to come here… I will have to close for this time for it is drill time. We are all well this morning. From your brother.
-L.V. Cupp
Martinsburg
March 24th, 1863
Dear Sister,
It is the opinion of a good many that the rebels will leave Virginia and go south. Ed Dorsey got home last week. He was a prisoner at Richmond. He was there three months. He said he saw 160 dead carried out of the hospital he was in. They all died of the small pox. They were most all rebels… I think the war will be over by next fall if our men just watch their corners now.
-L.V. Cupp
Martinsburg
March 24th, 1863
Dear Sister,
It is the opinion of a good many that the rebels will leave Virginia and go south. Ed Dorsey got home last week. He was a prisoner at Richmond. He was there three months. He said he saw 160 dead carried out of the hospital he was in. They all died of the small pox. They were most all rebels… I think the war will be over by next fall if our men just watch their corners now.
-L.V. Cupp
Martinsburg
May 10th, 1863
I get most awful lazy these warm days. We only drill 4 hours a day. We went out to drill this forenoon and when we got to a shade tree, we halted. We stayed there a half an hour and then drilled a few minutes and started for camp but the major made us go back and drill half an hour. We had a notion to boot him but you see he had shoulder straps on.
-L.V. Cupp
On June 14, 1863, Sergeant Cupp was captured by the Confederates at Martinsburg, Virginia, and for 30 days was held by them in Libby Prison and at Belle Island and Petersburg, Virginia. Afterward, he was paroled and sent to a parole camp at Annapolis, Maryland, where he remained until the fall of 1863, when he was exchanged and returned to the front to rejoin his regiment. In a later letter, he mentioned that some new soldiers would never understand what it was like to live on 4 ounces of bread and water a day.
Near Bealton Station,
October 27th 1863
Dear Sister,
It has been some time since I read a letter from you or any of the rest of our folks. I have wrote 7 or 8 letters to them and got no answer. I will not write any more if it is too much trouble for them to write. I will not bother them any more to read. They are not worth answering… I have been with the regiment almost three weeks. We have been mostly in the rear until this week we are in the front. I thought yesterday we were going to get ahead of the army’s cavalry. Went out and stirred them out and then fell back but they would fall, for our brigade was stationed in the woods ready for them best. I think they smelt the rat. It was swell for them they did. I suppose you have been well since you last wrote. I wrote you a few lines before my parole camp but I have got no answer yet. I think the mail will be up this evening if I don’t get a letter, I will be mad. We have had no papers since last Friday. I think we will be relieved this evening. I was up most all night. I am well and hardy. Hope the few lines will find you enjoying the same. Kiss the baby for me. Write soon.
Your brother,
L. Cupp
In February 1864, Cupp was on furlough and exploring the new town where his father had relocated in northern Missouri. He stated that he was healing well and told stories of meeting girls and comparing them to Ohio girls.
April 9th, 1864
Grant is going to do all he can for the rebs this summer. I say success to him. I just think Old Lee will get his eye teeth cut this summer.
-L.V. Cupp
At the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864), Cupp was injured by a bullet to his leg.
Camp 4 miles south of Petersburg
July 3, 1864
(after the Battle of the Wilderness May 5-7)
Sister, I am still trying to live so that if I should fall on the battlefield I will fall in sight of heaven. I want to live so that if we never meet again on earth we will meet in heaven where no wars nor rumors of war come. My leg is almost well.
-L.V. Cupp
Camp near Charleston, VA
Aug. 9th, 1864
I don’t think there is any danger of the Sons of Liberty or peace men resisting the draft. If they do, they will have a nice time of it. I think they would call themselves sons of h- -l (sic). They would hit the nail on the head. I have seen Grant often. He is a spry looking fellow. I have no doubt but what he will take Richmond but he must have time and means to do it with.
-L.V. Cupp
Camp near Charleston, VA
Aug. 19th, 1864
We are on our way back to Harpers Ferry again. I think another such a triumph as this and old Abe will be dead in the shell. I’ll bet he has lost 100,000 votes in the last two months. He don’t get my vote.
-L.V. Cupp
Camp near Charleston, VA
Aug. 19th, 1864
Camp near Winchester, VA
Nov. 17th, 1864
What do you think I dreamed the other night? The rebs had taken me again. You better think I felt bad. But when I got awake, I found myself alright in my little tent and the rebs were not here. I would hate to be taken prisoner now.
-L.V. Cupp
Camp near Winchester, VA
Nov. 30th, 1864
Sister, I don’t know yet what I will do after my time is up here if I am spared. I had always thought of nothing else but farming before I came to the service. I will consult Father on that subject. I think I shall stay with Father after I get out of this. I wish I was there now for I am afraid he works too hard for his own good. If I was there, I would not let him work so much. I would have been in the army one year sooner if it had not been for that well. I only have about 9 months yet to serve. I am afraid I will not get a furlough this winter.
-L.V. Cupp
This is a small selection of excerpts from L.V. Cupp’s letters. He would openly talk about the struggles he had as a soldier and often addressed his faith. He continued fighting through the war and continued to send home stories about troop movements, skirmishes, and how rebel soldiers were defecting and joining his camp. Another story was about a member of his regiment who was caught and tried as a traitor. He described watching the execution take place and stated that he thought he would be okay with seeing something like it, but that after actually seeing it, “once was enough.”
Cupp’s letters are full of details and stories about the Civil War, ones that were preserved by a family passing them down through generations. He survived his service in the Civil War. For this Memorial Day we recognize his sacrifice and the ultimate sacrifices of so many others serving the United States that did not make it home.