Samuel Melvin was the son of Asa and Caroline (Heald) Melvin. He was born and raised in Concord, Mass., but shortly before the hostilities of the Civil War he had moved to the great textile city of Lawrence, Mass., to work as an operative. On June 24, 1861, at age 17, he enlisted as a private in Co. K, 1st Regt. Mass. Vol. Heavy Arty., and on July 5, 1861, was mustered into national service.
On May 19, 1864, he was in the battle of Spottsylvania, Va., and was taken prisoner when he had assisted a wounded comrade to the rear. Private Melvin was brought to Camp Sumter, Andersonville, Ga., arriving there on June 3. He became ill from diarrhoea on Sept. 13. In his diary, the next day, he wrote that it was "very bad and will soon carry me off, if it is not checked, I am afraid. It is too bad, for I should hate to have my anticipations fail now, for they are so near their termination or beginning." The following day, in his final entry, he wrote "Lay on my back all day... can't eat much... for it goes directly through me... As things look now, I stand a good chance to lay my bones in old Ga., but I'd hate to as bad as one can, for I want to go home." Ten days later, on Sept. 25, 1864, he died from that illness and was buried in Lot 9735.
Although his remains are still interred in Andersonville, in 1909, his youngest brother, James C. Melvin, erected an elaborate memorial in memory of his three brothers, Asa H., John H., and Samuel Melvin, at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Mass. (See Samuel Melvin under Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Middlesex Co., Mass., at www.findagrave.com)
James C. Melvin also published a book, The Melvin Memorial, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts: A Brother's Tribute - Exercises at Dedication, June 16, 1909, ed. by Alfred S. Roe (Cambridge, Mass.: Privately Printed, 1909), and some of the above information was used from that source. The book includes the diary Samuel Melvin, written prior to and during his captivity.
On May 19, 1864, he was in the battle of Spottsylvania, Va., and was taken prisoner when he had assisted a wounded comrade to the rear. Private Melvin was brought to Camp Sumter, Andersonville, Ga., arriving there on June 3. He became ill from diarrhoea on Sept. 13. In his diary, the next day, he wrote that it was "very bad and will soon carry me off, if it is not checked, I am afraid. It is too bad, for I should hate to have my anticipations fail now, for they are so near their termination or beginning." The following day, in his final entry, he wrote "Lay on my back all day... can't eat much... for it goes directly through me... As things look now, I stand a good chance to lay my bones in old Ga., but I'd hate to as bad as one can, for I want to go home." Ten days later, on Sept. 25, 1864, he died from that illness and was buried in Lot 9735.
Although his remains are still interred in Andersonville, in 1909, his youngest brother, James C. Melvin, erected an elaborate memorial in memory of his three brothers, Asa H., John H., and Samuel Melvin, at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Mass. (See Samuel Melvin under Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Middlesex Co., Mass., at www.findagrave.com)
James C. Melvin also published a book, The Melvin Memorial, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts: A Brother's Tribute - Exercises at Dedication, June 16, 1909, ed. by Alfred S. Roe (Cambridge, Mass.: Privately Printed, 1909), and some of the above information was used from that source. The book includes the diary Samuel Melvin, written prior to and during his captivity.
Samuel Melvin was the son of Asa and Caroline (Heald) Melvin. He was born and raised in Concord, Mass., but shortly before the hostilities of the Civil War he had moved to the great textile city of Lawrence, Mass., to work as an operative. On June 24, 1861, at age 17, he enlisted as a private in Co. K, 1st Regt. Mass. Vol. Heavy Arty., and on July 5, 1861, was mustered into national service.
On May 19, 1864, he was in the battle of Spottsylvania, Va., and was taken prisoner when he had assisted a wounded comrade to the rear. Private Melvin was brought to Camp Sumter, Andersonville, Ga., arriving there on June 3. He became ill from diarrhoea on Sept. 13. In his diary, the next day, he wrote that it was "very bad and will soon carry me off, if it is not checked, I am afraid. It is too bad, for I should hate to have my anticipations fail now, for they are so near their termination or beginning." The following day, in his final entry, he wrote "Lay on my back all day... can't eat much... for it goes directly through me... As things look now, I stand a good chance to lay my bones in old Ga., but I'd hate to as bad as one can, for I want to go home." Ten days later, on Sept. 25, 1864, he died from that illness and was buried in Lot 9735.
Although his remains are still interred in Andersonville, in 1909, his youngest brother, James C. Melvin, erected an elaborate memorial in memory of his three brothers, Asa H., John H., and Samuel Melvin, at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Mass. (See Samuel Melvin under Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Middlesex Co., Mass., at www.findagrave.com)
James C. Melvin also published a book, The Melvin Memorial, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts: A Brother's Tribute - Exercises at Dedication, June 16, 1909, ed. by Alfred S. Roe (Cambridge, Mass.: Privately Printed, 1909), and some of the above information was used from that source. The book includes the diary Samuel Melvin, written prior to and during his captivity.
On May 19, 1864, he was in the battle of Spottsylvania, Va., and was taken prisoner when he had assisted a wounded comrade to the rear. Private Melvin was brought to Camp Sumter, Andersonville, Ga., arriving there on June 3. He became ill from diarrhoea on Sept. 13. In his diary, the next day, he wrote that it was "very bad and will soon carry me off, if it is not checked, I am afraid. It is too bad, for I should hate to have my anticipations fail now, for they are so near their termination or beginning." The following day, in his final entry, he wrote "Lay on my back all day... can't eat much... for it goes directly through me... As things look now, I stand a good chance to lay my bones in old Ga., but I'd hate to as bad as one can, for I want to go home." Ten days later, on Sept. 25, 1864, he died from that illness and was buried in Lot 9735.
Although his remains are still interred in Andersonville, in 1909, his youngest brother, James C. Melvin, erected an elaborate memorial in memory of his three brothers, Asa H., John H., and Samuel Melvin, at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Mass. (See Samuel Melvin under Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Middlesex Co., Mass., at www.findagrave.com)
James C. Melvin also published a book, The Melvin Memorial, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts: A Brother's Tribute - Exercises at Dedication, June 16, 1909, ed. by Alfred S. Roe (Cambridge, Mass.: Privately Printed, 1909), and some of the above information was used from that source. The book includes the diary Samuel Melvin, written prior to and during his captivity.
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