He is the first of my ancestors that I discovered served in the Civil War, and with that discovery and those that followed I have become very interested in the conflict. Though the battles that each of the relatives fought in are of interest, what is really my passion, is the lives of the common soldier, their families and those of the rest of the common American citizens.
He had three sisters, Amanda, born 1843, Sylvia Jane, born 1851 and Frances, born 1857, and three brothers, Hollis, born 1846, Lee, born 1849 and Chauncey, born 1854.
In February of 1862 Schuyler was in school at North Plains, Michigan, and he writes home dated the 25th, "I am now at School I thought that it would be as good an opertunity as I would have to write to you I dont have much time to write so I thought that I would comence to day at school but I must leave of now to get my lesons." Again dated March 2nd, "you wanted to know about what I was a going to do this sumer I dont know hardley what I shal shal do some times I think that I will go to the war if I dont I shal work out by the month. then there is no telling what will turn up I want to do for the best." Further on in his letter, "Tel Hollis that I resived his letter and was glad to hear from him he wrote that he had ben to two Dances he has got the start of me there for I haint bin to eny but If he has I think that I have had the most sleyrides ive had two rides this last weak ive bin out every night this weak"
In his next letter dated March the 19th 1862 he writes, "My ever dear and Beloved mother it is with the greatest pleasure that I take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you I am well at preasant and hope that these few lines will find you all injoying the same blsfsing for good health is a great blefsing I supose you will think it strange that I am here and I dont know as you will ever forgive me for what I have don. but mother you must not think hard of me for I intended to come home before I inlisted but the man that I inlisted with purswided me to inlist and he said that I could come down here to Detroit and git my youniform & he said that the company wouldnot start for Washington under two or three weaks & that he would give me a furlow to come home in so I was foolish enough to inlist I inlisted last friday night and started a saturday & when I got here I found it difrent they said that they company was all a going to start for washington a tewsday and they couldnot let me go home a lot..You can gues how bad I felt then when I found that I could not go home attol but then I have give up now of ever a coming home untill the war is over & then if god so spares my life & helth I will come home & see you all you mustnot wory about it for it will not do eny good it is don and cant be helped now so we mint as well laugh as cry I shal look to god overrules us all for my fuoeter(?future) & if it be my fate to fall on the battle field it will in a good cause it will be a defending our country for whoes fore fathers have faught & died for hur stripes & stars" Written at the top of the letter in someone else's hand, "Enlisted 14th of March"
On 14 March 1862 Schuyler enlisted at Detroit, Michigan in Company C, 1st Regiment Berdans U. S. Sharpshooters, General Portors Division. He had not yet turned 21.