Michigan in the Civil War
Browse by Name: Schmalzriedt, Friedrich
Schmalzriedt family
The papers of this Washtenaw County, Mich., family include eighteen letters (1861-1863) written by Friedrich Schmalzriedt (also spelled Schmalzrid) to friends in which he describes Camp Brodhead, camps when on the march, and life in a parole camp after he had been taken prisoner at Brentsville, Va., Feb. 14, 1863. He makes critical comments on abolitionists, Republicans, Negroes, officers, and army life in general. He also describes the conditions of the rebels in Virginia. Schmalzriedt enlisted in Company C, 1st Michigan Cavalry. After being paroled from prison, he returned to his regiment in May 1863, and died a month later of disease. Written in German, these letters have been translated.