GRANDSON OF A BRITISH SOLDIER - After several years of fighting inEurope, Culbert W. Mathews' grandfather, Joseph, came to Quebec with theBritish Army in 1807. When the British were defeated in 1814 at theBattle of Plattsburgh, Joseph was demobilized and decided to settle inCanada. Later, his son, also named Joseph, moved to Westport, NY, andset up a cooperage.Culbert joined the 2nd Cavalry in Plattsburgh in early September 1864.Many men from the regiment had decided they didn't want to re-enlist atthe end of their 3-year term, so they needed an influx of new recruits.About 130 men enlisted in Plattsburgh in August and September 1864.The regiment remained with the Cavalry Corps in northern Virginia untilbeing transferred to serve with the cavalry of the Army of theShenandoah in October 1864. The Plattsburgh recruits joined them there.In March 1865, the 2nd Cavalry returned to the Army of the Potomac.The 2nd Cavalry were with the Army of the Potomac during the finalcampaign - right up to the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. At the Battleof Appomattox Station on April 8, 1865, the day before the surrender,the regiment, advanced at the head of Pennington\'s Brigade and capturedthree Confederate railroad trains loaded with supplies while they wereat the station. To secure the trains from nearby Confederate cavalry,their commander, Col. Alanson Randol, ordered the trains crewed withsoldiers who were former railway men, who drove the trains towardGeneral Ord\'s column. Randol and the eight companies recruited in 1864mustered out on June 5th at Alexandria, VA, followed by the remainingfour companies on June 23rdCulbert was one of the men mustered out on June 5th and returned tohis work as a cooper. He married and he and his wife, Julia, raisedtheir five children in Essex County. In the 1890s, the couple moved toNorth Adams, MA, to work in the mills. He died there in 1922 and wasburied in the Southview Cemetery. Julia received her Widow's Pension forfour years until she was buried beside him.
