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Genesee Country Village & Museum has recently received a bundle of letters to and from Civil War volunteer James Garbutt written at the start of the war.

These writings offer insight into what it was like for ordinary people who were part of this conflict.

Sgt. Garbutt lived in the hamlet of Garbuttsville (later shortened to Garbutt), which was named for his family — the area's first settlers.

Garbutt is located on Route 383 in southwestern Monroe County, about halfway between Mumford and Scottsville in the town of Wheatland.

James' father was William Garbutt (1787-1867), a prosperous farmer who kept up with the latest methods of farming. . He and his second wife, Elizabeth Dow, had eight children, born between 1830 and 1844.

In mid-April of 1861, just after the fall of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers. James, then 25, responded by enlisting in Company F of the 13th Regiment of the New York Volunteers. Neighbors James Wood and Arch McVean and cousin Irving Garbutt enlisted soon afterwards.

These letters are unedited and include their original spellings. They are generally arranged chronologically.

Undated
Undated, Elmira
Undated, Elmira
May 11, 1861, Elmira
May 14, 1861, LeRoy
May 25, 1861, Scottsville
May 25, EastAvon
May 26, (Scottsville)
May 31, Washington
June 2, Scottsville
June 3, 1861, Scottsville
June 7, 1861, Scottsville
June 9, (Scottsville)
June, Arlington Heights