Corporal James F. Byrd Letter

James F. Byrd was a Duplin County farmer. He enlisted as a private in Cantwell’s Railroad Guards on December 29, 1861, at the age of 21. A few months later the transferred to Company A, 51st North Carolina, as that regiment was forming up. Byrd was promoted to corporal in September 1862. On October 9, 1863, he was wounded while standing picket on Long’s Island, near Charleston. Byrd died of his wound three weeks later.

Source: Brice Family Papers MfP176, NC State Archives. Images of microfilm reader screen. Images and transcript by Kirk Ward

Camp Near Savannah Ga

March 7, 1863

Dear Cousin

I take the pleasure this morn of writing you a few lines which will inform you that I am well and enjoying good health too. Also hope this may find you and the rest of the Family well. Cousin, I have no news of importance to communicate. I am now in your state. I am in the 51^st N Carolina Regt. We came here last Wednesday night [March 4]. We was at Charleston S C and last Monday we got orders to leave to this place. I like the place very well but we are badly situated. We are in an open field without tents or [TORN] shelter whatever and we [TORN] when our tents

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will come. I don’t expect we will remain here very long but where we will go next is a question that I can’t solve though wherever the yankees make their appearance, I reckon. We started from Kinston N C first and come to Goldsboro from there to Wilmington and from there to Charleston from there to Savannah and quite likely we will go to [ILLEGIBLE]

[ENTIRE LINE ILLEGIBLE]

back to N C though I would like to stay here very well. I like the looks of Ga first [ILLEGIBLE]. Cousin, if I can get a furlough while I am at Savannah I will come out and see you.[1] I think if we stay here any length of time I will be able to get one.[2] I got a letter

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from Jim[3] last Monday. He was well. He wrote he is at Petersburg, Va. I was glad to hear from him. He said he has been in some hard fights. He wrote that Tim[4] was home. I would like to see Tim and hear him talk about the war. Cousin, I want you to write to me as soon as you get this. Tell Tim to write. Direct your letters to Savannah Ga. I must close. Give my best love to Uncle Frank and Aunt Betsy[5] and all the rest. Tell them that all was well at home last week. No more at present. I am your sincere cousin

James F. Byrd

To Cousin Martha[6] [ILLEGIBLE]

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Here is the way to book your letter: James F Byrd, Co. A 51^st Regt N Carolina Troops in care of Capt Walker

[1] Byrd’s cousin lived in Thomas County in the southern part of the state.

[2] The 51^st North Carolina returned to Charleston two days after Byrd wrote this letter.

[3] Private David James Brice, Company K, 50^th Georgia. Killed in action in Virginia on May 6, 1864.

[4] Timothy Brice; survived the war.

[5] Francis Calvin Brice and Elizabeth Murphy Brice (James Byrd’s mother’s sister).

[6] Martha J. Brice (1843-1924)