The letter below is part of the Sally G. Quinn collection of transcripts on the Private Voices website (https://altchive.org/node/281). The transcript has been heavily edited to improve readability. The original transcript can be viewed HERE. Willis J. Holland (b. 1818) was a yeoman farmer in Duplin County. He wrote the following letter to his sister,… Continue reading “It is so bad that it will almost skin the top of your head” Willis Holland to His Sister, Mary
Tag: Civil War Letters
Samuel Guy to Governor Vance: “I warnt fit for service nor never would be again”
The following transcript is an edited version of a transcript posted on the Private Voices website. I corrected spelling, grammar and format to improve readability. The original transcript is available HERE. BACKGROUND: Samuel James Guy was one of six brothers who served in Company I, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops. He enlisted in Cumberland County… Continue reading Samuel Guy to Governor Vance: “I warnt fit for service nor never would be again”
Letter to Gov. Vance: “there ain’t no bigger liar”
The following transcript is an edited version of a transcript posted on the Private Voices website. I corrected spelling, grammar and format to improve readability. The original transcript is available HERE. BACKGROUND: Gerome Prosper FormyDuval, born October 12, 1821, resided near Old Dock in Columbus County. His son, Coval, served as a private in Company… Continue reading Letter to Gov. Vance: “there ain’t no bigger liar”
Has My Sweetheart Been Informed that I Have a Yankee Ball in My Unmentionables?
The William H. Grady Letters Collection in the North Carolina State Archives contains five letters written by Grady during the Civil War. The letter below, written from a Richmond hospital, was written with Grady’s typical tongue-in-cheek style, but it also recounted the tragic deaths of some of the men he knew. All five letters (transcripts… Continue reading Has My Sweetheart Been Informed that I Have a Yankee Ball in My Unmentionables?
Cover-Your-Ass Basics: Document and Escalate
Anyone who has ever tried to accomplish an assigned task and hit a bureaucratic brick wall will appreciate the following letter. Those who served in the military will especially relate to Lieutenant Maurice’s predicament. Some things never change. Ordnance Office, Clingman’s Brigade, Sullivan’s Island, S. C., Nov. 12, 1863 [To:] Capt. Wm. F. Nance, A.… Continue reading Cover-Your-Ass Basics: Document and Escalate
“I don’t know what will become of me”: The James D. Williams Letters
An Unexpected Gift On Christmas Day, I received an unexpected and most welcome message from James Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence, a descendant of Private James Daniel Williams of Company I, has several letters written by his ancestor. He graciously sent scans of the letters to me. Notes on Transcription Transcribing the Williams letters took some effort.… Continue reading “I don’t know what will become of me”: The James D. Williams Letters
Application for Retirement to the Invalid Corps (Hall Letters #4)
Private John G. Hall, Company G, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops, was wounded at Petersburg on July 17, 1864. He was hospitalized in Richmond with a severe gunshot wound in the right shoulder. On August 5, 1864, Hall was sent home from the hospital on a medical furlough. By December, the wound was showing no… Continue reading Application for Retirement to the Invalid Corps (Hall Letters #4)
“It Would Revive Him Up” (Hall Letters #3)
Private John G. Hall, Company G, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops, was wounded at Petersburg on July 17, 1864. He was hospitalized in Richmond with a severe gunshot wound in the right shoulder. Captain Henry C. Rockwell, brigade Assistant Quartermaster, sent the following letter to Private Hall’s father. Petersburg Va July 26th 1864 Mr. W.… Continue reading “It Would Revive Him Up” (Hall Letters #3)
“One of the Most Awful Battles that Has Ever Been Fought” (Hall Letters #2)
John Green Hall enlisted as a private in Company C, 35th Regiment North Carolina Troops on September 12, 1861. He served with the Thirty-Fifth until May 31, 1864, when he transferred to Company G, 51st Regiment NCT. On the day that Private Hall wrote this letter, Union troops made an ill-advised frontal assault on dug-in… Continue reading “One of the Most Awful Battles that Has Ever Been Fought” (Hall Letters #2)
Private John G. Hall’s Account of the Fight at Drewry’s Bluff (Hall Letters #1)
John Green Hall enlisted as a private in Company C, 35th Regiment North Carolina Troops on September 12, 1861. He served with the Thirty-Fifth until May 31, 1864, when he transferred to Company G, 51st Regiment NCT. On the day that Private Hall wrote this letter, Confederate troops were pushing Benjamin Butler’s men out of… Continue reading Private John G. Hall’s Account of the Fight at Drewry’s Bluff (Hall Letters #1)