The following letter was written by William Henry Harrison Tyson of Chatham county while serving in Co. M, 15th North Carolina Infantry, formerly the 5th Volunteers. He was elected 2nd Lieutenant of that company on 2 May 1862. Later, during the Seven Days Battles, he was wounded at Malvern Hill on 1 July 1862. William’s company was later reorganized as Co. I of the 32nd North Carolina Infantry. In May 1864, William was promoted to Captain of his company. He resigned his commission on 7 March 1865.

Tyson wrote the letter to John M. Edwards of Chatham county, North Carolina. There were two by that name in the county—one of them a soldier in the same regiment as Tyson. My hunch is this is the older Edward who was a farmer born in 1821.

Transcription

[Before Richmond, Virginia]
[Early May 1862]

Mr. J. M. Edwards, Esq.

I will try to write you a few lines. I hope you will be well but I hope you will be at home when you get this from the fact that I do [not] wish any friend of mine to have to go through what we have to bear now. John, you know nothing about hard times. J[oseph] M. Saunders has been sick for the last two weeks but is now better. We have but 20 privates for duty in our company. The sick is in Petersburg and Richmond. We have to submit to conscription. It is a rough pill to take. [William Lord] London is our captain, [Leonidas J.] Merritt 1st Lieutenant, myself 2nd [Lieutenant], Jim Rogers 3rd.

We are now picketing all the time. We have nothing to eat and nothing to cook in the whole Peninsula from Yorktown to Richmond. John, get all the conscript men you can to come to our company. Tell Dr. Hedgepeth to come with you.

I have seen lots of Yankees. Our lines have been from 2[00] to 800 yards apart. The soldiers on each side devil’s each other. The Yankees ask our men how they like conscription [illegible]…have a good many of them march to Richmond every day.

J. M. Saunders says to be sure to bring him 1 pair pants, two shirts, cotton collars he prefers. I hope we will get the chance to come home some time in the summer. George is sick. A[lbert] G. Riggsbee is dead. ¹ He died in Petersburg. Tell John Fox I think we are getting [illegible] …no difficulty in his staying at home some time yet. Write to me to Richmond, Va. 15th NC Troops, Gen. Cobb’s Brigade, Care of Capt. W. L. London. Give my love to all enquiring friends. Tell them to write to me. One box of clothing is at Morrisville, having it carried home. — Lieut. W. H. Tyson

---

¹ Albert G. Riggsbee was 19 when he enlisted in Co. M, 15th North Carolina. He died on 2 May 1862.