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 his friend, Richard Bray Paschal who was elected sheriff of Chatham county on 1854 and served six consecutive terms. In addition to his career as sheriff, Paschal served in the House of Delegates in 1865 and North Carolina Senate in 1866. Paschal’s diary is available on-line at the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center. It includes accounts of Paschal overseeing the trade of enslaved people in Chatham County, a reminder of the duties assigned to the position of sheriff.  Place names and people’s names, white and Black, are included in the diary.  [See R. B. Paschal Diary Transcript Now Available]

Transcription

Suffolk, Virginia
March 10th 1862

Mr. R. B. Paschal,

I take this opportunity of dropping you a few lines to inform of how we are getting [along]. We have had quite a long time moving from the Peninsula though we as usual had a rough time time. The thought of leaving the Peninsula is so gratifying to us that we feel very cheerful. There is a good many of our company sick in Petersburg. Myself and Saunders is [ ] well. We are of course a long ways from home yet but it seems like we are a good deal nearer home than when we was on the Peninsula.

We expect a fight here shortly. We will have to come in contact with our Roanoke antagonist. I hope we will be with our friends of the 26th Regiment soon. There is 6 or 7 regiments left at this place from the Peninsula. Our regiment, the 14th, and 53rd Virginia, 2nd Louisiana, 2nd and 16th Georgia, Cobb’s Legion from Georgia.

Pa was talking some time ago about coming to see us. Perhaps he will not start before he hears that we have moved. It would be no trouble for him to get to this place. I hope you will come with him when he comes. We have a large number of troops at this place.

I think that J. M. Fox will get a furlough to go home in a short time. There is only about 40 men in our company on duty. I wish I had time to tell you all about the movements of the army. I will write to you again shortly.

Yours &c. — W. H. Tyson