William (“Willie”) Henry Parshall was born on February 25, 1845, in Lebanon, Ohio, to William F. Parshall and Henrietta Dey. His father was a banker who owned $10,000 of real estate and $25,000 of personal property in 1860. Parshall grew up and attended school in Lebanon.
He enlisted in the Union army on May 29, 1862, and mustered in as a private in Co. B of the 73rd Ohio Infantry. He mustered out on September 20, 1862. He returned to the Union army a year later, serving in the 4th Ohio Infantry from August 1, 1863, until February 15, 1864. He enlisted for a third time on March 25, 1864, mustering into the Co. B, 79th Ohio Infantry. He mustered out on July 26, 1865.
Parshall and his parents moved to Walker, West Virginia, after the war. Parshall worked as a merchant, and by 1870, he owned $1,000 of personal property. He married Harriet Davis in Brooklyn on February 25, 1881, and they had three children, two of whom survived: Henrietta, born in October 1882; and Dora, born in March 1900. Parshall worked as an office clerk, and the family rented their home in Brooklyn. Harriet died on June 17, 1901. Parshall lived with his daughters in Brooklyn until his death from “Chronic Nephritis” on August 26, 1911. [Source: Biographical Sketch lifted from John L. Nau II Center for Civil War History, University of Virginia, who holds 12 of Parshall’s Letters]
I have only transcribed one other letter and one diary fragment by other members of the 79th OVI. These include:
Unidentified Soldier, 79th Ohio (1 Diary)
Thomas E. Bispham, Co. H, 79th Ohio (1 Letter)
T R A N S C R I P T I O N
Camp 79th Regt. OVI
Atlanta, Georgia
August 6th 1864
Dear Mother,
I received your last letter written from Portland, Maine, day before yesterday. I should have answered it yesterday but they had us moving nearly all the day. Then in the afternoon, there was some pretty heavy fighting on both our right and left and heavy skirmishing in our front. You will see that we are in the centre. There is the 4th Corps on our left, and the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 23rd Corps on our right. There is also cavalry on both flanks.
We laid out on the right flank of the line for three days and were then moved back here. We were on the extreme right of the army. It was a good long ways around there. The 23rd Corps was then on the extreme left. We moved around there to support Jeff Davis’ Division of the 14th Corps. It was to advance on the railroad and try to take it. It did not go, however, while we were there. The 23rd Corps relieved us and we moved to the line of works just behind us. While we laid there, the men would go out in squads on new entrenchments. We advanced the line about two hundred yards nearer the enemy. We commenced the works in the night and threw up enough dirt to shield us from the rebel shells and shot if they should take a notion to play on us.
Sorry to hear that Pa has been sick again. I do hope that he will soon get over these attackes. I hope that when this reaches you, both of you may be in good health. Have you heard from Laura lately? I have written her two letters now since I have been out and have not received any answer. I don’t think that I shall write soon again. It has been about a month since I wrote the last letter to her. If she don’t want to write to me, she need not. I shall not write to her again. If she knew how anxious I am to hear from her and all the rest of the family, she would write to me. But if she thinks it is any trouble to write to me, she need not do it for I don’t want to put her to any trouble.
Are Pa and yuo well? I had a letter from Grandpa and Lewis the other day.
We drew soft bread this morning—the first I have tasted or seen in ninety-eight days. That is the length of the campaign. It tasted real good.
Well, I must close as my messmate has got supper ready. Write soon and often to your affectionate son, — Willie
Co. B, 79th Regt. O. V. I., Chattanooga, Tennessee
P. S. Love to you and Pa.
