W. C. Gardner wrote this letter on September 16, 1863, from the “Camp of the 55 Regt. N.C.” in Virginia to “Miss Liddy,” asking her to correspond with him. He reports a fight the day before between “our cavalry and the yanks,” with one brigade of infantry also engaged, and complains that Virginians “have no sypathy for a northcarolina soldier.”
The letter does not give Miss Liddy’s surname. Lydia A. Chapman of Swift Creek, whose 1866 letter is in the same folder, is one possibility. The writer’s own words are kept as written below.
Letter from W. C. Gardner to Miss Liddy – Camp of the 55th N.C. Regiment, 1863
Transcription notes: spelling, capitalization and punctuation follow the original. Words in [square brackets] are editorial notes; [?] marks an uncertain reading and [illegible] marks words that could not be read.
Camp of the 55 Regt. N.C.
Sept 16th 1863
Miss Liddy
My Dear Friend
Having been drawn by your many accomplishments to the franks acknowledgement of your marked [?] qualities as a lady I have concluded to address you [interlined: by letter] for the purpose of soleeting correspondence with you. I think it also my duty to acknowledge my admiration for the above express qualities considering it due your sect [struck through: from] from that of mine. As this is my first I must give you the news from the army of the Potomac. There was some fighting going on here yesterday between our cavalry and the yanks. There was one Brigade of infantry ingage also, the fight didnot last long, the yanks soon runn. I will say to you before I close that I donot have the pleasure of any socity other than that of my fellow soldiers. Virginians in this county have no sypathy for a northcarolina soldier and as [interlined: a] general thing northcarolina soldiers have just as little sympathy for them therefore I am enduced to extend my confered favors friendship love upon some more worthy object. Please except this [struck through: this] if not excuse me but I would be very glad to receive an answer from you excepting my proposal, remember me in your affections
Respectfully your
Friend
W. C. Gardner
About the original
There is no address panel or envelope with the letter.
Source: W. C. Gardner to Miss Liddy, 16 September 1863. Roach Family Papers (#346), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, Box 1, Folder a (Correspondence, 1820–1897). Collection guide. Digitized folder: ECU Digital Collections, 0346-b1-fa.
Images courtesy of East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. View this item in ECU Digital Collections.
Part of the Roach Family Papers collection on East Carolina Roots.
