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Size | 0.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 100 items) |
Abstract | W. D. Wharton (1840-1907) and his brother, John E. Wharton (1835-1916), were raised in Guilford County, N.C. During most of the Civil War, both men served in the Company K, 5th North Carolina Cavalry Regiment (later called the 63rd North Carolina Troops). After the war, W. D. Wharton appears to have returned to Guilford County, N.C., and married Mary Eliza Wharton (1840-1873). John E. Wharton moved to Texas and became a member of the faculty at Austin College in Sherman, Tex. The collection is chiefly correspondence, 1862-1907, relating to W. D. Wharton's Confederate army service in the Civil War. The largest concentration of letters are those written by W. D. Wharton to his parents and fiancee, Mary Eliza Wharton (called Cousin Mollie), from eastern North Carolina, 1862-1863, and from Virginia, 1864-1865. Wharton described military life in camp, speculated about how long the war would last, and gave his assessment of the officers in command. A few of the letters, December 1864, contain a detailed account of the Union raid at Stoney Creek, Va. (also called Stony Creek Station, Va.) on 1 December 1864. Scattered correspondence, 1869-1907, chiefly consists of photocopies of typed transcriptions of letters from John E. Wharton to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Wharton, and his brother, W. D. Wharton. The letters describe the daily lives of John E. Wharton and his family in Texas. |
Creator | Wharton, W. D. (William David), 1840-1907. |
Curatorial Unit | Southern Historical Collection |
Language | English. |
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W. D. Wharton (1840-1907) was raised in Guilford County, N.C., the son of David Wharton (1803-1902) and Elizabeth Donnell Wharton (1795-1880). At the start of the Civil War, W. D. Wharton served as a major of the 67th Regiment North Carolina Militia. Wharton then enlisted in Company K, 5th North Carolina Cavalry Regiment (later called the 63rd Regiment North Carolina Troops). During the war, Wharton rose from the rank of third lieutenant to second lieutenant and became engaged to a distant cousin, Mary Eliza Wharton (1840-1873). He was wounded twice during the war, in the left shoulder on 1 June 1864 at Ashland, Va., and in the legs on 31 March 1865 at Chamberlain Run, Va. After the war, W. D. Wharton appears to have been married to Mary Eliza Wharton and settled in Guilford County, N.C. Wharton had a son, William Gilmer Wharton, in 1878, with his second wife, Jennie S. Gilmer Wharton (1840-1896).
W. D. Wharton's brother, John E. Wharton (1835-1916), was graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1857. He served alongside his brother William in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. John E. Wharton first enlisted in Company B of the 27th Regiment and then raised a company of cavalry that became part of the 63rd Regiment of North Carolina Troops. He was captain of this company until his capture at Dinwiddie Court House, Va., on 31 March 1865. John E. Wharton suffered two shot wounds, one in the wrist in eastern North Carolina in 1863 and another through the neck in Ashland, Va., in June 1864. He married Martha Jane Cole (called Pattie) in July 1867 and moved from Greensboro, N.C., to Texas. John E. Wharton established Bloomfield Academy in the Indian Territories, a school for Indian girls. He then became a member of the faculty at Austin College in Sherman, Tex.
Back to TopChiefly correspondence, 1862-1907, relating to W. D. Wharton's Confederate army service in the Civil War. The largest concentration of letters are those written by W. D. Wharton to his parents and fiancée, Mary Eliza Wharton (called Cousin Mollie), from eastern North Carolina, 1862-1863, and from Virginia, 1864-1865. Wharton described military life in camp including the soldier diet, condition of the cavalry horses, desertions, marches, picket duty, religious services, weather, furloughs, and news of fighting. Wharton also wrote about how long the war would last; his concerns about John E. Wharton's drinking; his own mortality; his love for the Confederacy; and his assessment of the officers in command, including Major James H. McNeill, Captain Nathaniel P. Rankin, General Rufus Barringer, and Captain Waldhauer. A few of the letters, December 1864, contain a detailed account of the Union raid at Stoney Creek, Va., (also called Stony Creek Station, Va.) on 1 December 1864. Typed transcriptions and research notes written by the donor of the collection accompany most of the letters; researchers should use their own discretion regarding the accuracy of these materials. Background research materials collected by the donor, his pictures of historical markers at battlefield sites mentioned in the letters, and a picture of the Wharton family home in Guilford County, N.C., are also included.
Scattered correspondence, 1869-1907, chiefly consists of photocopies of typed transcriptions of letters from John E. Wharton to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Wharton, and his brother, W. D. Wharton. The letters describe the daily lives of John E. Wharton and his family in Texas, including their health; the weather; employment as teachers; family affairs; and cotton crops. John E. Wharton also wrote about the family's journey to Texas from North Carolina, neighborhood news, and political corruption.
Back to TopArrangement: chronological.
Chiefly correspondence, 1862-1907, relating to W. D. Wharton's Confederate army service in the Civil War. The largest concentration of letters are those written by W. D. Wharton to his parents and fiancée, Mary Eliza Wharton (called Cousin Mollie), from eastern North Carolina, 1862-1863, and from Virginia, 1864-1865. Wharton described military life in camp including the soldier diet, condition of the cavalry horses, desertions, marches, picket duty, religious services, weather, furloughs, and news of fighting. Wharton also wrote about how long the war would last; his concerns about John E. Wharton's drinking; his own mortality; his love for the Confederacy; and his assessment of the officers in command, including Major James H. McNeill, Captain Nathaniel P. Rankin, General Rufus Barringer, and Captain Waldhauer. A few of the letters, December 1864, contain a detailed account of the Union raid at Stoney Creek, Va., (also called Stony Creek Station, Va.) on 1 December 1864. Typed transcriptions and research notes written by the donor of the collection accompany most of the letters; researchers should use their own discretion regarding the accuracy of these materials. Background research materials collected by the donor, his pictures of historical markers at battlefield sites mentioned in the letters, and a picture of the Wharton family home in Guilford County, N.C., are also included.
Scattered correspondence, 1869-1907, chiefly consists of photocopies of typed transcriptions of letters from John E. Wharton to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Wharton, and his brother, W. D. Wharton. The letters describe the daily lives of John E. Wharton and his family in Texas, including their health; the weather; employment as teachers; family affairs; and cotton crops. John E. Wharton also wrote about the family's journey to Texas from North Carolina, neighborhood news, and political corruption.
Folder 1 |
1862 |
Folder 2 |
1863 |
Folder 3 |
1864: August |
Folder 4 |
1864: September |
Folder 5 |
1864: October |
Folder 6 |
1864: November |
Folder 7 |
1864: December |
Folder 8 |
1865 |
Folder 9 |
1869-1907 |
Folder 10 |
Background research materials |
Image Folder PF-5059/1 |
Pictures |
Items separated include pictures (P-5059).
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