Submitted by Linda Barnette; Vetted and edited by Cheri Todd Molter; Transcriptions copied by Alisone Warlick Carr and Kobe M. Brown
William H. Call was born in Davie County in 1842. His parents were Henry R. Call and Martha Frost Call. In 1861, William was a student at Chapel Hill, and while there, he wrote letters home to his parents. What follows are transcriptions of his letters, dated from August 1861 to February 1862, that were copied from those in the collection of Davie County Public Library.
Chapel Hill N.C.
Wednesday night Aug. 1861
Dear father:
No doubt you accuse me of negligence for not writing sooner. Under existing circumstances I think that I am excusable. I have been quite busy since I left home. I received Sisters letter a short time ago and have thus far delayed in sending her an answer. You wished to knoe [sic] whether I entered College free of charge for tuition and room rent? Yes sir, I did. I have been thinking of joining one of the Societys as a Beneficeary [sic], that is free of charge just as I entered college. There is already several beneficiaries in the Society which I wish to join, and I hate to tax the old members, I cannot join in 2 or 3 weeks yet. Next Friday I will comence [sic] boarding at another house at $9.00 per month, it is the cheapest in the place.
The boys all seem to be clever to me. I am rooming alone, get quite loansome [sic] sometimes but enjoy [myself] very well most of the time. I am enjoying excellent health. I am going to try to get a roommate but you may rest assured that I will judge well as boy’s character before I take him as a roommate. One of the Proffessors [sic] came to my room the other day, I told him my name where I was from ect. he to[ld] me a must be careful who I associate with.
Pa within this envellope [sic] you will find a letter to Sallie, when you write to her, please send it to her. I wrote it some time ago and neglected sending it.
I recon [sic] you all see fine times there gathering peaches. I wished I coul[d] see Little Charles & Eddie eating peaches. I would enjoy it so much. I guess Mit is not going to school at this time. He ought to be going every day. He can prepare for college by the time he is 17 years old. I want him to come to college when I leave. Please write soon to you[r] affectionate son W.H. Call Tell me the war news.
Dear Ma.
As I have just finished Pa’s letter I will drop you a few lines. I guess you are quite loansome [sic] since Sallie left. I have been so busy that I could not write sooner. Could you see me sitting all alone in my room you would [think] that I was an old bachelor; I am very well content can make myself at home anywhere.
Have you heard from the Davie companies lately? Have they been into any fights yet? If so did any of them get killed? I hope not.
How is little Eddie and Charlie getting along? I would be very glad to see them now. Ma I want you and Pa to do one thing tis this “Try to impress upon [Mit’s] mind the importance of an Education. Please write soon. Dont forget to send my letter to Sallie:
I remain your affectionate son as ever W.H. Call
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Chapel Hill N.C.
Sept. 2nd 1861
Dear Father:
I now seat myself to answer your letter. I have been in good health since I left home and am getting along very well. I guess you have heard the news “that 4000 Linconites had landed on the coast of the Good Old North State, taken two forts and 600 prisoners. I guess “Old Rip” will now arouse from his slumbers. Prof. Martin has made up a company and will go off before long.
We ought to repell [sic] the invaders from our soil. I am going to try and be as easy and calm as possible in this matter. I dont expect to leave college if the union d ntinues [sic], but you know I want to do all I can for me country. There is some excitement here, and I expect some of these students will go for the rescue of their country. I am not going to war until you say “go and do what you can.” These are the words I wait to fall from your lips before I can go.
[I] would not disobey you because you have taken so much pains to bring me up in the way that I ought always to pursue.
I guess there is some excitement in Mocksville at this time about the war. You can hardly image how fast time seems to pass away. I have been here just 6 weeks, but it dont appear to me that I have been here more than half that time. I was very mush pleased with our society. We can take out as many books as we choose. I cannot tell you how much the Fee is, but you are an excellent judge in such matter
Please write soon to me and tell all the news. I remain your affectionate son W.H. Call
Dear Ma.
No doubt you blame me with carelessness for not writing sooner. Probably you have been thinking that I had gone to war, but I have not gone yet, nor do I expect to go soon, but when I go it will be absolutely necessary, and then by the consent of you and Pa. I am trying to be as cool as possible in the matter.
Some of the students seem to be somewhat excited, but you know that is natural. The students are getting up a company among themselves to go to the eastern part of this state they will only go for a…month. I dont have any idea that they will get it up.
But rest assured that I will obey you and Pa. I have not joined the company and dont intend to.
I merely tell you this to let you know that I regard the commands of a kind Father and a loving Mother as the first and great commands to be obeyed. If my country needs my week arm to help defend her, then I am ready to go. I have just finished a letter to Sallie and will now finish yours. I have no news to tell you. I hardly know what else to write, so I will stop. Please write soon to your affectionate son W.H. Call
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Chapel Hill N.C.
Monday Nov. 11th 1861
Dear Pa.
As I am now sitting alone in my room enjoying the sweets of solitude, I will try and egage [sic] myself by [writing] you a few lines. I am enjoying excellent health and getting along finely.
It will be four weeks from next Thursday untill [sic] we leave the Hill. We will get off about the 28th of this month. I am very much obliged to you for giving me the privildge [sic] (or blessed Privilege I should have said) of going to Goldsboro. I know Sallie and I will have as find time. I think I will get 2nd for the last half session I hope so at least. I have no general news to tell you as everything seems very quiet about Chapel Hill. I am now drilling in a squad every day at 12 oclock. We received our guns yesterday. I expect there will be a military department here next session. I hope they will require every student to drill every day next session, so that we may learn something about how to use the musket etc.
I understand that Prof. Fetter’s son who was in the battle at Bethel will be our drill master next session. There are several boys here who have been going to military schools. There is one from Lexington Va. The place where Wiley Clement went last year. So we will have good instruction. I dont know exactly how much [it] will take to go to Goldsboro and back. I recon [sic] you had better send about $12 but I am pretty certain it will not take that much, but be assure[d] i will take good care of all that is left. I will be glad to receive that amount before the end of the session. I will send you my measure in this letter for those shoes, You know how they ought to be made, something heavy & stout, but decent. Have them made tolerable low so that they will not be too hot for summer. If you choose and it will be any cheaper you can have them made like my summer shoes, but out of stouter leather.
I was sorry to hear that Mr. Harbin could not get the Collectors office. I know that party spirit is raging now as much as ever. We have to bear the yoke of democracy which I hope we may throw off in the course of human events. I believe that a monarchal government will be establisked [sic] here in less than ten years. God forbid that I shall ever see a Tyrant bearing the scepter over our land, ‘Twill be then the week arm of your son will be raised to dethrone the haughty despot. Or I will raise my voice to accomplish the same end. It is my oppinion [sic] that we are now living worse than any people on earth but a few years will determine our fate.
Would to God that the North and South could be united and live in peace and harmony with each other.
I am for protecting our rights and at the same time I am for showing to the people what rights we are fighting to protect,
This leaves me well and enjoying myself finely. Please write soon to your obedient son. W.H. Call
Dear Ma. I will now hold a short conversation with you, but I have nothin [sic] of importance to tell you. It will not be long untill [sic] I can go to Goldsboro and there enjoy my vacation with Sallie oh! What a find time we will have, I wish you could be there to see us, I would like very much to see you all, but I think it will do me a good deal of good to go to Goldsboro. I will write you long letters when I get there. Next session there will be no use of Pa [sending] me all the money that I will need during the whole session at once, but just enough every month to pay my board, so that he can put it to some other use or put it out on interest. I will tell you in my next letter when to start your box to Goldsboro or you might send it to HIllsboro, and I could get it from there on tehe [sic] Hack, but Pa will know best where to send it. Let me know in your next letter where he is going to send it. Ma, I will want one or two cravats. You need not bye [sic] them but make them out of black silk. You can send one in your next letter. [Make] it ¼ to ¾ inch wide and not very long You may bind the edges with something or not bind them just as suits you. The other one make to our own notion and put it [in your] box. You can send my shirts also on your box. I guess I will have pants enough. All my clothes are tolerable good. You spoke about homespun in your letter. We boys wear it here just the same as any other goods. A boy with a homespun suit on is just as much respected here as any other. You may send my Virgil, it is a Latin book covered with oilclot[h]. My collars and handkerchiefs are tolerable good. Ma, it is about dinner time I must close. Please write soon. Tell Mit he must write, How is grandpa and family? Have you heard from [Uncle] William or [J]ames or any of Pa’s brothers lately? Have you heard from the 2 Davie compan[ies] lately? Please write soon to your affectionate and obedient son W.H.C
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Chapel Hill N.C.
Nov. 26th 1861
Dear Father
I have just received your letter in which I also found Sallies enclosed. I am very well and enjoying myself finely. I have stood one eximanation [sic] and succeeded admirably. I wrote to you the other [day and] stated in my letter that I wished you to meet me in Salisbury on Saturday Nov. the 30th. I hope you will be there ready. It will be cheaper for me to come home for we have 7 weeks vacation. I think I can improve myself there at home by studying. Sallie ought not to be uneasy about you and I for I don’t believe they can make a student go to war, at least I am going to keep out of it if there is any possible chance. I don’t know whether you will get this letter before Saturday or not. I guess you will get it Thursday. I will be in Salisbury Saturday morning. I will get there Friday night some time. Pa I may take up at school about home somewhere of there is any possible chance of getting any scholars and teach about 6 weeks. I will [think] about that when I get home.
As the mail will leave in a few minutes I must bring my letter to a close. I remain your obednt [sic] son. W.H. Call
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Destined for Mocksville, N.C.
Chapel Hill
Feby 7th 1862.
Dear Pa and Ma.
Probably you are looking with anxiety for a letter from me. I will now pen you a few lines in answer to your last which I received a short time ago. I am now enjoying excellent health. I almos[t] come to the conclusion sometime that I was born to sympathatize [sic] with suffering humanit[y]. I feel that I exist to perform some important labor. Things are moving on the Hill. Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves. I received a letter from sister a day or two ago. She was well and doing well. I answered it last night. She wrote me an excellent letter. We have about 110 students in college now. There are thirty in our class. I bought my books the other day for $6.00 very cheap indeed for them. I could sell them for more than that if I wished. They are not so well bound as those that I spoke getting from Carter, but they will do me equally as well. I don’t recollect whether I told you about byeing [sic] a bed or not. I have bought one. I gave $12.00 for it. I will tell you what all I got. A good bed stead and mattress one side of [which] is made of cotton, 4 sheets 2 blankets 2 pillars and bolsters 1 quilt 2 nice Marseils [sic] spreads and 3 chair[s] all for $12.00. Do you not think I made a good trade[?] I got curtains enough for 3 windows for 25 cents. My room mate has sent home for some candles. We will then have a plenty to last us all the session. We are getting along finely in our eating department. We all keep an account of what we bye [sic]. I wrote a letter to S. W. Johnson the other day. I guess I will receive an answer before long. Is Mit going to school now? If so to whom is he going? Did Mr. N. succeed in getting any of the boys to recite to him? I think that was only a bate [sic] thrown out to induce some of them to notice his girls. This is Thursday night 9 oclock. I have just finished preparing my algebra lesson. I have no idea how I will stand in my class this session. We have some smart boys in our class—theh [sic] have been well prepared & our Society is increasing very fast in number. There has been some talk of drafting this county but they will not take the students. Have you got your pigs up in a pen now? I think they will make large hogs by next Christmas. I am wearing my old shoes and think that I can wear them the most of this session. Shoes are very high here and now. They charge about four dollars for such shoes as mine, and about twelve dollars for such boots as mine. I like our Methodist preacher here very much he does not reach off his [last line cut off]
Pa I have seen some of the woden [sic] bottom shoes and I like them very much. Some of the boys wear them here. The soles are cut out of solid wood with the heel and the upper leather is tacked on. I think they answer the purpose splendid. Gov. Swaim has been sick but has got about again. He has become almost deaf. We have not been drilling any this session. One of the boys has got up a squad to drill. I am going to drill more for the exercise than anything else. Has Grand Pa got well yet? Please let me know I have not written to him but [I] will soon. Have you heard from Aunt Jane, Uncle William or James lately? Please let me know all the news. Tell Mit to write to me. I must bring my letter to a close I remain as ever your affectionate son. W. H. Call
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Editor’s note: In June 1862, William left his studies to enlist in the Confederate army. He served in Company G of the 7th Cavalry, which was composed primarily of men from North Carolinia and Georgia. In July 1864, the North Carolinians in that command were transferred to the 16th North Carolina Battalion Cavalry, and William served in Company D. He was surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865.
