Mills_Henry+Lawson+Wyatt-letters+to+Miss+Hancock

May 14th, 1861 My Dear Miss Hancock, As I promised prior to leaving Raleigh, I have taken pen to paper to keep you apprised of my wellbeing. It is with a heavy heart that I write to you. I have been gone from your kind and lovely presence for nearly two weeks. I miss you, though we only knew each other for the short time that I spent in our state’s fine capitol. I will never forget the day I first sighted you, sitting in the rotunda of the grand capitol building. You were the loveliest of all ladies. I remember watching your delicate hands as you rolled bandages for our boys off fighting in the war of secession. Even as I took my lessons of military instruction there in your fine city, I tried to catch a glimpse of you. Imagine my joy at finally being able to speak with you. It was worth being scolded and laughed at by the others just to hear your sweet voice. Please forgive me if I seem forward, but the circumstances in which we find ourselves preclude formality. I feel I must tell you that thoughts of your beautiful face fill my mind daily. Though we march all day, and many have become quite ill, I find the time to go by without discomfort when I have you in my thoughts. I hope that this letter finds you in the best of health. I also hope that you will do me the honor of answering, as a word from you would be more valuable to me than gold. Sincerely, Henry Lawson Wyatt May 18th, 1861 My Dear Miss Hancock, We have stopped marching to set up camp again, and I am taking a moment to write to you. One of the men has come down with a terrible illness and is being returned to Raleigh, so many of us are sending our letters out with him. We haven’t been away from civilization for many weeks, but some of the men are suffering from poor health already. They say it may be the water, or the lack of sleep. Some say it is the close quarters we keep. Still, most are well, and I am happy to report that I am among that number. We are fortunate to be under the command of Colonel D. H. Hill. He was personally called to Raleigh by the governor to start training us wayward volunteers. Though I am an adopted son of North Carolina, I am proud to be a member of the 1st North Carolina Regiment. Colonel Hill is a stern man, but has a dry and sarcastic wit, and a terrible hate for all Yankees. I believe he will lead us to great victory. My only hope is to bring pride and honor to my fellow Carolinians and mostly to you, my dear Miss Hancock. I remain your most devoted admirer, Henry Lawson Wyatt May 24th, 1861 My Dearest Miss Hancock, I regret to say that I have not yet heard from you. The mail is slow to get to us, and the men suffer greatly from lack of word from home. I comfort myself with the small token you gave to me as I left, knowing that I am on your mind as you are on mine. Though we make steady movement toward our destination, progress is slow. The summer heat is coming soon, and burdened as we are with all that is necessary to wage war, marching is a long and arduous task. We spend our days routinely with reveille at dawn then morning and afternoon drills. Word from other regiments is that typhus and measles are beginning to take the lives of soldiers not yet faced with battle. I implore you to wish for me the glory of serving the South in combat, and not to die a miserable, painful death within the confines of a makeshift infirmary. As you are well aware, I came to Raleigh by way of Tarboro, where I have lived since I was fourteen years of age. I am a journeyman carpenter, having been apprenticed for four years to one of the best carpenters in the area. I can create window sashes, doors, door cases, and frame an entire house with my hands, saw, chisel and plane. Though the new factories which mill wooden pieces for the same purpose have allowed unskilled laborers into the fold of carpenters, I trust all will come to realize the value a true craftsman can provide. I intend on creating a name for myself in the fair Capitol city. Tarboro does not hold for me the promise of true happiness as Raleigh, home of one delightful Miss Hancock, does. I hope that my intentions will meet with your approval and that I shall hear from the one who has enchanted me so completely. Awaiting your sweet words, Henry Lawson Wyatt June 4th, 1861 My Dearest Miss Hancock, I hope this letter finds you well, and allows you to know that I am also. We have been at our current position for two days now. We are availing ourselves to following the Colonel’s orders to block Union access up the Virginia peninsula. We’ve been digging for days, and it’s hot and dirty work. Yankees have positioned themselves at Hampton and Newport News, and the Confederates are starting to give them some trouble. Colonel Hill says our being here at Big Bethel Church gives us the ability to reconnoiter the movements of the Union and figure out how to stop them. If all goes according to my hopes and wishes, I will have served my six months by the end of September, and return to Raleigh. I continue to think of you with fullness in my heart and wishes for my future. Please pray for my safety and for the victorious return of the 1st North Carolina Regiment. Eternally faithful and ever hopeful, Henry Lawson Wyatt