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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

William Alexander Cunningham, Private, Company E, 1st Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry

Author's Note:  William Alexander Cunningham was the brother-in-law of my great-great-great uncle, Cicero Fidello Turner.

William Alexander Cunningham, son of George and Susan Rieves Cunningham and brother-in-law of Cicero Fidello Turner, was born in Franklin County, North Carolina on January 29, 1843.  On June 8, 1861, at the age of 18, he enlisted as a private in Company E of the 9th Regiment, North Carolina State Troops (1st Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry), in Granville County, North Carolina, for the duration of the war. Wounded in the right leg and captured on June 9, 1863, at Brandy Station, he was admitted to the Prince Street U.S.A. General Hospital at Alexandria, Virginia on June 10, 1863 and the Lincoln U.S.A. General Hospital at Washington, D.C. on August 4, 1863. On August 22, 1863, he was transferred to Baltimore, Maryland, where he was paroled on August 23, 1863 and delivered at City Point, Virginia on August 24, 1863. Following his exchange, he was reported first at Petersburg Hospital and then later at home, wounded in the leg. William is listed on the Roll of Honor for his service during the battle at Brandy Station, Virginia.  


Company muster roles indicate that William was again present by April 1864 when he was assigned to light duty at Salem, Virginia.  On May 4, 1864, he was reported at General Hospital No. 9 at Richmond, Virginia and on May 5, 1864, at Jackson Hospital at Richmond, Virginia with a gunshot wound to the "upper third left leg."  On May 18, 1864, he was hospitalized at C.S.A. General Hospital at Danville, Virginia.  Returning to duty on June 2, 1864, he was again hospitalized at Danville, Virginia on June 4, 1864 and returned to duty on August 23, 1864. In September 1864, he was assigned to duty at Salem, Virginia through November 1864. Muster rolls for November and December show him present with his company. Although no official information is available following December 1864; William's personal letters indicate that he was with his company as late as March 1865. This lack of information may explain why muster rolls indicate his rank as private though he is pictured with corporal's chevrons in the photograph above.

As a member of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry, William served in one of the most respected and praised regiments of the Confederated Army:

The Old Guard of Napoleon never on any field of battle more forcibly illustrated the effect of discipline and the power of cool courage than did the 1st NC Cav….

-- The Tribune, Columbia, S.C., March 4, 1862.

On every field this regiment displayed conspicuous gallantry, your State, which furnished so many gallant soldiers to the Confederacy, gave none who upheld her honor and reflected a glory on our flag more bravely than did the First Regiment of North Carolina Cavalry.

-- General Wade Hampton.

The Battle of Brandy Station was the largest cavalry battle ever fought on American soil.  According to General Rufus Barringer, in his history of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry:

And now opened the grandest cavalry fight of the war-- from eighteen to twenty thousand mounted men charging and counter-charging all over the immense plains of Brandy, and through the long hours of a summer's sun and with ever-varying results. In the thickest of the fight and the longest in the field were the Ninth North Carolina (First Cav.) and the Jeff Davis Legion, led respectively by Colonel Baker and Lieutenant Colonel Waring. The Confederate dash and valor at last carried the day.  Late in the evening Pleasanton was forced to retire and recross the river, with a loss of nine hundred and thirty-six men killed and wounded and five hundred prisoners. The Confederate loss was five hundred and twenty-three. The loss was unusually heavy in Confederate officers.


William wrote the following letters during the last months of the war:


Hicksford, Va.
Feb. 5th 1865

Dear Sister
                It is with pleasure -I now seat myself to drop you a few lines which will inform you that I am well and hearty. Hoping that this may find you in like condition. Your letter of a recent date was received a few days hince which afforded me great pleasure in hearing that  you were all well. I would have written sooner but I have just written to Indiana a day or two before I received your letter. I wrote for Ma to send my pants by Robert Grisham when he came back through then it would be the last chance she would have to send them but I expect some of the other boys will be out on furlough as soon as they return- also I am not kneeding them now so she need not send them yet:  She can send me some soap and such things to eat as is most convenient. I would like to have a little sorgham but she need not put herself to any trouble for I am not sufering at all -I get a great deal better rations than they do in camp- I am very glad to hear that you have a school in the neighborhood- I know it is very much kneeded.  You didn’t say where Miss Rainey was goin to teach  I expec you have heard of the great turniment that took place in our brigade last Thursday. I tell you these men that that wear stripes on their collars had a great time.  After the turniment was over they took an old gander and tied him up by the neck and had a gander pulling  I don't reckon you ever heard the like of it I had heard of   it  before.  They have the feathers all picked off  his neck and ride by as fast  as their horses can run and pull at his hed. That night they had a ball here in Hicksford.  It was the most disgusting affair  I ever saw.  The officers were generally  half drunk and some three- forths and I expect would of ben under but for one thing and that was their brandy give out- as for the ladies I think I could get a better looking crowd almost anywhere- some of the boys say sogham and corn bread will not do to feed girls on. I do not think it will  myself if that crowd is to be taken as a  Specimen and I have no news.  I will close tell Indiana to send them gloves she had for me by Robert Grisham
     I remain  your brother
                                William




PS
  My love to all the family and tell Pa to get me a good pipe from  Mr Reddick and send it by Bob and if he passes by Mr J Hights place between now and then to cut me a fig stem and send it.
 My old pipe that I took with me is very nigh played out
Nothing more from
                                   Willie


                                                                                Camp 1st N.C. Cavalry
                                                                                          Feb 22nd 1865
My Dear Sister
     Your letter of the 20th inst came to hand this evening (paper torn) finding me well and healthy. I was glad to hear you were all well. I am (paper torn) sorry James Satterwhite had to go in service. I suppose from what you say he had a plenty of ladies to see him before he started. Daniel Duke left here last Sunday for home. Stephen White came by here the same day on his way to Raleigh though he said he was going to stop at home as he went by and stay a few days. I left Hicksford a few days after I wrote to you before. I expect the Brigade will move tomorrow we have orders to that efect they say that we are going to Stoney Creek. I suppose they have got the railroad complete.  I do not like to leave much on account of our good quarters that we have here.  We are fairing very well here now. We get tolerable good rations. A great deal better than  the infantry from what those say whohave visited their camps. I hope the time is not far distant when this old war will stop and I must think it will terminate soon.  I intend to think it will----- then it does or not. I must be like Mrs Duke was by her fortune line in hope if I die in dispare.
 Lieut Fuller is going to start to the hospital tomorrow he will go to Kittrells if he can he had been  before a  Board  and had an application sent up for a furlough  they send him off because we are going to move  his furlough will be sent to him (paper torn) gues as soon as it comes in. Well I believe I have wrote you all the news  I can think of. Tell Pa I am mounted again on one of those old Ridgeway horses  I don’t know how long it will last me. I will now close  as the horn has blown me for roll call  goodby for this time and write soon to your
                                                                                Brother William

If the post office is changed or anything turns up when we move I will write and let you know.


                                                Camp. 1st N C Cav near Stoney Creek
                                                                        March 3rd 1865
Dear mother and father
                         Knowing you are ever willing and anxious to hear from me I will drop you a few lines this morning which will inform you that I am well and hope these lines may find you the same. I have no news to write you more than we have had some very ugly weather it has been raining nearly every day for a week it is almost imposible to travel owing to the flatness of the land. I wrote to Sister the night before we left Belfielch ? but I have not heard from her yet. I don’t know thoughwhether there has ben time for a letter to go and come or not.  It is necessary for me to write today or my letter will not have time to reach you before Daniel Duke starts back. You can send those  pants you have for me by him as I will be needing them by that time Indiannas gloves she had for me will be acceptable as my old ones  is about played out -I believe that is all the clothing I need  at this time  I shall need a shirt and some drawers after a while unless I can draw some and I believe that is nearly plaid out in fact the shirts and drawers are not fit to ware when we get them  if a personcan do any better  do not forget my pipe  Tell Daniel to bring a supply of envelopes with him when he comes for I am just about out and they are very hard to come at here  I reckon he can get some at Weldon  I must now close  give my love to all nothing more I only remain
                                                                                   Your son William


On January 16, 1868, William married Mary Elizabeth Powell and they had seven children: William Omega Cunningham, Adellah Bell Cunningham, Lizzie Wellons Cunningham, Robert Powell Cunningham, Susan Henly Cunningham, Gussie Bell Cunningham, and Annie Laura Cunningham.  Following his death on April 24, 1904, William was buried at Liberty Church Cemetery in Vance County, North Carolina.  














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