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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu
Hannah Bochain, Student Assistant, and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction .
Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], James M. Wysor Letter, Ms2013-035, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Source of Acquisition
The collection was purchased by Special Collections in February 2013.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the James M. Wysor Letter was completed in July 2013.
Biographical Note
James Miller Wysor or Weiser was born on August 17, 1845, to George Washington and Margaret Ann Wysor of Dublin, Pulaski County, Virginia. He had several siblings, including Henry C. and John C. Wysor.
During the American Civil War, Wysor enlisted on August 8, 1863, at Belle's Bridge, Tennessee, as a private in the Confederate Army. There he joined the "F" Company of the Virginia 54th Infantry. On March 19, 1865, Wysor was taken prisoner at Bentonville, North Carolina, where he was sent and confined to Point Lookout, Maryland.
After the war, Wysor starting spelling his surname as Weiser and became a farm laborer in Minnesota. He married Laura Adams Ware (1857-1937) around 1878. They had several children, including Hannah M., James M., Jr., Mary W., and Raymond W. They returned to Virginia in the 1870s.
Wysor died on Nov. 27, 1929, and is buried alongside his family in the New Dublin Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Dublin, Virginia.
Sources:
U.S. Federal Census, 1850-1920.
"Wysor, James M.", National Park Service's Civil War Soldier database, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=852350E1-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A , accessed Nov. 5, 2024.
"James M Wysor" in the U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/1555/records/1256704 , accessed Nov. 5, 2024.
"James Miller Weiser Sr.", Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38065558/james-miller-weiser , accessed Nov. 5, 2024.
"Laura Ware Weiser", Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38065574/laura-weiser , accessed Nov. 5, 2024.
"James M Weiser" in the Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/9278/records/779061 , accessed Nov. 5, 2024.
Scope and Content
The collections contains a letter, dated June 15, 1864, from James M. Wysor to his mother. While stationed at Kennesaw Mountain, he writes about picket and military activities and actions, rations, and deserters. He discusses the health of an uncle in the army with him, an encounter with old friends on the march, and of cannon fire he hears while writing the letter.
Related Material
Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives maintains several related Wysor family papers:
Rufus J. Wysor Papers, Ms1968-008
Henry Wysor Family Papers, Ms2015-026
Henry C. Wysor Family Papers, Ms2023-012
Samuel D. Jones Letter to Henry C. Wysor, Ms2024-051
F. P. Miles Letter to Henry C. Wysor, Ms2024-052
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Civil War
- Henry Wysor family
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the James M. Wysor Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Wysor, James M., Sr. (James Miller), 1845-1929