Letter from William to his Sister
Contributed by Frank A. Chappell
“Dear Sister,... We left Norfolk with my nap sack and musket. 6 miles. We are at Suffolk and I think we will
leave in a few days for Richmond. I think we will face a battle at Richmond... The yankes is cannonading on us. We
look for a battle every day. Excuse me for wrighting with a lead pensel...”
This quote is from a letter written by
William Henry Branscom to his sister, Lucinda Caroline Hunter in Union Springs, Alabama. It is from one of 5 letters
written by William before he died
of measles in a Richmond hospital. All of his letters are included in a
book, “Dear Sister, Civil War Letters to a Sister in Alabama” which was
published in 2003 by Branch Springs Publishing. Frank A. Chappell, the
great-great grandson of Lucinda Hunter found the letters and published the
book. Copies are available from Frank A. Chappell, 800 Watts Drive, Huntsville, AL 35801 or
fchap10220@comcast.net.
