Letter from Thomas B. Baity to his Mother and Brother
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Scope and Contents
This collection consists of a two-page letter dated March 28, 1862, from Private Thomas B. Baity of the 13th North Carolina Infantry (formerly the 3rd) to his mother and brother in Greenville, North Carolina. The letter, sent from Camp Goldsboro, North Carolina. The envelope features an illustration of a firing cannon under the Confederate "Stars and Bars" flag and a stanza from the poem Bright Banner of Freedom, penned by Susan Blanchard Elder, a Louisiana author known for her contributions to the Confederate war effort.
Baity's letter provides personal insight into a Confederate soldier's experience during the early stages of the Peninsula Campaign. He describes recent battle activity, troop movements, and his own uncertainty regarding reenlistment, expressing a desire to return home but ackowledging the possibility of being drafted. Baity never returned home, as he was wounded near Richmond and succumbed to his injuries in a Confederate hospital on July 3, 1862. His brother, Private George W. Baity, who enlisted in the 42nd North Carolina Infantry just days before this letter was written, survived teh war.
The letter reads in part:
Dear Mother... I have improved since I left home, I weigh 167 pounds. There is a great deal of excitement in camp, there has been one battle at Newport News - our men whipped the Yankees. And they will try again in a few days the 3rd Virginia Regiment and 14th North Carolina Regiment, formerly the 4th are crossing the river tonight, our regiment will not go it is though- it is expected if we move we will go to New Bern, NC. Our regiment is now the 13th instead of the 3rd. I had thought reenlisting buy according to your request I will not unless, i to do keep from being drafted. I cannot tell you when I will be home, some say we will be disbanded the 26 April and others say the 15 May - I would like to see you all but if God spares my life it will not be long...
Dear Brother... I am well... I will not write much as I expect you will not get this letter if I get home and get to stay I will take care of your whart as requested... Let me know where you are so that I can write to you...
Dates
- Creation: 1862 March 28
Conditions Governing Access
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Biographical / Historical
Private Thomas B. Baity was a Confederate soldier who served in Company F of the 3rd North Carolina Infantry, later redesignated as the 13th North Carolina Infantry. He enlisted on April 26, 1861, and was stationed along the James River in Virginia. His regiment was among the first Confederate units to defend Yorktown during the Peninsula Campaign against Union General George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. While his regiment did not deploy to New Bern, North Carolina, as initially anticipated, it played a role in the defense of Yorktown.
Baity wrote to his family on March 28, 1862, from Camp Puffin in Smithfield, Virginia, sharing details about the war, his potential reenlistment, and his hope of returning home. However, he never made it back—he was wounded near Richmond sometime between March and July 1862 and died in a Confederate hospital on July 3, 1862.
Extent
1 item
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The University of Alabama Libraries acquired the Letter from Thomas B. Baity to his Mother and Brother from Kurt A. Sanftleben LLC in 2025.
Condition Description
In nice shape.
Processing Information
Processed by Courtney Tutt, January 2025.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Letter from Thomas B. Baity to his Mother and Brother
- Status
- Needs Approval
- Author
- Finding aid created by Courtney Tutt, January 2025.
- Date
- January 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository