James King Wilkerson papers, 1820-1929 and undated

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Summary

Creator:
Wilkerson, James King
Abstract:
Confederate soldier, member of the 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, Co. K; and farmer, from Granville County, N.C. The papers of James King Wilkerson and his family date from 1820 to 1929, and consist of Civil War correspondence, a number of almanacs used as diaries, copybooks, and a few other miscellaneous papers, including a genealogical sketch. There is correspondence by Lillie Wilkerson and Luther Wilkerson, James' children, discussing social life and customs, illnesses and hospitals, employment, and personal matters; and several letters from a soldier in France during World War I. There are also two early issues of the Berea, N.C. Gazette, one from 1876, with comments on the Hayes-Tilden election, and one from shortly thereafter. The Civil War letters, written by James Wilkerson to his family, contain references to the C.S.S. Virginia, detailed descriptions of marches, comments on crop conditions as he moved from place to place, his Civil War service around Petersburg, Virginia, late in the war, and his stay in the General Hospital at Greensboro, N.C. in 1865.
Extent:
1.5 Linear Feet
Approx. 896 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.01382

Background

Scope and content:

The papers of James King Wilkerson (1842-1919) and his family date from 1820 to 1929, and consist of Civil War correspondence, a number of almanacs used as diaries, copybooks belonging to James when he was 16 and 17, and a few other miscellaneous papers, including a genealogical sketch. There is correspondence by Lillie Wilkerson (1877-1955) and Luther Wilkerson (1874-1942), James' children, discussing social life and customs, illnesses and hospitals, employment, and personal matters; and several letters from a soldier in France during World War I. There are also two early issues of the Berea, N.C. Gazette, one from 1876, with comments on the Hayes-Tilden election, and one from shortly thereafter.

The Civil War letters were all or nearly all written by James Wilkerson, who served in the Confederate Army, 55th North Carolina Regiment, Company K, from Aug. 1861 through spring of 1865. His letters to his family are significant for their references to the ironclad C.S.S. Virginia (the former U.S.S. Merrimac); detailed descriptions of marches, including references to orders dealing with men who couldn't keep up or fell during the march; comments on the condition of crops as he moved to different locales; and references to his Civil War service around Petersburg, Va. late in the war, and his stay in the General Hospital at Greensboro, N.C. in 1865. The collection is rounded out by a copy of The Spirit of Prayer (Nathaniel Vincent, 1840), owned by James K. Wilkerson during the Civil War.

Biographical / historical:

James King Wilkerson was born in North Carolina June 12, 1842, probably in Granville County, the son of Alexander Hamilton and Mary Ann D. Royster Wilkerson. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861 and served through the end of the war. He married Elizabeth Frances Slaughter (1849-1929) Dec. 16, 1869 and had two children, Luther C. (1874-1942) and Lillie (1877-1955); Lillie became Lillie Cutts by marriage. James K. Wilkerson died in Granville County, N.C. June 1, 1919, and is buried in the Stovall Baptist Church cemetery, Granville County, N.C.

Acquisition information:
The James King Wilkerson papers were purchased by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library in 1938.
Processing information:

Processed by Rubenstein Library staff, July 2011

Encoded by Paula Jeannet Mangiafico and Matthew Warren, April 2012

Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 38-1505, 38-1562

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48 hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], James King Wilkerson Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.