Posey Civil War Letters
Photo of Confederate Soldiers after the Battle at Chancellorsville - William Winter Posey died on 3 Jun 1863 from wounds he received in this battle.
This website contains a collection of 29 Civil War letters (1861 - 1863) written by two Posey brothers to their family in Louisiana. Twenty-six letters are written by William Winter Posey; one written by Winter's younger brother, Francis Cobey Posey. One letter was written by a cousin, Frederick Seybert Posey and a final letter was written by a fellow soldier, Charles F. Thompson. Both brothers served in Company F, 2nd LA Infantry, "Vernon Guards"--Confederate Army of the Civil War. These letters have been organized, deciphered, and transcribed by Arden and Virginia Walker. These letters contain news from the battlefield, insight into the daily life of a Confederate soldier and the undeniable truth of the importance of God and family to these boys. They also provide a glimpse into our family history. A few letters have been scanned, but are difficult to read due to brittle paper and/or pen or pencil quality. Their overall quality is remarkably good, given their age of nearly 150 years. Almost all of them remain in their original envelopes. There are an additional 50 letters in our possession that were written to the family of Joseph Harrison Posey, Sr. and his wife Caroline Winter Cobey Posey of Vernon, Jackson Parish, Louisiana during the period 1849 to 1888. These letters were received from their family members in various states including Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. Five of these letters were written during the Civil War times and provide additional interesting perspectives on the war. A family tree beginning with Joseph Harrison Posey, Sr. through current generations is included for your reference. Also included is a locator map showing the location of each letter's origin, Confederate service records of Winter and Cobey, and a summary of Civil War battles in Virginia. Also, a picture of the 2nd Louisiana Infantry flag is included. Arden and I have enjoyed reading and transcribing these treasures. We continue to organize the remaining letters and will share them as completed. Please let us know of any other information or pictures that you would be willing to share. This is a work in progress and eventually will contain information on other soldiers in Company F, 2nd Louisiana Infantry.
William Winter Posey: born 5 Dec 1837, Charles Co., MD; died 4 Jun 1863, Chancellorsville, VA; buried at Confederate Cemetery, Spottsylvania Co., Fredericksburg, VA.