29 July 1863: “If Sutch men as yo are is christians of heaven i want to know who is the hippocrits of hell”

Item Description: Letter, dated 29 July 1863, from Wilse Dial, James Dial, and Calvin Dial, three Unionists, probably in the mountains of North Carolina or Tennessee, addressed to Capt. Quill Hunter, possibly a Confederate conscription officer, threatening retaliation against attempts to find them.

[Item transcription below images.]

3143_1_118630729_002001

Item Transcription:Item Citation: Wilse Dial Letter, #3143-z, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

July the 29th 1863
Capt Quill Hunter if yo ever hunt for us a gin i will put lead in yo god dam your hell fired soll yo have give the people orders to Shoot us down when they find us and if yo dont take your orders back i will Shoot yo If Sutch men as yo are is christians of heaven i want to know who is the hippocrits of hell we have never done yo any harms for yo to hunt for us we will give yo something to hunt for heareafter  here after when any body sees us i will know where to watch for yo the Secessions needent to degrudge what we steel for we are the United States Regulars (Seal)
Wils. Dial. Jim. Dial. Cal. Dial

[Look on the other Side is a little more]

We dont ax [Sprinkles houns?] no more adds than hell does a powder house ave got orders from the Govenor to take yo because yo dont take us that is our latest orders we dist dare yo to go and Abuse Mother or talk about trying them When the Yankees comes we will go and Show them Some Secess to kill If this dont give yo warning enough the next warning we will give yo with powder and lead take the hint in time we are the old United States Regulars
Wilse Dial is one one
James Dial is another
Calvin Dial is the other

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One Response to 29 July 1863: “If Sutch men as yo are is christians of heaven i want to know who is the hippocrits of hell”

  1. Christopher Graham says:

    Quick Ancestry search shows that a Wilson (19), James (15), and Calvin Dial (13)–brothers, I guess–lived in the household of Martha Dial (40), with two sisters in the Richmond area of Forsyth County in 1860.

    Two Sprinkle households are in the same district. Thomas Sprinkle (44) and his family lived thirteen households away (in the census, that is.)

    Quill Hunter might be Aquilla Hunter (21), the farm laborer son of Solomon Hunter of the same neighborhood.

    In August 1863 Confederate troops and Home Guard clashed with Unionists just over the border in Surry County at Traphill, so the timing makes sense.