These three letters were written by William Jahaney Lowry (1841-1863)—a private in Co. B, 45th North Carolina Infantry. William enlisted on 3 March 1862 and was with his regiment until killed in action at Gettysburg where the 45th North Carolina fought in Daniel’s Brigade, Rodes’ Division, Ewell’s 2nd Corp.
William was the son of Hugh Addison Lowry [or Lowrey] (1803-1861) and Ann Elizabeth Walker (1818-1893) of Oak Ridge, Guilford county, North Carolina.
There are ten of Lowry’s letters transcribed and posted on Civil War Voices, Soldier Studies.
Letter 1
Camp near Goldsborough, North Carolina
January the 4th, 1863
Dear Brother [Rob],
I seat myself to write you a few lines in answer to your kind letter which came to hand yesterday. I was glad to learn that you were all in tolerably good health. Your letter found me as well as common. Anyhow, I am well enough to eat all I get. I was sorry to learn that Add was wounded but I am glad he come off as well as he did. I am in hopes Bowman will get him home safe.
I have nothing of important to write. We are all getting along tolerably well and if I could get plenty of potatoes, I would be pretty well satisfied. I do not think we will go back to Virginia soon. Our sick folks and baggage and the balance of our brigade landed at Goldsborough this morning but we have not got our things in this camp yet. It has been some time since I have had on my clean clothes. We left camp the 15th of December and I left all but what I had on and one blanket. John Myers was left behind and he has taken care of our things. [pencil smudged by crease in paper] …hospital but he did not stay long. He went one day and come back the next. I will close my letter hoping it may find you all well.
From your affectionate brother, — W. J. Lowry
Tell Mother I will write a letter to her tomorrow. I received one from her last night. I received yours first and I thought I would write according to turn.
Letter 2
Camp 15 miles below Kinston, North Carolina
March the 4th 1863
Dear Mother,
I take the pleasure of seating myself this morning to drop you a few lines in answer to your very kind letter which I received a few days since. I was much pleased to hear from you all and to hear that you were all well. I am in moderate health at this time.
I have to go on picket every other night and it is tolerably hard. I was on last night and I have the headache this morning, There is not but two companies here and it is too hard on us. I think we ought to be relieved. We have been here two weeks last Monday.
If Thomson had of brought that box, we would not of got it for we left Kinston before he got there, without we could of got someone to of hauled it down here. There is a wagon passes every two or three days.
The camp has been alarmed twice since we have been here but it all turned out nothing. We picket about two miles below camp.
I was glad to hear that Add’s wound was mending. ¹ Add wrote that he received a letter from [Robert] H. Crews. ² I did not know but what he was dead. I have not heard from him in some 8 or 9 months. I heard [ ] was dead and then I heard he was not. I received a letter from Bob stating that he was well and hearty.
We drawed two months wages this morning which was $22 and it takes all of the mess wagon to keep them in something to eat with what rations they draw. I will bring my letter to a close hoping it may find you all well. Direct your letter to Kinston.
— W. J. Lowry
¹ James Addison (“Add”) Lowry (1843-1873) was William’s brother. Addison served as a private in the 53rd North Carolina Infantry. In December 1862, he was wounded in the right foot near Fredericksburg. His wound did not heal in time for him to join the regiment on the Gettysburg Campaign. He was wounded a second time on 22 September 1864 in the fight at Fisher Hill, Virginia, which caused him the loss of a leg. He died prematurely eight years after the war ended. Three of Add’s letters are housed in The Southern Historical Collection at the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library.
² Robert H. Crews was William’s cousin. Robert was a sergeant in Co. K, 21st North Carolina Infantry. He was also killed on 2 July 1863 at Gettysburg. Robert was the son of Fuel Crews (1803-1846) and Alice Marey Aley Lowrey (1801-1886) of Forsyth county, North Carolina.
Letter 3
[Note: This letter is from the personal collection of Richard Weiner and was transcribed and published on Spared & Shared by express consent.]
Camp 15 miles below Kinston, N. C.
March 11, 1863
Dear Mother,
I take the pleasure of seating myself this Monday to drop you a few lines in answer to your kind letter which came to hand a few days ago. I was much pleased to learn that you were all well.
I am not very well at this time for we have had no rest since last Friday night. The Yankees come up and run in the pickets and come on to camp and we fell back and they went in to our camp and burnt all we had but what we had on our backs. Both of my blankets got bunt and all of my clothes but what I had on. We all drawed more blankets and nearly all of them got burnt but I saved mine. The camp was alarmed and they left them lying in the woods and the fire got out and burnt them.
the Yankees have all gone back to where they were at first. I reckon we will draw more clothes before long for we have none but one suit. Our fare is tolerably rough down here. We get old poor beef and cornbread. We have not had any flour since we left the bluff. We have had harder times since we come to North Carolina than we ever did in Virginia. We have orders to cook all of the rations that is on hand. I do not know where we are going but I hope we will go to Kinston. There is a heap of wet weather down here and the ground is so bad that the water does not run off.
The Yankees only taken two prisoners when [they] come up—one out of our company and one out of Company C. W. C. Bowman and the rest of the Oak Ridge boys is well. I will bring my letter to a close hoping when it comes to hand, it may find you all well. So nothing more at present but remain your affectionate son until death, — W. J. Lowry
Spared & Shared 17 -- Saving History One Letter at a Time 
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