Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Wills.....Wills, James W., 1863 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ James W. WILLS, (1826-1866), will {letter} dated 10 Aug 1863, recorded 21 Aug 1866 Hardys Bluff, Signal Station, Isle of Wight County VA, August 10 1863 Dear Sister, I will now proceed to answer your kind letter that came to hand last evening I was very glad indeed to hear from you as I had not heard from you in so long. I am up but not very well. I have had a couple of chills and does not feel well. Sister I have no news of importance to write you at present. We can see the Yankee boats every day. Their fleet came up the river the other day and threw us a few but fortunately no person was hurt. I received a letter from Brother Irvin last week stating he was well then but did not know exactly where Bro Thomas was. Sister tell Cousin William P. That I am very well satisfied indeed with the sales that he made of the property he sold for me. I am much obliged to him and will pay him for his trouble for he done better than I could have done myself. I am glad that you have got the steer home, you can keep him I give him to you he is gentle and the children can drive him to mill for me. I am sorry sorry that cousin William has got to leave home again and come in the service. I am sorry for all the men to leave home, though I expected it when the President called for the last man. I wish cousin William could hire a substitute in his place and stay at home. I could assist him in paying one if he could hire one. I know several men in Southampton that is not in the service. I suppose they have substitute. Cousin William had as well stay at home as they. I am sorry that I can't help I wish I could. You must all do the best you can. Gen asked if the Cedar Store house did not belong to the Lawrence track(sic). It was formerly attached to it but after Father bought the Lawrence place he cut it off ran the line in the rear of the house from the County road to the rail road below the cedar. I don't calculate it will ever do my any more good as I don't ever expect to live to see the war end but I want it to do you and your children some good if I get killed one day in the service I want it to be yours as long as you live and then to your children if I can have my way with it. Sister as soon as you hear of my death go to Miss Lady's and demand my trunk and the key of it. I expect that cousin Emma has the key but she will give it up to you. E. Massenburg wrote me some time ago that he was ready to settle with me and wanted to know what he should do with the money. I told him to put it on interest and put the bonds in Cousin Emmas hands to keep and she put them in my new trunk. I have a good bed a tin safe and a pair of Cart wheels at the widows. I don't want her to have anything that belongs to me. She has got enough I think. Sister I had two notes in Father's hands when he died that I have not heard from. One was against Maj. Edwards of Jerusalem and the other against Mr. Parker for pork sold them at the Lawrence place last year. I don't know what Massenburg done with them also a hundred dollars that I sent home when I was at Camp Cook. Sister I have in the hands of Mr. W. W. Edwards of Isle of Wight papers and money to the amount of the hundred and eighty four dollars to keep for me. I have his receipt of which I will send you then you will have something to show. For my watch I don't want sold I want James to have it. I would be very glad to come home and know things are working but I can't. I don't ever expect to come again but you must do the best you can and pray for better times. Give my love to all my sisters and friends. Please write again soon and give me all the news from Old Southampton if I can't come I am glad to hear from there at anytime. Give my love to Cousin William and family. Nothing more at present. I remain your ever true and faithful brother. Excuse bad writing for I am in a hurry. J. W. Wills At a court held for the County of Southampton on the 21st day of August 1866. This writing bearing date 10th of August 1863 purporting to be the last will and testament of James W. Wills was this day again produced in court by William P. Moore and Virginia his wife in order to be proved and Irvin C. Wills and Godwin Parker appeared and opposed the proof of the said will whereupon divirs(sic)witnesses were sworn and examined and the parties by their council fully heard. In consideration whereof it is the opinion of the court that the testator at the time of executing the writing aforesaid was of sound mind and memory and that he was under no undue influence and that the said writing and the signature is wholy in the handwriting of the said James W. Wills. It is therefore ordered that the said writing be recorded as and for the last will and testament of the said James W. Wills deceased Teste L. R. Edwards Southampton Co., VA, Will Book 18, 1863-1867, p. 554 The Library of Virginia (LVA), Richmond, VA LVA, Southampton Co. Microfilm Reel 23 Researcher notes: "Will" is a letter to sister from CSA service 8/10/1863 Sister: Virginia W. (1826-?) Brothers: Irvin C. (1839-?), Thomas (1840-?) S/O James Wills (1785-1862) and wife Edith (SHC will book 17 p549) 1850 United States Federal Census Name: James Wells Age: 65 Estimated birth year: abt 1785 Birth Place: Virginia Home in 1850 (City, County, State): Nottaway Parish, Southampton, Virginia Household Members: Name Age James Wells 65 James W. Wells 24 Virginia W Wells 21 Irvin C. Wells 17 Thomas Wells 10 Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Nottaway Parish, Southampton, Virginia; Roll M432_977; Page: 332A; Image: 186. VAHistorical.org entry for Wills Family Papers 1862-1863 Mss2W6855b indicates that the papers noted in this letter as "in the hands of Mr. W. W. Edwards of Isle of Wight" are for a Confederate certificate of deposit and some currency. Note the line in the letter "I don't ever expect to come again but you must do the best you can and pray for better times." The letter was probated as his will since he was not able to write and record a formal "will". Virginia Historical Society catalog entry: Wills Family Papers, 1862-1863. 16 items. Mss2W6855b. Contains the papers of members of the Wills family of Southampton County. Civil War materials include letters, 1862-1863, to James W. Wills from Charles Fox Urquhart (1838-1862) of Company D of the 3d Virginia Infantry Regiment concerning a skirmish near Yorktown in April 1862 (b4), and from his brother, Irvin Cross Wills (1838-1912) of Company A of the 13th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, discussing cavalry operations near South Mills, N.C., in April 1862, camp life, skirmishing along the Rappahannock River in April 1863, and the regiment's role in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg (b5-14). Also in the collection is a receipt, 28 July 1863, issued to James W. Wills by William N. Edwards for a Confederate certificate of deposit and currency (b16). The letters of Irvin Cross Wills are printed in "Three Rebels Write Home: Including the Letters of Edgar Allan Jackson, James Fenton Bryant, Irvin Cross Wills, and Miscellaneous Items" (Franklin, Va., 1955), pp. 76-91. (http://www.vahistorical.org/cwg.w.htm) Transcribed by Dale Whitfield (whitfieldroots@aol.com), researched by Virginia Turner (eytvwt@ftc-i.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. [EDWARDS, LAWRENCE, MASSENBURG, MOORE, PARKER, WELLS, WILLS]