letters

John Wise (1862)

John Wise was born in Augusta County, Virginia, to a farming family. Both his father Michael Wise, and his grandfather, John Wise, lived in Augusta, though they later moved. He settled in Highland County before the war. During the war, he served in the 11th Virginia Cavalry, from his enlistment in March 1862 until his death from wounds in April 1865. In this collection of three wartime letters, Wise details camp life and battles in the early years of the war. The Trotters, the recipients of one of these wartime letters, were related to Wise and lived in Augusta County. You may also read two postwar letters (1868, 1871) of the Trotter family.