Last Letter Home ...John Morris Wampler CSA

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JOHN MORRIS WAMPLER

On August 17, 1863, Union monitors less than 1000 yards offshore were continuing their barrage of Battery Wagner on Morris Island just outside of Charleston harbor. By richocheting their shots off the water these ironclads were able to send their giant spherical shells skipping into the battery. About 11:00 in the morning, Wagner's chief engineer, the Virginia-born John Morris Wampler sat down in a sheltered area to write his family. Suddenly a projectile bounded over the wall and fragments exploded into the bombproof killing Wampler instantly. Afterwards, his unfinished letter was found in the rubble of the bombproof . In its entirety it read: "My dear wife and child."

source: "Gate of Hell--Campaign for Charleston Harbor, 1863" by Stephen R. Wise
 
Great Post ! According to the "Virginia Regimental Series" John died from "Shell fragment severed spine". I believe this may be him in 1860 :

John M Wampler
United States Census, 1860
Name John M Wampler
Event Type Census
Event Date 1860
Event Place Southern District, Loudoun, Virginia, United States
Gender Male
Age 30
Race White
Race (Original) [Blank]
Birth Year (Estimated) 1830
Birthplace Maryland
Page 196

Wife, Kate 27, born in Louisiana. Children, James age 7, Julia age 1.
 
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