Research Arsenal Spotlight 23: Tip Wilson of the 5th Tennessee Infantry
William Henry Harrison “Tip” Wilson was born in 1840 to Ann Adeline (Neblett) Wilson and Joseph Hannibal Bonaparte Wilson of Paris, Tennessee. He was named after politician William Henry Harrison whose nickname “Tippecanoe” during his presidential campaign inspired William Wilson to receive the same nickname, often shortened to “Tip.”
Tip Wilson enlisted as a private in Company C, 5th Tennessee Infantry on May 20, 1861. He was soon promoted to lieutenant an then to Captain of Company A before the regiment was finally mustered into service in August 1861. It was then consolidated with the 4th Tennessee Infantry in December, 1862.
The Research Arsenal collection for Tip Wilson also include letters written by his future wife, Naomi Elizabeth “Lizzie” Cox and one letter written by Tip Wilson’s sister, Elizabeth Buckner, after the war.
Tip Wilson at Dalton, Georgia.
In the first letter in our collection dated May 12, 1864, Tip Wilson wrote to his fiancée to update her on the war’s progress. Though writing from Auburn, Alabama, he began with news about Dalton, Georgia, where his regiment had recently been stationed.
“This note is to inform you that I yet remember thee. I have just returned from Dalton. I have concluded to give you all the news from that place—at least all I know. I left there Sunday evening. Our entire army was then advancing. Very heavy skirmishing was then going on. Was then thought [a] general engagement would commence Monday morning but did not.
After I left Dalton, I came down to Atlanta to await the result but no general engagement as yet but thought will be soon. We have killed & captured a great many Yanks since the 1st of this week. Our loss but small compared with that of the enemy’s. Gen. Johnston is ready & feels confident of success. I have never seen soldiers in better spirits than the Army of Tennessee is at the present—all eager to go upon the enemy. confident of a great & glorious victory.”
The First Battle of Dalton was fought from February 22-27, 1864 and resulted in a Confederate victory. Though Tip Wilson didn’t know it as he was writing, General Johnson was actually withdrawing his forces from Dalton, Georgia, after being outflanked by Union forces at the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge fought from May 7-13, 1864.
Tip Wilson concluded his letter with a teasing tale of Naomi “Lizzie” Cox marrying Gen. Mitchel in one of his recent dreams:
“Well, I will now tell you the dream I had a few nights ago. I dreamed you & Gen. Mitchel was married. I thought I was at the wedding. I had quite a nice time. Is it true or not? Let me know in your reply.”
Marriage of Tip Wilson and Lizzie Cox
On June 4, 1864 Naomi “Lizzie” Cox wrote a letter to Tip Wilson who was apparently recovering from an unspecified wound. In her letter addressed to “Capt. Wilson,” Lizzie began by saying:
“I received your most welcome and appreciated letter a day or two since. I am truly glad to hear that you are in fine spirits and enjoy yourself so well. I hope your opinion in regard to the war may be a just one. If there is anything that I earnestly wish for, it is that ‘this cruel war may soon be over.’”
Lizzie was careful not to mention their upcoming wedding explicitly, instead leaving a blank space underlined when referring to it.
“You wished to know how I have enjoyed myself since you was here. My enjoyments at present consists in thinking of _______. I hope I shall have a nice time after we get through with our silk, eating fruit. Our plums and cherries are getting ripe now and the apples eat first rate. You must come down soon and stay several days. I think I can promise you a right nice time. You ought to see our silkworms now. They are winding up very fast. I counted over a thousand that I took myself yesterday.
Captain, I hope you will not nag me to ____ but I will tell you more about that when I see you. I would write my thoughts more plainly but I am fearful that someone beside yourself might accidentally get hold of it and read it.”
The couple were married on June 30, 1864.
Tip Wilson and the 5th Tennessee Infantry near Atlanta, Georgia.
On August 17, 1864, Tip Wilson wrote to his new wife, “Mrs. N. E. Wilson” about developments outside of Atlanta Georgia. The situation for the Confederate forces was grim, but Tip Wilson shared along with it a darkly humorous tale from picket duty:
“We are losing a great many men but not so many as the Yanks. Our boys shoot much better than the enemy. My company was on picket & one of the boys & a Yank got to shooting at each other, then would holler & ask how close he came. This was kept up for some time. Then my man shot & asked how close he came. The Yanks standing by remarked, “Goddam it, you killed him,” which was true for all the boys saw the Yank fall. They make a bargain sometimes to quit shooting & trade some. They they will meet on half way grounds & trade. Our boys will swap tobacco for pocket knives, watches, or anything they have. The Yanks will give anything they have for tobacco.”
As the war and the seasons went on, Tip Wilson found himself writing a melancholier letter to Lizzie on Christmas Eve, 1864, which he datelined Corinth, Mississippi:
“I again try to interest you the best I can by letter but having nothing very interesting, I fear I shall fail to interest you. Well, tomorrow is Christmas day and where am I? Little did I think last Christmas that I would be in this hog pen this Christmas. No man knows what tomorrow will bring forth.
We are expecting a fight here everyday. There are reports that 25,000 Yankees are coming upon this place from Memphis. Let them come. We will give them the best we have in our shop. We have about one thousand men here able for duty. But small we are in number, we are very large in courage. It is also reported that Hood is falling back from Nashville to Tuscumbia where he will take up winter quarters.”
Later in the letter Tip Wilson explained that he was temporarily part of Company is I, 1st Regiment, Reserve Forces in Corinth, but expected that he might be sent back to the 5th Tennessee Infantry soon.
Tip Wilson survived the war and lived into his eighties, passing away in 1921. His wife, Lizzie, died in the same year.
We’d like to give a special thanks to William Griffing of Spared & Shared for transcribing and sharing these documents.
To read more of Tip Wilson’s letters and access thousands of other Civil War letters and documents, sign up for a Research Arsenal membership.
Check out some of our other collection spotlights, like William Lewis Savage of the 10th Connecticut Infantry and Richard Ransom of the Chicago Mercantile Battery.
