Finding Aid of the Poteet-Dickson Letters, 1861-1902 , PC.1825

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Finding Aid of the Poteet-Dickson Letters, 1861-1902 , PC.1825

Abstract

Martha A. E. Henley (1826-1902) and Francis Marion Poteet (1827-1902) were likely born in Burke or McDowell County, N.C. and married in 1847. Thirteen children were born to this union. Francis worked variously as a farmer, a carpenter, and a miller. Living in the Dysartsville area of McDowell County, Poteet was working as a miller at the time of his conscription into the Confederate Army, Company A, 49th Regiment, North Carolina Troops. In early 1864 Poteet was tried for desertion after he returned home when a young son became ill and died. Poteet was eventually returned to his post, possibly because he was voluntarily returning to the army when arrested. After the war ended, the family moved to Enola, Burke County, North Carolina, where Francis operated a grinding mill and Martha worked in a nearby store. They eventually moved to Mooresboro, Cleveland County, N.C. Collection includes 47 original manuscript letters, dating from July 16, 1861 to July 12, 1902 and also an undated handcopied story by a child, and an undated family memorandum, ca. 1902 with birth, marriage, death and other dates of Francis Marion Poteet and Martha A. E. Hendley Poteet. The majority of the letters are the Civil War correspondence of Francis Marion Poteet and Martha A. E. Hendley Poteet (36 of 38 letters).

Descriptive Summary

Title
Poteet-Dickson Letters
Call Number
PC.1825
Creator
Poteet, Francis Marion, 1827-1902.
Date
1861 - 1902; undated
Extent
1.00 boxes, 1.00 cubic feet
Language
English
Repository
State Archives of North Carolina

Series Quick Links

Restrictions on Access & Use

Access Restrictions

Available for research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], PC.1825, Poteet-Dickson Letters, 1861-1902 and undated, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C., USA.

Collection Overview

Collection includes 47 original manuscript letters, dating from July 16, 1861 to July 12, 1902 and also an undated handcopied story by a child, and an undated family memorandum, ca. 1902 with birth, marriage, death and other dates of Francis Marion Poteet and Martha A. E. Hendley Poteet. The majority of the letters are the Civil War correspondence of Francis Marion Poteet and Martha A. E. Hendley Poteet (36 of 38 letters). Letters convey the deep sense of family and the devotion and love of this couple as man and wife. The letters also reveal the hardship and sacrifices of service in the Confederate army and the harsh plight of a woman running a small farm in McDowell County during war-time while her husband was away. To a lesser degree the letters document Francis Poteet's service in the 49th North Carolina Infantry. Two of the letters are from a brother of Francis, Peter Poteet during service at Yorktown, Va. in the 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Also one letter from Francis includes a message from Martha's brother, Thomas Hendley. The remaining letters (9) are the post-war correspondence from Francis and Martha to their daughter Celenia and her husband, F. M. (Frank) Dickson. The exchanged post-war letters were written primarily by Martha and her daughter Celenia. The post-war letters are also valuable beyond the information they contain about life in the latter half of the 19th century, particularly for the insight they give into the relationships within the family, and some of their thoughts, activities, and challenges such as illness and death.

Arrangement Note

Folders arranged chronologically within the two series: Civil War Letters, and Post-Civil War Letters.

Biographical Note

Martha A. E. Henley (1826-1902) and Francis Marion Poteet (1827-1902) were likely born in Burke or McDowell County, N.C., and were married on September 26, 1847 in McDowell County. Thirteen children were born to this union, including Mary Elizabeth, Thomas, Alvis, Amy Jane, Rufina Celenia, Susannah, Julia, George Pinkney, Frances Emer, Martha, Derotha Ida, and Isabelle. Francis worked variously as a farmer, a carpenter and a miller. Living in the Dysartsville area of McDowell County, Poteet was working as a miller at the time of his conscription into the Confederate Army, Company A, 49th Regiment, North Carolina Troops. At different stages of the war, Poteet was encamped at Weldon, N.C., Kinston, N.C., Petersburg, Virginia, and other spots in North Carolina and Virginia. In early 1864 Poteet was tried for desertion after he returned home when a young son became ill and died. Poteet was eventually returned to his post, possibly because he was voluntarily returning to the army when arrested. After the war ended, the family moved to Enola, Burke County, North Carolina, where Francis operated a grinding mill and Martha worked in a nearby store. In the 1890s the Poteet family moved to Mooresboro, Cleveland County, N.C. Martha and Francis Poteet died within a day of each other in early April of 1902.

Contents of the Collection

1. Poteet Family Civil War Letters,1861-1864

scopecontent:

The majority of the letters are the Civil War correspondence of Francis Marion Poteet and Martha A. E. Hendley Poteet (36 of 38 letters). The letters convey the deep sense of family and the devotion and love of this couple as man and wife. The letters also reveal the hardship and sacrifices of service in the Confederate army and the harsh plight of a woman with numerous children running a small farm in McDowell County during war-time while her husband was away. Francis M. Poteet's letters were written from Kinston, N.C., Weldon, N.C., Richard, Va., Bermuda Hundred, Va., and Petersburg, Va.

Peter Poteet to brother, Francis M. Poteet,July 16, 1861
Box Folder PC.1825.1 1
From Peter Poteet to brother, Francis M. Poteet,August 7, 1861
Folder 2
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,November 3, 1863
Folder 3
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,November 8, 1863
Folder 4
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,November 12, 1863
Folder 5
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,November 22, 1863
Folder 6
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,November 23, 1863
Folder 7
From Martha A. E. Poteet to to husband, Francis,January 7, 1864
Folder 8
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,January 12, 1864
Folder 9
From Martha A. E. Poteet to to husband, Francis,January 21, 1864
Folder 10
From Martha A. E. Poteet to to husband, Francis,February 4, 1864
Folder 11
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,February 8, 1864
Folder 12
From Martha A. E. Poteet to to husband, Francis,February 18, 1864
Folder 13
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,February 23, 1864
Folder 14
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,March 16, 1864
Folder 15
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,March 17, 1864
Folder 16
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,April 7, 1864
Folder 17
From Francis M. Poteet and Thomas Hendley to Martha,May 4, 1864
Folder 18
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,May 31, 1864
Folder 19
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,June 16, 1864
Folder 20
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,June 16, 1864
Folder 21
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,July 5, 1864
Folder 22
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,July 11, 1864
Folder 23
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,August 19, 1864
Folder 24
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,August 21, 1864
Folder 25
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,August 30, 1864
Folder 26
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,August 30, 1864
Folder 27
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,September 25, 1864
Folder 28
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,October 4, 1864
Folder 29
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,October 6, 1864
Folder 30
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,October 23, 1864
Folder 31
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,November 2, 1864
Folder 32
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,November 24, 1864
Folder 33
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,December 3, 1864
Folder 34
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,December 31, 1864
Folder 35
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,January 17, 1865
Folder 36
From Francis M. Poteet to wife, Martha,January 18, 1865
Folder 37
From Martha A. E. Poteet to husband, Francis,February 2, 1865
Folder 38

2. Poteet Family Letters, Post-Civil War,, and undated, 1883-1901

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Most of the post-civil war letters are signed by either Francis M. and Martha A. E. Poteet, or by F. M. and Celenia Dickson, the letters appear to be written by the women, Martha Poteet and Celenia Dickson. Celenia was a daughter of Francis and Martha Poteet, married to F. M. (Frank) Dickson.

From Francis and Martha Poteet to F. M. (Frank) and Celenia Dickson and children,April 30, 1883
Folder 39
From Francis and Martha Poteet to F. M. (Frank) and Celenia Dickson,January 16, 1889
Folder 40
From Francis and Martha Poteet to F. M. (Frank) and Celenia Dickson,October 16, 1889
Folder 41
From Francis and Martha Poteet to F. M. (Frank) and Celenia Dickson,November 2, 1890
Folder 42
From Francis and Martha Poteet to F. M. (Frank) and Celenia Dickson,July 4, 1891
Folder 43
From Francis and Martha Poteet to F. M. (Frank) and Celenia Dickson,April 9, 1892
Folder 44
From Ella W. [Whetstine?] to Uncle and Aunt ???,November 8, 1896
Folder 45
From Sally Hendley to Martha Poteet,October 5, 1899
Folder 46
From Mary (sister of Celenia) to Celenia Dickson,July 12, 1902
Folder 47
Family memorandum written by R. Celenia P. Dickson regarding her parents,ca. 1902
Folder 48
Hand-copied story by child, Undated
Folder 49

Subject Headings

  • Poteet, Francis Marion, 1827-1902.
  • Poteet, Martha Hendley, 1826-1902.
  • Dickson family.
  • Hendley family.
  • Poteet family.
  • Dickson family.
  • Dickson, Rufina Celenia Poteet.
  • Hendley family.
  • Hendley, Thomas, d. 1899.
  • Poteet family.
  • Poteet, Francis Marion, 1827-1902.
  • Poteet, Martha Hendley, 1826-1902.
  • Poteet, Peter.
  • Confederate States of America. Army. North Carolina Troops Regiment, 49th.
  • Confederate States of America. Army. North Carolina Infantry Regiment, 1st.
  • Confederate States of America. Army. North Carolina Troops Regiment, 49th.
  • Confederate States of America. Army. North Carolina Infantry Regiment, 1st.
  • Desertion, Military--Confederate States of America.
  • Family--North Carolina--History--19th century.
  • Mother and child--North Carolina--History--19th century.
  • Soldiers--Confederate States of America--Social conditions.
  • Women in war--North Carolina--19th century.
  • Women--North Carolina--Social life and customs--19th century.
  • Military--Confederate States of America. Desertion
  • Family--North Carolina--History--19th century.
  • Mother and child--North Carolina--History--19th century.
  • Soldiers--Confederate States of America--Social conditions.
  • Women in war--North Carolina--19th century.
  • Women--North Carolina--Social life and customs--19th century.
  • North Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
  • Enola (N.C.)
  • Mooresboro (N.C.)
  • Burke County (N.C.)
  • McDowell County (N.C.)
  • Cleveland County (N.C.)
  • North Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
  • Enola (N.C.)
  • Mooresboro (N.C.)
  • Burke County (N.C.)
  • Cleveland County (N.C.)
  • McDowell County (N.C.)
  • Dickson, Rufina Celenia Poteet.
  • Hendley, Thomas, d. 1899.
  • Poteet, Peter.

    • Acquisitions Information

    Received as a gift from Carolyn Clark Owen of Hillsborough, N.C. Accessioned August, 1999.

    Processing Information

  • Processed and encoded by Fran Tracy-Walls, 2009. Revised and updated by Fran Tracy-Walls, July 2019, for publication in Discover Online Catalog (DOC).