William Martin Stanley - Personal Letters to his Family, 1863-1864
In 1863, William Martin Stanley wrote a series of letters to his wife Mary "Polly" Barron. His letters have given generations of s descendants an intimate insight to the Stanley family, the conditions of life in the Confederate army, and our patriarch's deep love for his family and God.
The Stanley Letters
In 1964, the handwritten letters were copied and transcribed then compiled/published by Mary K. Haynes and James Wilkins of Tyler, Texas. In 1965 a revised edition was released containing all known letters, a brief family history, and an index. Both authors of the publication are descendants of the larger Stanley / Barron family as described in the publication.
The letters can be purchased through the Pike County Historical, Genealogical & Preservation Society: https://www.pikehistoricalsociety.org/shop/the-stanley-letters.
Family History
The publication mentions several key facts worth noting:
- William was 38 when he enlisted as a private in the Army of the Confederacy on February 12, 1863 at Greenville, Alabama into Co. A, 54 Reg't Alabama Infantry. The company would later became Company A, 57 Regiment.
- William and Mary had seven children ranging from 17 to two and were expecting one more in June.
- The first letter in the publication arrived one week after Mary Frances' birth.
- Letters were delivered to Mary between June 1863 and July 1864.