Martin L. Williston papers, 1862-1866 | Louisiana Research Collection

Scope and Contents: This collection consists of several letters Martin L. Williston wrote to his sister Annie while serving with the 52nd Infantry in Louisiana. These letters contain an insightful representation of a Unionist soldier's views of the South, as well as the fears and horrors of the first few months of the war. Williston started as a Private but was soon promoted to First Sergeant on 1862 October 1. By 1866, he worked as a school teacher in Wilmington, North Carolina.