Captain Walter A. Whitted

Walter Alvis Whitted was horn on Feb. 22, 1837 in Orange County, NC, and he received his early education at the Bingham School, which was not far from the family farm. His father, Sidney, was determined that his first born would receive a college education, but at a Baptist institution, for Sidney was a staunch Baptist, as were his children and grandchildren. Therefore, he spurned the University of North Carolina in his own backyard in Chapel Hill and sent Walter to Wake Forest College, then in the little town of Wake Forest, just north of Raleigh. A letter from Walter to his father survives from his college days and is given as follows:

“Durhams” January 1857
Dear Father
I will write only a few lines in as the Mail will start very soon for Chapel Hill. We have a plenty of snow and there is no telling when it will leave. The train came up from Raleigh Sunday Morning and got two miles up the road from here at Leathers and could not go any further. It is there yet and a good part of the Passengers. A part of the Passengers came down here last night and I saw that they were swearing, drinking Liquor and playing Cards and such. I note they could not stand the cold Mr. Fowler the Stage driver started to C. Hill yesterday with the Mail on horseback but the snow was so deep that he was afraid he could not get there before night. The Mail is ready and I must stop. It is thought by the people here that the Train will not move again in a week. I am staying here but I don’t know what I shall have to eat I expect that they will take all my money. You may be ready to send me some money as soon as I get to the College. There is no chance for the Train to run, for the Snow has filled the Track completely full. Excuse this imperfect letter for the Mail is ready.
W. A. Whitted”

Walter enlisted as a lieutenant 3rd class on 7/1/1862 in Company G, 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment and was promoted to captain 3/13/1863. Just before the Battle of Antietam, Sidney wrote a letter to his son Walter; portions from the letter follow:

“Chapel Hill Sept 12, 1862

Dear Walter

Graham was wonded and taken at Manases [Battle of Manassas]. Brigades are in Mariland. Says the Marylanders are flocking to us fast. Thear has bin Several battels fought in Tennessee and Kentucky Resulting in the rout of the enemy and capture of 10,000 prisners. Thus you see we have bin verey mutch blest with Success. Wm Fetter and Jo Sanders are hear. They was wonded at Manasas, Sanders in the one in the arm and Fetter Slight in the thye. The conscripts hav all left hear an gon. The trains are crowded every day with them. A good many war tied, having refused to go. They take every man whether Subject 2-22 to the law or riot if he opposes the law. This opposition, as you no is up the cuntry. The helth of this place is good, but little sickness. This is the week of Superier Cort. Hevels was tride for kiling his Boss and acquited. Christmas has not bin tride. He will lay in jail untill Martch. We are all Well and hartey and could eate good things with a relish but aught not to complain when many of our Soulders go 4 days without any thing to eat, martch hard all day and Sleep on the ground without tents at night.

I would like very mutch to come down and See you. Thear is no danger of an advance at preasant. Unless we are unsuccessfull in Marryland, this State will not be troubled mutch moor If defeated thear, you may look out for troublesum times. Write Soon and let me no how you are getting on. We all join in Sending our love and best wishes.

Your Father

S. Whitted.”

Capt Whitted was wounded 7/1/1863 at Gettysburg, and was hospitalized 7/6/1863 at Richmond, VA due to his wound at Gettysburg. He again was wounded 2/5/1865 at Hatcher’s Run, VA. Although only a captain, Walter was the senior officer of the 55th NC Infantry Regiment at Appomatix and, accordingly, led it’s few battle-hardened but weary soldiers to stack their arms and surrender on April 12, 1865.

The 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, North Carolina in May 1862. Its companies were recruited in the counties of Pitt, Wilson, Wilkes, Cleveland, Burke, Catawba, Johnston, Alexander, Onslow, Franklin, and Granville. The unit served in the Department of North Carolina, then moved to Virginia where it was assigned to General J.R. Davis' and Cooke's Brigade. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor, served in the Petersburg trenches south of the James River, and took part in the Appomattox operations. The regiment lost thirty-one percent of the 640 engaged at Gettysburg and fifty-nine percent of the 340 at The Wilderness. It surrendered with 4 officers and 77 men on April 12, 1865 under the command of Capt Whitted.
Captain Walter Whitted died 1907 and is buried the Maplewood Cemetery -- Durham, NC. An image of his gravestone is below-- the image taken by Ed Whitted on 7/28/2003. The UTM coordinates of Captain Whitted’s grave are
17S; 0687409E; 3985168N
Capt Whitted is the second cousin, three-times removed of Craig Whitted.
The above information was extracted from two references as follows:
1. Thomas Whitted, Jr by Dr. Parks -- accessible on page 3 of the File Cabinet on the Tennessee Whiteheads website at MyFamily.com
2. North Carolina Troops 1861-1865 A Roster, Vol. XIII Infantry, Division of Archives and History, Raleigh, NC, published 1993.