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Title: Letter from Professor William J. Martin to David L. Swain, July 21, 1862 : Electronic Edition.
Author: Martin, William James
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Bari Helms
Images scanned by Caitlin R. Donnelly
Text encoded by Caitlin R. Donnelly
First Edition, 2007
Size of electronic edition: ca. 12K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2007

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2007-05-30, Caitlin R. Donnelly finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: University of North Carolina Papers (#40005), University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Professor William J. Martin to David L. Swain, July 21, 1862
Author: W. J. Martin
Description: 2 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 40005 (University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Originals are in the University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.

For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from Professor William J. Martin to David L. Swain , July 21, 1862
Martin, William James



Page [1]
"Camp Lamb"
Wilmington July 21st / 62

Dear Governor

The leave of absence for one year, granted me by the Trustees of the University, to enable me to take command of a company raised for that period, is approaching its end.
As is known to you, all the troops have now been converted into troops "for the war;" and I have been transferred from my Captaincy in the 28th to the Lieut-Colonelcy of the 11th Reg't.
Under these circumstances it again becomes necessary for me to refer my case to the Trustees, and I must ask you if you please to lay it before the Executive Committee.
If my services were more needed in the Army than in College a year ago, much more it seems to me are they needed in the army now, when so many officers have been killed, & when the enemy are augmenting their force by the addition of 300.000 men.

Page [2]
But these facts are as well known to the Trustees as to myself, & to their wisdom I leave the decision, hoping that they may find it compatible with their views of right to extend my leave.
I believe you are aware Sir, that personally I would prefer to be at my old post & engaged in the duties of my profession; and that my desire to continue "in the service" arises out of the conviction that the country now needs the aid of every man who can bring an arm to her defence. Seeing then that I am asking no personal favor, but on the contrary, am going against what I conceive to be my private interests, & certainly against my own selfish prefrences, I can with more boldness ask the Trustees to forego for the present their just claims upon my time.
With kindest regards Sir to yourself and my Colleagues of the Faculty

I am

Very Truly Yours

W. J. Martin

Hon D. L. Swain
Pres't. Univ. of. N. C.


Page [3]

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