| Scope and content |
The most important item is von Eberstein's memoir, which gives the history of his family, of English and German aristocracy, and details his life as a mariner aboard the merchantman Chief of the British East India Company and other ships. He became a merchant in Chocowinity, N.C. and later enlisted in Captain Thomas Sparrow's "Washington Grays," Co. A, 7th N.C. Infantry Regiment, and was transferred to Beacon Island, where describes duty and camp life. Later he administered ordnance stores at Tarboro, N.C.and transferred to the 61st N.C. Infantry Regiment. He describes military operations on James Island, Sullivan's Island, Fort Sumter, and Morris Island during the summer of 1863. Additional photocopies in the transcript relate to von Eberstein's Confederate service. Other papers include manuscripts in French and German, von Eberstein's commission as captain in the N.C. militia, legal papers in old German script, correspondence, and a German publication on the von Eberstein family. |
| Access restriction | No access restrictions. |
| Cite as |
William Henry von Eberstein Papers (#148), Special Collections Department, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA. |
| Terms of use | Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law. |
| Acquisitions source |
Joyner- Gift of Mrs. Anice H. Tripp. |
| Biographical note | William Henry von Eberstein (1821- ca. 1890), sailor, soldier, and farmer, moved to Chocowinity, Beaufort County, N.C., in 1851. Later he captained various ships out of Washington, N.C., and served in the Confederate army. |
