William W. Shivers
William W. Shivers was born around 1808 in New Jersey to John Shivers. By the early 1860s, he was working as a blacksmith in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the Union army on September 16, 1861, and he mustered in as a private in Company D of the 76th Pennsylvania Infantry on October 8. As he wrote to his brother, “i wish i had went in the army when i was 21 years old but i am not to[o] old yet to be a souldier.” According to his service records, he was 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with grey hair and blue eyes.
 
The regiment was stationed in South Carolina. He expressed devotion to the Union and hoped to “crush this rebelion.” In June 1862, he wrote that he “was once a pretty strong abolitionist but i am some what changed.” He derided Black southerners and argued that “if they ever go north it will make bad work.” He also insisted that “this is a going to be a hard war if we got to lick the south into submission,” telling his brother Charles that “your grand children may have a hand in it” before the conflict was truly over.
 
On June 18, 1863, Union officials transferred Shivers to Company F of the 10th Veteran Reserve Corps. He died sometime after September 1863.
4421
DATABASE CONTENT
(4421)Shivers, William W.1808
  • Conflict Side: Union
  • Role: Soldier
  • Rank in: Private
  • Rank out: Private
  • Rank highest: Private
  • Gender: Male
  • Race: White

Documents - Records: 11

  • (12236) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 19 October 1861
  • (12237) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 17 November 1861
  • (12238) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 23 December 1861
  • (12239) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 1 February 1862
  • (12240) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 16 April 1862
  • (12241) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 10 June 1862
  • (12242) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 31 August 1862
  • (12243) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 26 December 1862
  • (12244) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 2 April 1863
  • (12245) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, 1 September 1863
  • (12246) [writer] ~ William W. Shivers to Charles P. Shivers, undated

People - Records: 2

  • (4421) Shivers, William W. is the [sibling of] (4422) Shivers, Charles P.
  • (4424) Shivers, Edgar is the [sibling of] (4421) Shivers, William W.

Places - Records: 1

  • (415) [birth] ~ New Jersey

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Regiments - Records: 2

  • (426) [enlisted] [D] ~ 76th Pennsylvania Infantry
  • (1042) [enlisted] [F] ~ 10th Veteran Reserve Corps
SOURCES

1850 United States Federal Census, available from Ancestry.com; Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, available from Ancestry.com; Pennsylvania Veterans Card Files, 1775-1916, available from Fold3.com; William W. Shivers to Charles Shivers, 19 October 1861, DL1777.001, Nau Collection; William W. Shivers to Charles Shivers, 17 November 1861, DL1777.002, Nau Collection; William W. Shivers to Charles Shivers, 10 June 1862, DL1777.006, Nau Collection; William W. Shivers to Charles Shivers, 31 August 1862, DL1777.007, Nau Collection; William W. Shivers to Charles Shivers, 26 December 1862, DL1777.008, Nau Collection; William W. Shivers to Charles Shivers, undated, DL1777.011, Nau Collection