Scope and Contents Thirty-one letters pertain to the family of John S. Means of Charlotte, N.C., prior to and during the Civil War. John and three of his sons, William N.M., Theophelus, and Joseph D.P. Means, served in various North Carolina regiments, while another son, James P. Means, served in the 19th Mississippi Regiment. William's passionate concern for the safety of his state is well defined in a letter of 4 September 1861 to his sister Rose. Reacting to news of the Union occupation of Wilmington, N.C.,...