Here is your chance at a very scarce Confederate document from the Tar Heel State! It is an original Confederate appointment paper. This one was issued by the 25th North Carolina Infantry and is preprinted with the blanks filled in with brown and brown ink. Along the top it proudly proclaims "The Colonel of the 25th Regiment of N.C. Volunteers". It is appointing William B. Smathers to the rank of "First Sergeant of Company C 25th Regt. N.C. Troops". Along the bottom, it has the signature of Colonel Rutledge and it is hand dated from June 15th 1863. One thing that is interesting and cool is that after the date they proudly state that it is "... in the third year of our Independence." The records show that William Burton Smathers was a 21 year old farmer from Haywood County, North Carolina that enlisted on May 31st 1861. He served at least through February 1865. During that time he was promoted to corporal, reduced to ranks and then received this promotion to 1st Sergeant. During that service, he was wounded at the battle of Malvern Hill on August 1st 1862 but returned to service. Her was wounded for a second time at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13th 1862 and it noters that he was "Wounded in the head and / or back". He returned to service on January 30th 1863. A brief printout of Smather's service and that of the 25th North Carolina will accompany the promotion paper. What a wonderful piece of North Carolina history!