Dates: 1861-1888.

Biography:

William Delay

William Delay was born about 1814 and probably moved to Mississippi in the late 1840s. He settled in Oxford, where he lived until his death in the spring of 1880. He married Maranda C. Richmond in 1853, but she died shortly after childbirth in 1854, and he later married Catherine (Kate) M. J. Harmon in 1857. Catherine Harmons family was originally from South Carolina, but they were farmers in Mississippi at the time of her marriage. With Maranda and Catherine, William Delay had at least nine children, including John W., Charles Douglas, William E., Arthur Harris, Ima Stewart, Lee, M. Etta, Forest Dot, and a second son named William. John W. and William E. Delay did not live past infancy.

William Delay fought in the Black Hawk Indian wars in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin in 1832 and 1833, and he was captain of Company F (Lafayette Volunteers), First Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, during the Mexican War in 1846 and 1847. He later served as captain of the Lafayette Guards in the Confederate army, mustering in February of 1861 in Oxford. The Lafayette Guards were organized as Company H (also called "Old Company C"), Ninth Regiment, Mississippi Infantry. They were the first company from Mississippi to leave for battle after the state voted for secession in January of 1861. Before the Lafayette Guards left for Pensacola, Florida, the city of Oxford presented Delay and his company with an honorary banner in March of 1861. Delay and the Lafayette Guards reached Pensacola in April of 1861 and served under General Braxton Bragg and later under General Samuel Jones. Most of Delays service was spent on Santa Rosa Island, Florida, where he witnessed the burning of a Confederate dry dock and the nearby city of Warrington. Jefferson Davis authorized Delay to raise and command a regiment, but apparently Delay returned to Oxford before October of 1862.

After returning to Oxford, William Delay practiced law and was an active Mason with $6,000 in real estate and $700 in personal property in 1870. Delay was appointed as probate clerk of Lafayette County in October of 1862, and he was reappointed to the position in October of 1865 and in November of 1866.

 

Scope and Content Note:

The William Delay Papers include two unidentified tintypes, a handwritten copy of William Delays last will and testament (1871), one unidentified elegy, and original correspondence. The correspondence is primarily between William Delay and his wife, Catherine (Kate) Delay, written largely between July of 1861 and February of 1862, during Captain Delays Confederate service near Pensacola, Florida. In his letters, Delay often mentions fellow officers such as Colonel James R. Chalmers and Second Lieutenant Thomas H. Lyman, both of whom attained more distinguished military careers by the end of the Civil War. Delay discusses internal politics within the Confederate ranks and some of the more unusual details of life during war, including his companys problems with fleas. He also writes Catherine Delay twice after the war, once while convalescing in 1871 and once while travelling to see the 1880 session of the Mississippi legislature. Catherine Delays letters to her husband primarily inform him of the activities of their children. The 1869 letter (photocopy) from Jefferson Davis is in response to a letter that Delay apparently wrote to Davis. Jefferson Davis mentions that he is sending some [unidentified] papers that Delay requested, he comments that he was surprised at the recent election results, he applauds Delays improving health, and he remarks that he looks forward to Delay visiting him soon in Memphis, Tennessee. The last letter is written in 1888 from J. A. Williams to William Delays son, Charles, informing him of genealogical information about his grandfather, his aunt, and other relatives. William Delays last will and testament is a handwritten copy by his son, Charles. In the will, William Delay bequeaths three swords to sons Charles Douglas, William, and Arthur Harris. Delay appoints his friend, William Thompson, as executor and advises his wife on selling the "homesteads" and setting up apprenticeships for some of the children. Delay affirms living in Oxford, Mississippi, for over twenty-three years, being an active Mason for more than twenty years, and fighting in the Black Hawk Indian wars, the Mexican War, and the Civil War.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Correspondence. 1861-1888; n.d. 1 folder.

William and Catherine "Kate" Delay. 1861-1880. 
William Delay and Jefferson Davis (photocopy). 1869. 
Charles Douglas Delay and J. A. Williams. 1888.

Series 2: Tintype Photographs. n.d. 2 items.

Series 3: Last Will and Testament. 1871. 1 item.

Series 4: Elegy. n.d. 1 item.