Civil War Union Army Soldier. Corporal of Company I, 15th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. corporal; must. in Aug. 25, 1862, for three years; died at Carver United States army general hospital, Washington, D.C., June 3, 1864, of wounds received in action at Spottsylvania Courthouse, Va., May 12, 1864

In a 1904 edition of the Iron Era newspaper (published in Dover, Morris County New Jersey), Corp. Case's last letter home was reprinted, in honor of the 15th's reunion:

Carver Hospital, Ward 19, Washington, D.C., May 18, 1864
Dear Mother, I received your letter of May 1st in due time and was glad to hear from you. I suppose you are very anxious to hear from me since the hard fighting that has been going on in Virginia. Well, God has been very good to me. For a while many of my companions are numbered with the silent dead, I have only been wounded. I participated in three desperate charges against the rebel works, but the third time I received a ball through my left arm, after I had mounted the breastworks. The ball, after having passed through my arm, after I had mounted the breastworks. The ball, after having passed through my arm, struck the side of my breast with such force that it knocked me down, and our boys being compelled to fall back I was left there. They fell back to cover of the woods, from where they kept up an incessant fire on the rebels for the space of 24 hours, during which time I lay in a pool of mud and water, exposed to a shower of balls from 3 directions, while the rebs were firing immediatley over my head. It seems almost a miracle that I ever lived through such a shower of lead as hailed around me for one day and night. One struck the bottom of my shoe, penetrating through one thickness of leather, another struck in the ground under my head, filling my eyes with mud and water, while hundreds struck all around me, covering me with mud. I dared not rise up, for that in probability have been certain death. This battle was on Thursday, 12th. Early Friday morning the rebs fell back and I crawled out and got my wound dressed and walked to Fredericksburg, about 12 miles, and rode in an army wagon to Belleplain, about the same distance, and came up the Potomac to here. They have very poor accomodations here. There is but one thing that suits me, that is the victuals. We have plenty to eat and good enough. I lost everything but the clothes I have on. Ellias Nichols was shot through the leg. He is in some hospital in this city, but I don't know where. Now, Mother, don't cry or worry about me, but bless God, who has done all things well. I hope I may get a furlough some of these days to come home for awhile, as many are going. You may write me a few lines here.
Your affectionate son, W. H. Case. Sunday, May 15, 1864.