The papers of William Norman Perry are divided into three series: Correspondence, Military Papers, and Veteran Papers.
Correspondence (1862-1865) consists mostly of the letters that Perry wrote home to his wife while serving in the Civil War. Beginning while he was still training with the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry at Camp Utley, he generally wrote at least one letter per week to his wife, often signing them Norman. In the letters, he described the movements of his regiment, the conditions they faced, and the duties he performed. A letter written on April 9, 1863 describes his seventeen-day experience as a prisoner of war as horrendous. Letters in the summer of 1864 follow his progress through Union hospitals as he sought treatment for a back injury and reassured his wife that he was not seriously wounded. A gap in the letters from July to October 1864 is due to his placement at Harvey Hospital in Madison and later his transfer and promotion to the 44th Wisconsin Infantry. The letters take up again in November as Perry moved out with his new regiment. An April 17, 1865 letter describes the stunned sadness of his men at the news of the Lincoln assassination. Two letters from Amie to Perry show the other side of the correspondence. Amie desperately pleads with Perry to let her know why he has been in the hospitals so long in one of the letters.
Military Papers (1863-1870) contain largely administrative forms that Perry collected through his role as 1st lieutenant with Company F, 44th Wisconsin Infantry. Muster rolls, quartermaster and ordnance reports, and other completed forms give an interesting insight into the materials needed to keep a company of roughly 100 soldiers in fighting shape. The muster rolls contain the most information about men in the company while the rest of the forms tend to deal with an individual or a small group of men. A hand written company gun list shows the men in the company who kept their government issued guns. A letter circulated among the men of the regiment seeks to raise money to buy a base drum to replace the one they lost. Also included are Perry's personal service records, such as his commission as an officer in the 44th Wisconsin and his individual muster-in roll with the same.
Veteran Papers (1876-1895) include a scattered assortment of papers generated during Perry's post-war life in South Dakota. Pension papers document his attempts to receive money from the government for his service. An affidavit reveals that Perry served as architect for the South Dakota Soldier's Home. The other materials relate to the death of his wife in 1892 and his own death in 1894.
