William enlisted in the 37th Virginia Infantry on March 10th, 1862. Apparently he was with that unit for just a short time, for he then enlisted or was transferred to the 16th Virginia Cavalry and was with the 16th during the invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1863. He fought with the 16th at Gettysburg and, on the retreat from Gettysburg, he participated in a skirmish at Jones' Cross Roads, just south of Hagerstown, Maryland.
In a letter to the editor of the Abingdon Virginian, Lieutenant Bernard H. Reynolds writes of this skirmish:
"During the fight at Jones' X Roads, Md., on the 10th of this month, Lieut. H. S. Fickle and privates L. H. Clapp, William Campbell and James M. Dills, of Co. A, and Jack Myers of Co. F, flanked a stone fence, behind which lay 60 men belonging to the 16th Maine infantry, and after about five minutes hard fighting, hand to hand, but not until they had captured about 40 of the Yankees and killed and wounded the balance. Just as they were taking off the prisoners, a Regt. came out of the woods, and they were obliged to let most of the Yankees loose. They brought out six prisoners and only had one man wounded, viz: William Campbell shot through the body, but is getting well. Clapp knocked one Yankee down with his gun, and while he, Clapp, had his knees on his breast, fired five shots, four with his pistol and one with his gun. James Dills shot a Lieut. as also did Clapp. By a Baltimore paper received this morning by a flag of truce, the Yankees reported a loss of 23 killed and wounded, and six prisoners."Writing a letter to his wife on July 20th, 1863, Isaac Vermillion, a sergeant in the 16th Virginia Cavalry, writes:
"Bill Barnett had his left arm broken between the elbo & rist & Billy Campbell poor fellow received a dangerous wound, I fear it will kill him. I cant see how he is to recover. The ball struck him in the left hip passing through & out at his privates leaving a dangerous wound. They are both at Winchester now at the hospitle with hundreds of others in the same fix."Beginning in 1867, the Virginia government enacted legislation providing relief to veterans wounded or killed during the War. In 1878, Campbell applied, stating:
"Applicant William J. Campbell after being duly sworn says that he is a citizen of this State and was a soldier in the Confederate States Army. That in July 1863 he was wounded by a gun shot from the enemy while covering a retreat of Lee's from Gettysburg Pa. That said wound was made by a minny ball shot by the enemy and entered his left groin & passing through the body. That 3 different pieces of bone worked out of wound from behind. That said wound has produced a permanent disability and prevents the free use of the left leg in manual labor. That he suffers constant pain from said wound and often it rises in his let groin and completely prostrates hime for 2 or 3 months at the time; during which times applicant cannot get about at all."Joel R. Campbell, another Sergeant from the 16th Virginia Cavalry, attests:
"[I] was with applicant and helped to carry him off the field. that witness has lived near Applicant ever since the war and knows that applicant has been confined twice with said wound for 2 or 3 months, & perhaps longer one of those times."Campbell's pension application is approved and he receives a one time payment of $60. In 1891, he applies for a yearly pension. This too is approved and he is awarded the sum of $35 per year on December 14th, 1891. No record is found of Campbell after 1891 and his wife is listed as a widow in the 1900 census; apparently William J. Campbell died between December 14th, 1891 and the summer of 1900.
