For the longest time, I have wanted to start a series on each North Carolina counties and the war. This series would examine each county, the men who were shipped off to fight in the war, and events that took place there during the war. Presently, there are 100 counties in North Carolina. If I were to get one county a week done, then this little project should take just over two years. We will see how it goes.
The first installment should be up soon.
What counties have Civil War histories? Here is what I found. Have I missed any? This list does not include roster-only compilations.
Martin – Ashe County’s Civil War (2001)
Casstevens – The Civil War and Yadkin County (1997)
Thomas – Divided Allegiances: Bertie County (1996)
Dillard – The Civil War in Chowan County (1911) [I’ve not seen this one]
Kell – Carteret County During the Civil War (1999)
Two announcements.
I’ll be speaking this Saturday morning in Asheville, at the annual meeting of the Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society.
Next Tuesday, there will be a Mitchell County and the Civil War round table discussion at the Bakersville Public Library at 6:30 pm. Everyone is invited and the event is free.
6 comments:
Michael,
There's also "Martin County During the Civil War" by James H. McCallum.
Drew
The Carteret County book by Kell is very amateur, and really nothing more than a collection of local stories and folklore. Not saying that some of it isn't factual, but its certainly not up to the academic rigor one would like to see.
Andrew @ Civil War Navy
Drew – thanks for the comment. I’ve not seen the book for Martin County. Have you seen the book? Any comments on its content?
Andrew – thanks also for the comment. I’ve had the Carteret County book for about two years now but I have not done any more than browse through its contents. The anonymous chapter on Fort Macon seems to be the best. What’s up with the notes/sources in the columns beside the text?
Michael,
Its been a long time since I looked at Kell's book and I had forgotten the notes being done the way they are. I don't have a clue why it was published like that. As for the "anonymous" chapter on Fort Macon, it wouldn't surprise me if that chapter was written by Paul Branch, the park historian at Fort Macon and author of two books about the fort. I'm sure you are familiar with his books, and Paul's just an all around good guy. He should be the one writing a book on Carteret County during the war.
Michael,
No, I haven't seen it. This is all I know about it, from someone else who was kind enough to skim over it for me:
"The contents lists 5 parts including: gen. description of life and problems of the people in Martin Co., a history of companies org. in Martin Co., accounts of fighting in Martin Co., roster of troops from Martin Co., and sketches of Martin Co. soldiers. 188 pages."
I don't recall the publisher, but I think you can buy it at Ft. Branch.
DW
Dillard's Chowan County is a slim, rare, and mildly interesting account of some aspects of Chowan during the war. His family owned Wingfield, the plantation fortified by the First NCUV in that region (Company E, if memory serves). Dillard was on the original Historical commission that became the State Archives.
The Martin County book was substantial, I seem to recall. The only place I have seen it for sale is at Ft Branch but surely that is not the only place to get it.
My own work, while regional, focuses on Pasquotank County. Wayne Durrill's War of Another Kind is primarily focused south of Albemarle Sound - Washington County area (Plymouth). Johnson and Paramore did the Roanoke-Chowan story - including four or five chapters on the war - reference is to the river systems.
Thomas Paramore also did a work on Murfreesboro (several but one focused on the Civil War).
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