Asheville

Last week was another busy week. I had book signings in High Point (Tuesday) and Albermarle (Thursday). Wednesday was a research day.

This past Saturday, I had the distinct privilege of leading a group of people on a tour of Civil War-related sites in Asheville/Buncombe County. We started out at the Vance Birthplace near Weaverville. It is a beautiful place with several restored cabins. If you are in the area and get a chance, please visit. After a picnic at the Birthplace, we headed to the campus of UNC - Asheville. We visited the breastworks used on April 6, 1865, to ward off an attack by the 101st Ohio Infantry.
This was followed b

y a trip to Riverside Cemetery to visit the graves of Gov. Zebulon B. Vance, Brig. Gen. Robert B. Vance, Brig. Gen. Joseph G. Martin, Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Clingman, and Col. Stephen Lee 916th NCT), along with many others.

Finally, a few of us visited Newton Academy Cemetery. There are 29 unknown Confederates buried here, along with five Federals who died during the reconstruction days. There is a monument to the Confederate soldiers dedicated by the UDC in 1903.

It is interesting to note that Asheville has a remarkable Confederate history - Governor Vance was from Asheville, the town was headquarters for the Department of Western North Carolina, the town was a training ground for new soldiers, had a armory that manufactured rifles, had a hospital, has a cemetery with three generals and many others officers, and had a battle, but does nothing to capitalize on this history. How sad...

This week is almost as busy. I’ll be speaking tomorrow night in Lancaster, South Carolina, and Thursday night in Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina. I’m going to try and sneak in some more research time also.

The picture above in the 1903 Confederate monument in Newton Academy Cemetery in Asheville.