He probably started
off as a Confederate soldier, deserted, joined the Union army, and even had a
fort named for him. But when it comes to the life of William W. Rollins, plenty
of questions remain.
It appears that
Rollins was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on July 14, 1838. He was the
son of a L. J. Rollins, listed as a preacher in the 1860 census. By 1860, the
family was living in Madison County, North Carolina. From available online resources, it is unclear
if Reverend Rollins was connected to the new Mars Hill College prior to the
war. In the same census, William Rollins was listed as having $1000 of real estate
and $250 of personal property.
 |
| W. W. Rollins, in Federal uniform. |
On August 13, 1861,
Wallace W. Rollins enlisted in Company D, 29th North Carolina Troops. I believe
that William W. Rollins and Wallace W. Rollins are the same person. There is no
other Rollins with similar initials in the 1860 Madison County census. The enlistment
cards list Wallace W. Rollins as being 23 years old when he enlisted in 1861,
consistent with an 1838 birthday. Rollins was mustered in as a First Sergeant.
On an unknown date, he was promoted to sergeant major of the 29th Regiment and
transferred to the field and staff. On May 2, 1862, Rollins was elected captain
of Company D and transferred back to the company (Capt. John A. Jarvis was
defeated for reelection when the regiment reorganized.)
It is really
unclear what happens next (the records of the 29th North Carolina are some of
the worst. One card lists that he was in the hospital in Atlanta on August 20,
1864. Another card reads "By Presdt G. C. Martial this man was on furlough
and was ordered to remain in N C to attend the Court Martial." In a letter
written on January 17, 1865, Maj. Ezekiel H. Hampton, 29th North Carolina, asked that Rollins be dropped from the rolls
of the regiment. "Capt W. W. Rollins... who deserted from Hospital in
August, GA on or about the 12th of Aug. 1864... went to the enemy [and] took
(20) twenty men with him, and is now commanding troops in the enemey's lines in
East Tenn." Rollins is listed as being dropped as an officer in the 29th
North Carolina on February 17, 1865.
On March 14, 1865,
William W. Rollins was appointed major in the 3rd North Carolina Mounted
Infantry (US). His compiled service record tells us that he was 26 years old in
1865. The cards do not tell us where he was from. When Col. George W. Kirk
ordered part of the regiment to Blowing Rock in Watauga County in April 1865,
the earthworks they constructed were named Fort Rollins in his honor. Rollins
did get a leave of absence in July 1865 to return to North Carolina and help
the Governor (W. W. Holden) reorganize the civil government. Rollins was
mustered out on August 8, 1865. One item I do not have that might clear up a
question or two is his pension application, which was filed on January 23,
1893.
In the 1870 Madison
County, North Carolina, census, there is a "Wm Wallace Rollins" age
31. He is listed as a lawyer, with considerable wealth ($12,200/20,500). He is
married to Elizabeth and they have one son, Wallace, and three servants. He is
listed as living in Marshall, Madison County, in the 1880 census. Rollins is a
farmer and lawyer. Eliza is listed as his wife, with four children, one nephew,
and three servants. By 1890, Rollins has moved to Asheville. He is listed in
the 1890 veterans census as a major, but no regiment is given. The 1900 census
lists him as widowed, living in Asheville, and working as the postmaster.
Wallace Rollins appears in the 1910 census in Asheville as a postmaster. And
finally, W. W. Rollins, 1920 census, retired, still living in Asheville.
Rollins ran for the
state senate in 1866, representing the counties of Buncombe, Henderson,
Madison, and Yancey, but appears to have been defeated by Leander S. Gash of
Henderson County. (Arthur, Western North
Carolina, 449)
According to
William C. Harris's bio on William Woods Holden, Rollins was first tapped to
lead the force that Holden wanted sent into Alamance and Orange and surrounding
counties. Rollins declined, and upon Rollin's recommendation, George W. Kirk
was given the job. This would eventually lead to Holden's impeachment.
Looking through
local newspapers, one can find that Rollins was involved in the railroad,
serving as president of the Western Division of the Western North Carolina
Railroad (Asheville Weekly Citizen
April 11, 1878); some of his dealings with the railroad wound up in litigation
for years (Asheville Weekly Citizen
April 22, 1880); there were other court cases as well - "W. W' Rollins vs.
Eastern Band Cherokee Indians (Asheville
Weekly Citizen January 5, 1882); Rollins was one of the organizers of the
Western North Carolina Fair (Asheville
Weekly Citizen October 23, 1884); he was one of the directors of the First
National Bank of Asheville (Asheville
Citizen-Times December 15, 1885); a stockholder in the Asheville Gas and
Light Company (Asheville Citizen-Times
June 15, 1886); president of the Asheville Tobacco Association (Asheville Citizen-Times September 3,
1889); president of the Asheville Branch of the Building and Loan Association (Asheville Democrat March 27, 1890); collector
of internal revenue for the fifth North Carolina District (Asheville Weekly Citizen October 2, 1890);
Rollins was also
very involved in local Republican politics, was a member of the G. A. R. Post
41; and was considered one of the largest growers of tobacco in Western North
Carolina.
When he died in
1925, his obituary mentioned his service as major of the 3rd North Carolina
Mounted Infantry (US), but failed to mention his three years of Confederate
service.
So that is my
question: is the Wallace W. Rollins, captain in the 29th North Carolina Troops,
the same as Maj. William W. Rollins, 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry? Maybe
that pension application will tell.
