Greetings folks! I hope everyone has had a great Christmas! We spent a week with my mom and dad in sunny central Florida and had a great time. We only visited one War-related site, Deleon Springs, site of a Federal raid on a Confederate production site. I also took photos of the Confederate monument in downtown Orlando. Once we returned, my wife’s folks came over and spent a few days.
I’ve done no writing in about two weeks, but a lot of reading. I am gearing up to write about the battle of Chickamauga. For the past couple of days, I’ve been working on the whole McLemore’s Cove debacle. Once again, for the 58th NCT, it is a whole lot of set up just to say they were there and did not do anything - much like Hindman, Buckner, and Hill.
Tomorrow, I’m off to Knoxville to acquire a couple of needed pieces of information that inter-library loan has failed to bring.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Neighbor to Neighbor.
I’ve been out of town the past few days, and hence, no blogging. But I have been reading, mostly about Chickamauga. Right before we left town, I attended a book discussion in Watauga County on the new book, Neighbor to Neighbor: A Memoir of Family, Community, and Civil War in Appalachian North Carolina. I did finish reading the book, and here are some thoughts.
Information regarding the last year of war, and especially the reconstruction time period in western North Carolina, is sparse. Most of the information comes in the way of oral traditions passed down through the generations. Most of these oral traditions are fragments of much larger events. Therefore, we are blessed to have some new information come to light written by someone who had first-hand knowledge of those events.
William Albert Wilson was born in the Sutherland Community in Ashe County in 1861. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and later served as a missionary in Japan for more than 42 years. Once he retired, Wilson returned to North Carolina and penned an account of things that he had witnessed during the turbulent years of the Civil War and Reconstruction. But the book is more than just what he remembers, it is a record of his community during those times.
Wilson starts out his tale with the death of his father, Isaac Wilson. Home on furlough from the Confederate army, Isaac Wilson was shot as he plowed his field one morning. Taken home, he lived just a short time before dying of his wounds. Isaac Wilson’s death is an example of the inner-civil war that gripped every part of life in Southern Appalachia. His death was to revenge the death of a man at the hands of the local Confederate conscription officer. That conscription officer was also named Isaac Wilson, and a case of mistaken identification might seem plausible. However, the murdered Isaac Wilson was related by marriage to his assailants.
The murder of Isaac Wilson left William Wilson and his siblings fatherless, and in a hostile location, near the Tennessee border. Wilson then crafts a tale of the mayhem, the “bushwhacking,” murder, robbery, and abuse that members of his family and community endured. Wilson’s memoir goes beyond the depredations committed during the time period, also providing a look at how a boy grew up in Appalachia in the 1870s, attending school, church, and working on the farm. The memoir is truly remarkable for that information alone.
Neighbor to Neighbor was edited by Sandra L. Ballard and Leila E. Weinstein. Ballard is a professor of English at Appalachian State University and editor of the Appalachian Journal. Weinstein is assistant editor at Appalachian. They have done a good job lightly editing the text and culling the local community for photographs.
There are also three essays introducing the text. The first, by Patricia Beaver, Director for the Center for Appalachian Studies and professor of anthropology at Appalachian State University, is entitled “”The Civil War on the North Fork of the New River: Sustaining Community.” This essay provides an overview of the North Fork Community and Ashe County during the wartime years. The next essay is by Martin Crawford, and is an excerpt from his book Ashe County’s Civil War: Community and Society in the Appalachian South. Martin is a professor of American Studies at Keele University in England. The final essay is by John C. Inscoe, professor at the University of Georgia, and the most respected historian of Appalachia and the Civil War. His essay, entitled “Guerrilla War and Remembrance,” is a look at how the people of Appalachia viewed the events in the 1860s in the years following the events.
One event that no one looked at was Isaac Wilson’s military service. Wilson volunteered with members of his family and community on September 18, 1861. On that date, he was elected a lieutenant in the “Watauga Minute Men.” Most of the men in this company were from the Cove Creek area of Watauga County, where Wilson also had family and enough connections to allow the men to elect him to this post. On November 20, 1861, the “Watauga Minute Men” became Company E, 37th North Carolina Troops. For some unexplored reason, Wilson resigned from the 37th North Carolina Troops on December 13, 1861, and returned home. The memoir clearly states that “Lieut. Isaac Wilson, was home on furlough” (73) when he was shot in June 1864. Of what regiment Wilson is a member is not discussed. After the war, Wilson’s widow applied for a pension, stating that he served in the 37th North Carolina Troops, and Wilson’s gravemarker states that he served in the 37th North Carolina Troops. No other regiment is mentioned, and thus a mystery has presented itself.
Overall, Neighbor to Neighbor (ISBN 0-9787305-0-X) is highly recommended for those interested in the war in Appalachia and western North Carolina. One downside is that the book is currently available only through the bookstore at Appalachian State University. Maybe demand for the book will lead to a wider distribution. You can contact the bookstore at: (828) 262-3070, or through their web page.
Information regarding the last year of war, and especially the reconstruction time period in western North Carolina, is sparse. Most of the information comes in the way of oral traditions passed down through the generations. Most of these oral traditions are fragments of much larger events. Therefore, we are blessed to have some new information come to light written by someone who had first-hand knowledge of those events.
William Albert Wilson was born in the Sutherland Community in Ashe County in 1861. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and later served as a missionary in Japan for more than 42 years. Once he retired, Wilson returned to North Carolina and penned an account of things that he had witnessed during the turbulent years of the Civil War and Reconstruction. But the book is more than just what he remembers, it is a record of his community during those times.
Wilson starts out his tale with the death of his father, Isaac Wilson. Home on furlough from the Confederate army, Isaac Wilson was shot as he plowed his field one morning. Taken home, he lived just a short time before dying of his wounds. Isaac Wilson’s death is an example of the inner-civil war that gripped every part of life in Southern Appalachia. His death was to revenge the death of a man at the hands of the local Confederate conscription officer. That conscription officer was also named Isaac Wilson, and a case of mistaken identification might seem plausible. However, the murdered Isaac Wilson was related by marriage to his assailants.
The murder of Isaac Wilson left William Wilson and his siblings fatherless, and in a hostile location, near the Tennessee border. Wilson then crafts a tale of the mayhem, the “bushwhacking,” murder, robbery, and abuse that members of his family and community endured. Wilson’s memoir goes beyond the depredations committed during the time period, also providing a look at how a boy grew up in Appalachia in the 1870s, attending school, church, and working on the farm. The memoir is truly remarkable for that information alone.
Neighbor to Neighbor was edited by Sandra L. Ballard and Leila E. Weinstein. Ballard is a professor of English at Appalachian State University and editor of the Appalachian Journal. Weinstein is assistant editor at Appalachian. They have done a good job lightly editing the text and culling the local community for photographs.
There are also three essays introducing the text. The first, by Patricia Beaver, Director for the Center for Appalachian Studies and professor of anthropology at Appalachian State University, is entitled “”The Civil War on the North Fork of the New River: Sustaining Community.” This essay provides an overview of the North Fork Community and Ashe County during the wartime years. The next essay is by Martin Crawford, and is an excerpt from his book Ashe County’s Civil War: Community and Society in the Appalachian South. Martin is a professor of American Studies at Keele University in England. The final essay is by John C. Inscoe, professor at the University of Georgia, and the most respected historian of Appalachia and the Civil War. His essay, entitled “Guerrilla War and Remembrance,” is a look at how the people of Appalachia viewed the events in the 1860s in the years following the events.
One event that no one looked at was Isaac Wilson’s military service. Wilson volunteered with members of his family and community on September 18, 1861. On that date, he was elected a lieutenant in the “Watauga Minute Men.” Most of the men in this company were from the Cove Creek area of Watauga County, where Wilson also had family and enough connections to allow the men to elect him to this post. On November 20, 1861, the “Watauga Minute Men” became Company E, 37th North Carolina Troops. For some unexplored reason, Wilson resigned from the 37th North Carolina Troops on December 13, 1861, and returned home. The memoir clearly states that “Lieut. Isaac Wilson, was home on furlough” (73) when he was shot in June 1864. Of what regiment Wilson is a member is not discussed. After the war, Wilson’s widow applied for a pension, stating that he served in the 37th North Carolina Troops, and Wilson’s gravemarker states that he served in the 37th North Carolina Troops. No other regiment is mentioned, and thus a mystery has presented itself.
Overall, Neighbor to Neighbor (ISBN 0-9787305-0-X) is highly recommended for those interested in the war in Appalachia and western North Carolina. One downside is that the book is currently available only through the bookstore at Appalachian State University. Maybe demand for the book will lead to a wider distribution. You can contact the bookstore at: (828) 262-3070, or through their web page.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
I had a chance last night to attend a book discussion on a recent release: Neighbor to Neighbor: A Memoir of Family, Community, and Civil War in Appalachian, edited by Sandra L. Ballard and Leila E. Weinstein. The narrative was written by the son of Lt. Isaac Wilson of Company E, 37th North Carolina Troops. I’ll have a review up soon.
It was also a pleasure to sit with Dr. Allan Speer, who edited the letters of one of his ancestors a number of years ago, Col. Francis Asbury Speer of the 28th NCT.
I finished the draft of chapter 6 of the book on the 58th North Carolina this past weekend. The chapter is a little over 10,000 words, possibly the longest chapter that I have ever written. Time to move on to Chickamauga.
It was also a pleasure to sit with Dr. Allan Speer, who edited the letters of one of his ancestors a number of years ago, Col. Francis Asbury Speer of the 28th NCT.
I finished the draft of chapter 6 of the book on the 58th North Carolina this past weekend. The chapter is a little over 10,000 words, possibly the longest chapter that I have ever written. Time to move on to Chickamauga.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
New books on North Carolina and the Civil War
Neighbor to Neighbor - A Memoir of Family, Community and Civil War in Appalachian North Carolina edited by Sandra Ballard and Leila Weinstein (Appalachian Press, 2007)
The Making of a Confederate: Walter Lenoir’s Civil War by William L. Barney (Oxford University Press, 2007)
Elizabeth City, North Carolina and the Civil War: A History of Battle and Occupation by Alex Christopher Meekins (The History Press, 2007)
Neighbor to Neighbor - A Memoir of Family, Community and Civil War in Appalachian North Carolina edited by Sandra Ballard and Leila Weinstein (Appalachian Press, 2007)
The Making of a Confederate: Walter Lenoir’s Civil War by William L. Barney (Oxford University Press, 2007)
Elizabeth City, North Carolina and the Civil War: A History of Battle and Occupation by Alex Christopher Meekins (The History Press, 2007)
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
More Thoughts on Desertion
I’ve been pondering this article by Katherine A. Giuffre for the better part of a week now. The article is entitled "First in Flight: Desertion as Politics in the North Carolina Confederate Army" and was published in 1997 in Social Science History.
Through looking at deserters in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 17th (2nd organization), 20th, 22nd, 28th, and 30th regiments, Giuffre came to the conclusion that "desertion was a politically motivated act on the part of some members of the relatively deprived class that was at odds with the eastern elites and that shouldered the burden of fighting the Civil War in North Carolina."
Let’s deconstruct this a bit and see what we come up with.
Giuffre writes "desertion was a politically motivated act on the part of some members of the relatively deprived class..." So, the poor were more likely to desert than the middle class or rich? In another article, Peter Bearman contends that "Stayers and deserters look very similar with respect to class, occupation, age, family composition, and enlistment date. Interest as structured by the occupancy of differential position in civil society cannot account for desertion."
So we have two differing views. Did your position in life influence you to desert the army? For some, even many, the answer would be a resounding yes. The wives of many wrote home saying that they were starving and needed the men at home. But I sometimes think that opinion is overplayed. Most of these families lived within large kinship groups that looked out after each other.
How was it politically motivated? Giuffre writes: "the relatively deprived class that was at odds with the eastern elites..." That is possible, but what about Yancey County? The people of the Toe River Valley fought with eastern politicians for years before the creation of a new county in 1833. Yet when the secession crisis came, Yancey voted with the eastern counties to separate from the Union.
Having spent the all of the past week studying the deserter problem with regards to the 58th and 60th Regiments, I have come to this conclusion. Some deserted because of hardships, family responsibilities, and a few were even cowards. Most simply did not want to be in the army. Some were anti-Confederate. Most were anti anything that was imposed upon them. Had the Federal army come in and conscripted the mountaineers of Ashe or Yancey counties, I am quite sure that they would have likewise deserted at the first convenient opportunity.
I wonder what Giuffre’s study would have found if she had included the 58th, 60th, 62nd, or 64th Regiments?
Through looking at deserters in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 17th (2nd organization), 20th, 22nd, 28th, and 30th regiments, Giuffre came to the conclusion that "desertion was a politically motivated act on the part of some members of the relatively deprived class that was at odds with the eastern elites and that shouldered the burden of fighting the Civil War in North Carolina."
Let’s deconstruct this a bit and see what we come up with.
Giuffre writes "desertion was a politically motivated act on the part of some members of the relatively deprived class..." So, the poor were more likely to desert than the middle class or rich? In another article, Peter Bearman contends that "Stayers and deserters look very similar with respect to class, occupation, age, family composition, and enlistment date. Interest as structured by the occupancy of differential position in civil society cannot account for desertion."
So we have two differing views. Did your position in life influence you to desert the army? For some, even many, the answer would be a resounding yes. The wives of many wrote home saying that they were starving and needed the men at home. But I sometimes think that opinion is overplayed. Most of these families lived within large kinship groups that looked out after each other.
How was it politically motivated? Giuffre writes: "the relatively deprived class that was at odds with the eastern elites..." That is possible, but what about Yancey County? The people of the Toe River Valley fought with eastern politicians for years before the creation of a new county in 1833. Yet when the secession crisis came, Yancey voted with the eastern counties to separate from the Union.
Having spent the all of the past week studying the deserter problem with regards to the 58th and 60th Regiments, I have come to this conclusion. Some deserted because of hardships, family responsibilities, and a few were even cowards. Most simply did not want to be in the army. Some were anti-Confederate. Most were anti anything that was imposed upon them. Had the Federal army come in and conscripted the mountaineers of Ashe or Yancey counties, I am quite sure that they would have likewise deserted at the first convenient opportunity.
I wonder what Giuffre’s study would have found if she had included the 58th, 60th, 62nd, or 64th Regiments?
Monday, December 03, 2007
The 58th NCT and Desertion
Over the past few days, I've been working on the desertion problem and the 58th NCT. To say that desertion was a problem for the 58th NCT is an colossal understatement. I want to go out on a limb and say no regiment in the Confederate army had more men to desert than the 58th NCT. That might be a bit of a stretch and more research needs to bedone.
One of the problems is that records for the 58th NCT are so poor. I'll give a few examples.
Jonathan Morgan of Company F (McDowell County) was reported sick in the hospital in September-October 1863. No more records. Did he die in the hospital? Did he desert from the hospital?
George W. Moore of Company E enlisted in Caldwell County on July 5, 1862. He never again appears in the muster reports of the 58th NCT. He did survive the war, but what happened to him? Did he desert? Was he discharged?
How about Allen Pierce of Company I. He enlisted on July 24, 1862, and then disappears.
Then, there is a whole host of men who disappear between August 31,1864, the last surviving muster roll for the 58th NCT, and when the regiment surrendered at Greensboro in May 1865. What happened to these men? Were they killed? Were they left at some hospital on their trek from Mississippi to Bentonville? Did they die of disease and were buried beside some road or in a family cemetery?
And why did so many men desert? Was it cowardice? Or hardship? Or family responsibilities? Or, as Katherine A Giuffre writes in herarticle "First in Flight: Desertion as Politics in the North CarolinaConfederate Army", did it have something to do with the division between eastern and western North Carolina that existed since the late 1700s? I think for some of the men, it might have been hardship. For some, family responsibility. For a few, cowardice. Some might have seen their anti-eastern NC as being anti-Confederate. It was the "planters in the eastern part of the state that support the Confederacy and we don't want noting to do with eastern North Carolina." For some, they were Unionists (see Younce's "Adventures of a Conscript." )
Who knows! I sure don't! And, I must go and write about it in abook, and explore each option.
One of the problems is that records for the 58th NCT are so poor. I'll give a few examples.
Jonathan Morgan of Company F (McDowell County) was reported sick in the hospital in September-October 1863. No more records. Did he die in the hospital? Did he desert from the hospital?
George W. Moore of Company E enlisted in Caldwell County on July 5, 1862. He never again appears in the muster reports of the 58th NCT. He did survive the war, but what happened to him? Did he desert? Was he discharged?
How about Allen Pierce of Company I. He enlisted on July 24, 1862, and then disappears.
Then, there is a whole host of men who disappear between August 31,1864, the last surviving muster roll for the 58th NCT, and when the regiment surrendered at Greensboro in May 1865. What happened to these men? Were they killed? Were they left at some hospital on their trek from Mississippi to Bentonville? Did they die of disease and were buried beside some road or in a family cemetery?
And why did so many men desert? Was it cowardice? Or hardship? Or family responsibilities? Or, as Katherine A Giuffre writes in herarticle "First in Flight: Desertion as Politics in the North CarolinaConfederate Army", did it have something to do with the division between eastern and western North Carolina that existed since the late 1700s? I think for some of the men, it might have been hardship. For some, family responsibility. For a few, cowardice. Some might have seen their anti-eastern NC as being anti-Confederate. It was the "planters in the eastern part of the state that support the Confederacy and we don't want noting to do with eastern North Carolina." For some, they were Unionists (see Younce's "Adventures of a Conscript." )
Who knows! I sure don't! And, I must go and write about it in abook, and explore each option.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Book signing - tomorrow
Folks - I’ll be signing books tomorrow, December 1st, at the Carson House in Marion, North Carolina, from 12:00 until 3:00 pm. If you are in the area, drop by and say hi!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Col. Isaac E. Avery - 6th NCST
Folks - I had a reader send me a couple of days ago this piece about the marking of the grave of Col. Isaac E. Avery of the 6th North Carolina State Troops. Averyw as from Burke County, North Carolina, and penned the famous "I died with my face towards the enemy" from the fields of Gettysburg.
This article is from The Herald-Mail
Sunday November 4, 2007Family pays its last respects to Rebel soldier who was a hero
By ALICIA NOTARIANNImailto:NOTARIANNIalician@herald-mail.com
After 34-year-old Col. Isaac Erwin Avery was shot and died during the Battle of Gettysburg, his slave, Elijah, set off on a journey south to return Avery to Swan Ponds plantation in Morganton, N.C., his native soil.
As Avery’s body began to decompose, Elijah reconsidered his plan and buried Avery in Williamsport overlooking the Potomac River. Unbeknownst to his family, Avery’s body eventually was moved to Hagerstown along with thousands of other Confederate soldiers.
Avery’s family brought his native soil to him Saturday during a tombstone dedication ceremony at Rose Hill Cemetery.
For years the Avery family had been unable to locate the colonel’s remains, Civil War enthusiast and writer Richard Clem said.
Research done by Clem, 67, of Hagerstown, determined Avery’s final resting place and was the basis for a story he wrote for The Washington Times in March.
"After I wrote the article, I put the paper between my folded hands and prayed it would end up in the hands of the right people," Clem said Saturday morning. By the blessing of God that we are here this morning.
Isaac Avery’s fourth cousin, Civil War re-enactor Bruce Avery, 52, of Stevensville, Md., read Clem’s article and called him.
Bruce Avery said the mystery was solved after all these years. He said, "We need to put a stone on that grave," Clem said.
Clem provided documentation of Avery’s Hagerstown burial to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which furnished and inscribed the marker free of charge.
More than 30 people were present for the dedication, including Clem, members of the Avery family and Civil War re-enactors from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
It was a crisp and sunny morning as Bruce Avery stood in the grass facing the ground-level marker. Avery acknowledged Clem for his efforts, then spent several minutes sharing an account of Isaac Avery’s life and service. At times, Bruce became choked up and paused to regain his composure. He said Isaac Avery’s military superiors had recommended his promotion to general, but his career was cut short by death.
Bruce’s friend and fellow re-enactor, Michael Hendricks of Virginia Beach, Va., read a letter written by Maj. Samuel Tate, Isaac Avery’s friend, following Avery’s death. Mary Ann Avery, Bruce’s wife, read an excerpt from Shelby Foote’s The Civil War " A Narrative.
"Ken Avery, 55, of Annapolis, Bruce’s brother, blessed the grave and sprinkled it with soil from Swan Ponds, the Avery plantation in North Carolina.
"May all who visit in the future know this is hallowed and sacred ground," Ken Avery said.
As the ceremony concluded, 5-year-old Christopher Avery, Bruce’s son, placed a wreath on the marker.
It’s sad for the family when you don’t know where a soldier is buried. It tore (Isaac Avery’s father apart not knowing, Mary Ann Avery said. It’s important to have him marked with soil from his home state. He is still under North Carolina soil after today.
Ken Avery said it meant a lot to finally identify his ancestor’s final resting place."We are direct descendants. He was a hero to the cause of the South," Ken Avery said. "This helps us bring some closure to this little piece of our family history."
Bruce Avery said as a Civil War re-enactor for nearly 20 years, he was especially pleased to honor his family’s history.
"I know the family story behind Isaac. It’s an honor for me to have gotten this done," Bruce Avery said. "Hopefully, he’s up there looking down and smiling."
This article is from The Herald-Mail
Sunday November 4, 2007Family pays its last respects to Rebel soldier who was a hero
By ALICIA NOTARIANNImailto:NOTARIANNIalician@herald-mail.com
After 34-year-old Col. Isaac Erwin Avery was shot and died during the Battle of Gettysburg, his slave, Elijah, set off on a journey south to return Avery to Swan Ponds plantation in Morganton, N.C., his native soil.
As Avery’s body began to decompose, Elijah reconsidered his plan and buried Avery in Williamsport overlooking the Potomac River. Unbeknownst to his family, Avery’s body eventually was moved to Hagerstown along with thousands of other Confederate soldiers.
Avery’s family brought his native soil to him Saturday during a tombstone dedication ceremony at Rose Hill Cemetery.
For years the Avery family had been unable to locate the colonel’s remains, Civil War enthusiast and writer Richard Clem said.
Research done by Clem, 67, of Hagerstown, determined Avery’s final resting place and was the basis for a story he wrote for The Washington Times in March.
"After I wrote the article, I put the paper between my folded hands and prayed it would end up in the hands of the right people," Clem said Saturday morning. By the blessing of God that we are here this morning.
Isaac Avery’s fourth cousin, Civil War re-enactor Bruce Avery, 52, of Stevensville, Md., read Clem’s article and called him.
Bruce Avery said the mystery was solved after all these years. He said, "We need to put a stone on that grave," Clem said.
Clem provided documentation of Avery’s Hagerstown burial to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which furnished and inscribed the marker free of charge.
More than 30 people were present for the dedication, including Clem, members of the Avery family and Civil War re-enactors from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
It was a crisp and sunny morning as Bruce Avery stood in the grass facing the ground-level marker. Avery acknowledged Clem for his efforts, then spent several minutes sharing an account of Isaac Avery’s life and service. At times, Bruce became choked up and paused to regain his composure. He said Isaac Avery’s military superiors had recommended his promotion to general, but his career was cut short by death.
Bruce’s friend and fellow re-enactor, Michael Hendricks of Virginia Beach, Va., read a letter written by Maj. Samuel Tate, Isaac Avery’s friend, following Avery’s death. Mary Ann Avery, Bruce’s wife, read an excerpt from Shelby Foote’s The Civil War " A Narrative.
"Ken Avery, 55, of Annapolis, Bruce’s brother, blessed the grave and sprinkled it with soil from Swan Ponds, the Avery plantation in North Carolina.
"May all who visit in the future know this is hallowed and sacred ground," Ken Avery said.
As the ceremony concluded, 5-year-old Christopher Avery, Bruce’s son, placed a wreath on the marker.
It’s sad for the family when you don’t know where a soldier is buried. It tore (Isaac Avery’s father apart not knowing, Mary Ann Avery said. It’s important to have him marked with soil from his home state. He is still under North Carolina soil after today.
Ken Avery said it meant a lot to finally identify his ancestor’s final resting place."We are direct descendants. He was a hero to the cause of the South," Ken Avery said. "This helps us bring some closure to this little piece of our family history."
Bruce Avery said as a Civil War re-enactor for nearly 20 years, he was especially pleased to honor his family’s history.
"I know the family story behind Isaac. It’s an honor for me to have gotten this done," Bruce Avery said. "Hopefully, he’s up there looking down and smiling."
Saturday, November 24, 2007
One of the benefits of my job, at least as I see it, is being able to spend time in some of the most beautiful cemeteries in the South. There are not many cemeteries that I’ve not visited and photographed.
One of the frustrating things about working in cemeteries is finding the names of men who are of the right age to be in the war, but not being able to match those people to anyone from the area. Following the war, tens of thousands of Southern families picked up what was left of their lives and moved on. Sometimes those moves were just over the county line. More often than not, these families moved out west, to Texas, Oklahoma, Washington and Oregon.
When working in local cemeteries, I often jot down all of the names of men who have dates between 1820 and 1850. Below are the men from the Montezuma Cemetery in Avery County. This is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area, and is somewhat connected to my church, even though it is a community cemetery. Here are the names with the dates and regiment when I am somewhat certain.
Anderson, Enoch 14 Jan. 1844 - 8 Apr. 1900 Co. K, 37th NCT
Banner, Columbus B 1840-1931 4th TN (US)
Blalock, William M. "Keith" 21 Nov. 1837-18 Jul. 1913 26th NCT/10th Mich. Cav. (US)
Blalock, Sarah M. "Sam" 26th NCT
Carpenter, John C. 13 Jul. 1846-13 May 1931
Clifton, Samuel 14 Jan. 1843 - 11 Jan. 1922 (1st NCST ?)
Forbes, Abraham 13 Jun. 1846-
Franklin, John 14 Jan. 1817 - 1 Feb. 1900 Co. B, 6th NC Cav.
Harris, Rev. William J. 8 Aug. 1839-31 Oct. 1911 (Co. D., 44th NCT ?)
Luttrell, E. M. 4 Feb. 1847 - 3 Jan. 1929 Co. H, 13th Tenn. Cav.
Matney, Rev. Arthur R. 1 Nov. 1821 - 10 Apr. 1892
Matney, Rev. Thomas W. 1 Dec. 1829 - 23 Dec. 1892 Co. I, 26th NCT
Rash, James B. 13 Oct. 1845-1 Oct. 1912 26th NCT
Teague, William 15 Sept. 1818 - 18 Feb. 1894
Key, Thomas W. 1821-1892
Rominger, J. H. 1843-1898
One of the frustrating things about working in cemeteries is finding the names of men who are of the right age to be in the war, but not being able to match those people to anyone from the area. Following the war, tens of thousands of Southern families picked up what was left of their lives and moved on. Sometimes those moves were just over the county line. More often than not, these families moved out west, to Texas, Oklahoma, Washington and Oregon.
When working in local cemeteries, I often jot down all of the names of men who have dates between 1820 and 1850. Below are the men from the Montezuma Cemetery in Avery County. This is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area, and is somewhat connected to my church, even though it is a community cemetery. Here are the names with the dates and regiment when I am somewhat certain.
Anderson, Enoch 14 Jan. 1844 - 8 Apr. 1900 Co. K, 37th NCT
Banner, Columbus B 1840-1931 4th TN (US)
Blalock, William M. "Keith" 21 Nov. 1837-18 Jul. 1913 26th NCT/10th Mich. Cav. (US)
Blalock, Sarah M. "Sam" 26th NCT
Carpenter, John C. 13 Jul. 1846-13 May 1931
Clifton, Samuel 14 Jan. 1843 - 11 Jan. 1922 (1st NCST ?)
Forbes, Abraham 13 Jun. 1846-
Franklin, John 14 Jan. 1817 - 1 Feb. 1900 Co. B, 6th NC Cav.
Harris, Rev. William J. 8 Aug. 1839-31 Oct. 1911 (Co. D., 44th NCT ?)
Luttrell, E. M. 4 Feb. 1847 - 3 Jan. 1929 Co. H, 13th Tenn. Cav.
Matney, Rev. Arthur R. 1 Nov. 1821 - 10 Apr. 1892
Matney, Rev. Thomas W. 1 Dec. 1829 - 23 Dec. 1892 Co. I, 26th NCT
Rash, James B. 13 Oct. 1845-1 Oct. 1912 26th NCT
Teague, William 15 Sept. 1818 - 18 Feb. 1894
Key, Thomas W. 1821-1892
Rominger, J. H. 1843-1898
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
A few days ago, Andrew Wagenhoffer on his blog Civil War Books and Authors had a review of Walter Hilderman’s They Went into the Fight Cheering: Confederate Conscription in North Carolina. Check out his review here.
Friday, November 16, 2007
In the current issue of America's Civil War, there is an article by Tonia J. Smith (TeeJ) about Abby House. (Congrats to TeeJ on the article's publication!) Abby House was from Franklintown, North Carolina, and took an active role in the welfare of Confederate soldiers from her town. She frequently visited soldiers in hospitals around Richmond. House grew vegetables on her farm, she collected clothing, blankets, and shoes for soldiers in the field. And, she gained audiences with Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee, trying to better the treatment of sick and wounded Confederates soldiers. After the war ended, House moved to Raleigh, and, in a strange turn of events, was asked to represent her county (Clay) at the State Democratic Convention in 1876, becoming the first women in North Carolina to vote. If you don't subscribe to America's Civil War, try stopping by your local newsstand and pick up a copy of the January issue. The article is well worth your time.
There were other women connected with North Carolina who were just as important and interesting. Just about everyone knows about Rose Greenhow. The famous Confederate spy drowned off the North Carolina coast in 1864 after her ship ran aground near Fort Fisher. She is buried in Wilmington.
Then there is Emeline Pigott, twenty-five when the war started and from Morehead City. Pigott worked as a nurse during the early part of the war, and after her love died at Gettysburg, worked whole-heartily for the Confederacy. She operated a spy ring between Morehead City and Kinston until her arrest . Pigott was released, and continued to work as a nurse for the rest of the war. She died in 1919 and is buried in the family cemetery in Morehead City.
You can also add Laura Wesson, a young women from Virginia who worked as a nurse in High Point and died during the war. She is buried in the High Point cemetery, amongst the soldiers.
I am quite sure other stories are out there. If I remember correctly, there are two strongly documented stories about women who served as men during the war. One was Malinda Blalock from my neck of the woods. The other was from the coastal area and I seem to have forgotten her name.
There were other women connected with North Carolina who were just as important and interesting. Just about everyone knows about Rose Greenhow. The famous Confederate spy drowned off the North Carolina coast in 1864 after her ship ran aground near Fort Fisher. She is buried in Wilmington.
Then there is Emeline Pigott, twenty-five when the war started and from Morehead City. Pigott worked as a nurse during the early part of the war, and after her love died at Gettysburg, worked whole-heartily for the Confederacy. She operated a spy ring between Morehead City and Kinston until her arrest . Pigott was released, and continued to work as a nurse for the rest of the war. She died in 1919 and is buried in the family cemetery in Morehead City.
You can also add Laura Wesson, a young women from Virginia who worked as a nurse in High Point and died during the war. She is buried in the High Point cemetery, amongst the soldiers.
I am quite sure other stories are out there. If I remember correctly, there are two strongly documented stories about women who served as men during the war. One was Malinda Blalock from my neck of the woods. The other was from the coastal area and I seem to have forgotten her name.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Travels
I think that I have almost recovered from my recent excursion. On Monday evening I spoke to the SCV Camp in Lenoir. This is a fine group of folks. I spoke for about 30 minutes about Confederate Veteran Reunions, and then for the next hour and a half, we just talked about the War. I find myself enjoying this type of dialog more and more.
On Tuesday, I journeyed to Duke University. I had been informed that there was letters from William Oxford of the 58th NCT in a collected under his sisters name. Well, there was a letter from July 1863. Just one more piece of the puzzle. There also letters from soldiers in the 7th, 22nd, and 26th Regiments.
From Duke, I made my way to Raleigh. I had half a dozen pension records that I wanted to look at. When I got off the elevator, I hardly recognized the place. I actually thought that I was on the wrong floor. The place has been remodeled beautifully. Most of the pension records were a bust, or did not contain any pertinent information. One did, andI'll discuss that later. I did have chance to meet Chris Meekins, who works at the archives, is on the Sesquicentennial Committee, and confessed to being a blog reader.
After leaving the archives, I traveled South out of Raleigh, and spent a large part of the evening talking with the fine folks at the SCV Camp in Garner. I was planing to spend the night, but some circumstances here on the home front brought me back. I got in about 1:00 am and spent most of yesterday trying to recover.
I had a great time at all of the venues that I visited, and it is nice to find folks who read these random thoughts of mine.
By the way, if you have emailed me recently, I am about 140 responses behind. I'll get to yours soon.
On Tuesday, I journeyed to Duke University. I had been informed that there was letters from William Oxford of the 58th NCT in a collected under his sisters name. Well, there was a letter from July 1863. Just one more piece of the puzzle. There also letters from soldiers in the 7th, 22nd, and 26th Regiments.
From Duke, I made my way to Raleigh. I had half a dozen pension records that I wanted to look at. When I got off the elevator, I hardly recognized the place. I actually thought that I was on the wrong floor. The place has been remodeled beautifully. Most of the pension records were a bust, or did not contain any pertinent information. One did, andI'll discuss that later. I did have chance to meet Chris Meekins, who works at the archives, is on the Sesquicentennial Committee, and confessed to being a blog reader.
After leaving the archives, I traveled South out of Raleigh, and spent a large part of the evening talking with the fine folks at the SCV Camp in Garner. I was planing to spend the night, but some circumstances here on the home front brought me back. I got in about 1:00 am and spent most of yesterday trying to recover.
I had a great time at all of the venues that I visited, and it is nice to find folks who read these random thoughts of mine.
By the way, if you have emailed me recently, I am about 140 responses behind. I'll get to yours soon.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Yet another busy past couple of days. On Friday, I had the honor to take my son to Linville Caverns with his homeschool group. Linville Caverns is located in Burke County. During the War, the Caverns were used by deserters as one of the many hideouts in the area. As the story goes, one of the men in the cave, a cobbler, started making shoes and traveling to town (Morganton?) to trade the shoes for supplies. We have the bench that he supposedly used in the museum in Newland. Inside the caverns there was a small area covered with sand, one of the only dry areas in the entire complex. This is where the men camped and built a fire. The smoke from the fire filtered out of the top of the caverns, disclosing their whereabouts to the local home guard, and the men were captured. The photograph on the right is the area where the men built their fires.
On Saturday, I had the privilege of helping install several gravestones and
one iron cross on graves in cemeteries in Mitchell and Avery Counties. Pictured on the right is the marker we placed on the grave of Lt. Col. John Keener of the 58th NCT. The group went on to place more markers in Yancey County, and I came home to get ready to go to Boone for a reception for the Watauga County Historical Society. That group is 30 years old this month.Tonight, I am off to Lenior for a book signing. Tomorrow night, I’ll be in Gardner, just below Raleigh. I’m hoping to get some research done over the next couple of days at Chapel Hill and Duke.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Program last night
The program last night at the public library in Spruce Pine was great. Sixteen people gathered and we spent two hours on all aspects of the war. While the previous meeting in Yancey County focused on "battles and leaders," our discussion this time covered politics and local history.
I would really like to see these type of discussions going on in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Events are already in the works to hold "round table" discussions about the War in Avery, Watauga, and Caldwell Counties next spring, and I am quite certain that we will hold meetings in Yancey and Mitchell again. That leaves 95 counties to go.
While I could not participate in discussions in all of North Carolina’s counties (that would be something like three a week, considering I don’t travel January through March), I think that I’ll work toward as many as possible.
If you are interested in having a "_____ County and the Civil War" discussion in your county, please drop me a line at mchardy@michaelchardy.com
I would really like to see these type of discussions going on in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Events are already in the works to hold "round table" discussions about the War in Avery, Watauga, and Caldwell Counties next spring, and I am quite certain that we will hold meetings in Yancey and Mitchell again. That leaves 95 counties to go.
While I could not participate in discussions in all of North Carolina’s counties (that would be something like three a week, considering I don’t travel January through March), I think that I’ll work toward as many as possible.
If you are interested in having a "_____ County and the Civil War" discussion in your county, please drop me a line at mchardy@michaelchardy.com
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Mixed Arms
Last night, I was up at ASU again, continuing my journey through the compiled service records of the 58th NCT. It takes me about three hours to go through one roll. And to be honest, three hours is about as much microfilm reading that I can do at one time. The one really interesting thing that I found was a requisition, showing that the 58th NCT "borrowed" two cases of ammunition from the 65th GA: one thousand rounds of musket cartridges, and one thousand rounds of Mississippi ammunition. I suspect that the musket cartridges were .69 cal. smoothbore. Mississippi to me would mean .54 cal. What does all of this mean? That on the eve of the battle of Chickamauga, the 58th was mixed when it comes to their arms - possibly a nightmare for their ordnance officer.
Having a regiment with different caliber of arms seems to be a common thing for the first half of the war. Granted, I have only studied one other regiment on this level, the 37th NCT. The 37th started the war with flintlocks. By the time of the battle of New Bern, they were armed with altered .69 cal. muskets. After arriving in Virginia in May 1862, two companies of the regiment were armed with Enfield rifles (.577 caliber). In keeping with earlier time periods, these two companies should have been the flanking companies of the regiment. It was not until May/June 1863 that the rest of the regiment traded their smoothbores in for rifles.
Maybe in time, as I study other North Carolina regiments, more of this type of history can be brought to light.
Having a regiment with different caliber of arms seems to be a common thing for the first half of the war. Granted, I have only studied one other regiment on this level, the 37th NCT. The 37th started the war with flintlocks. By the time of the battle of New Bern, they were armed with altered .69 cal. muskets. After arriving in Virginia in May 1862, two companies of the regiment were armed with Enfield rifles (.577 caliber). In keeping with earlier time periods, these two companies should have been the flanking companies of the regiment. It was not until May/June 1863 that the rest of the regiment traded their smoothbores in for rifles.
Maybe in time, as I study other North Carolina regiments, more of this type of history can be brought to light.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Mitchell County and the Civil War round table announcement
Do you have an ancestor who served in the Confederate or Union army? Want to know what happened on Bakersville during the War of Northern Aggression? What did the men who marched away in 1861 and 1862 do? Were they at Gettysburg? Chickamauga? Bentonville? Appomattox? Join a group of local historians on Tuesday, November 6, at 6:30 pm, at the Spruce Public Library as we discuss the both Mitchell County and the War for Southern Independence, and the role that Mitchell County men played in many far off places. This event is free, and the public is invited to attend. Please bring a friend and all of those questions about the Civil War that you never knew whom to ask. For more information, please contact Michael Ledford at (828) 682-9152.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
North Carolina Sesquicentennial
If you have not had a chance yet, please check out the North Carolina Sesquicentennial web site. I am really looking forward to this celebration.
However, I do have two concerns. One, I hope that the Sesquicentennial events move beyond the hallowed halls of academia. We need events, local events, in every county of the state, in an effort to get local people interested in Civil War history in their city or community. Every spot within the state has some ties to the events that transpired between 1861 and 1865.
Second, I hope that the western portions of the state receive their fair coverage. So many times we in the western part of the state get shunned as pro-Unionist hillbillies. Folks seem to forget that in the western part of the state, enlistment in the Confederate army outpaced enlistment in other parts of the state during the first part of the war. Folks also seem to forget that two western North Carolinians, W. W. Avery and Thomas L. Clingman, played a large hand in taking North Carolina out of the Union. Also forgotten is that our most famous governor, Zebulon Baird Vance, was from the western part of the state, along with most of our most famous regiment, the 26th North Carolina. Lastly, folks seem to forget that Asheville was once considered for the capital of the Confederacy.
However, I do have two concerns. One, I hope that the Sesquicentennial events move beyond the hallowed halls of academia. We need events, local events, in every county of the state, in an effort to get local people interested in Civil War history in their city or community. Every spot within the state has some ties to the events that transpired between 1861 and 1865.
Second, I hope that the western portions of the state receive their fair coverage. So many times we in the western part of the state get shunned as pro-Unionist hillbillies. Folks seem to forget that in the western part of the state, enlistment in the Confederate army outpaced enlistment in other parts of the state during the first part of the war. Folks also seem to forget that two western North Carolinians, W. W. Avery and Thomas L. Clingman, played a large hand in taking North Carolina out of the Union. Also forgotten is that our most famous governor, Zebulon Baird Vance, was from the western part of the state, along with most of our most famous regiment, the 26th North Carolina. Lastly, folks seem to forget that Asheville was once considered for the capital of the Confederacy.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Our trip to Wake Forest was good. However, it rained all day Friday, so I got no sight seeing/cemetery crawling accomplished. On Saturday, we drove to Morganton for an author's festival, which went really well. Terrel Garren was there, author of Mountain Myth, along with Jerry Goodnight, co-author of The Tarheel Lincoln.
On Sunday afternoon, I had the chance to participate in a memorial service for Levi Franklin Jarrett, a member of Company B, 58th NorthCarolina Troops. The descendants of Jarrett placed a cenotaph next to the grave of his wife in the Lily Branch Cemetery in Mitchell County. Jarrett died in November 1863. His final resting place is unknown. He died of the measles, possibly in Atlanta, or Chattanooga, or maybe even in Newton, NC. There are good stories to back up each of those places.
There are seven other Confederates and one Federal soldier buried inthe Lily Branch cemetery.
Yesterday, I finished transcribing the Gettysburg section of the diary of Lt. Nathaniel Horton of Company B, 37th North Carolina Troops. I have edited the transcript, and made some remarks about Horton's service. Horton was wounded and captured on July 3, and was in prison until the end of March 1865.
Tonight, I'm off to App to continue my research into the 58th NCT.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sorry for not posting more this week - been hard at work on the 58th NCT book. I’m off to Wake Forest today. My darling wife is presenting a paper at the Seminary’s C. S. Lewis conference tomorrow.
On Saturday, I’ll be signing books at the authors fair at the public library in Morganton. If you are in the area, stop by and say howdy!
On Saturday, I’ll be signing books at the authors fair at the public library in Morganton. If you are in the area, stop by and say howdy!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Changing Theaters for a moment
Ok - time to change campaigns. I have this article about the 37th NCT at Gettysburg that I've been tinkering with on and off for about three years. I always get to this point and the article comes to a grinding halt. Here is the sticking point.
Lt. Thomas Norwood writes in July 16, 1863 letter: "I was taken prisoner when I was wounded. I was very near the batteries when I was shot..."
Norwood adds in his October 6, 1877 letter: "The cannoneers then left their guns. I rushed forward thinking the day was ours."
Whose artillery is Norwood talking about? The common interpretation is Egan's section, posted near the Bryan Farm. But Norwood makes no mention of being captured near the Bryan farm, or farm buildings. He was"very near the batteries..." Could it be that Norwood was captured nearArnold's remaining piece, before Weir comes up? I can also find no reference to Egan ever abandoning his section of artillery.
I am really interested in other folk's interpretation of these two statements.
Lt. Thomas Norwood writes in July 16, 1863 letter: "I was taken prisoner when I was wounded. I was very near the batteries when I was shot..."
Norwood adds in his October 6, 1877 letter: "The cannoneers then left their guns. I rushed forward thinking the day was ours."
Whose artillery is Norwood talking about? The common interpretation is Egan's section, posted near the Bryan Farm. But Norwood makes no mention of being captured near the Bryan farm, or farm buildings. He was"very near the batteries..." Could it be that Norwood was captured nearArnold's remaining piece, before Weir comes up? I can also find no reference to Egan ever abandoning his section of artillery.
I am really interested in other folk's interpretation of these two statements.
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