Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit To Be Hosted by Libraries in Waynesville and Greenville during April

RALEIGH – The Civil War savaged lives yet secured the future of generations in North Carolina and the rest of the nation, and altered the course of American history. The injustices faced by African Americans were some of the most significant factors leading to the American Civil War (1861-1865). The fight for liberation is just one of many moving features of theFreedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit (www.nccivilwar150.com), which will visit the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville and the Sheppard Memorial Library in Greenville April 1-28.

“The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography,” explains Deputy Secretary Dr. Jeffrey Crow of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. “TheFreedom, Sacrifice, Memory exhibit provides images of historic figures, artifacts, and documents that brought the reality of the war from the battlefront to the home front, then and now.”

The exhibit will commemorate the bravery and resiliency of North Carolinians throughout the Civil War with stimulating images gathered from the State Archives (www.archives.ncdcr.gov), the N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org), and State Historic Sites(www.nchistoricsites.org). A total of 24 images will be displayed by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncculture.com) in 50 libraries throughout the state from April 2011 through May 2013. A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further information and also seeking viewer comments.

The collection depicts many different aspects of the war and includes images of artifacts and official documents. One picture shows the Cherokee Members of Thomas’s Legion, a unit recruited by William Holland Thomas, who had been adopted by the tribe and was a tribal leader. He led an almost entirely Cherokee unit from the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee into battle for the Confederacy.

The statewide tour will visit various regions presenting the importance of North Carolinians in the Civil War and educating viewers of each area’s participation and commitment during this tumultuous time.

For information on the exhibit call the Haywood County Library at (828) 452-5169 or the Sheppard Library at (252) 329-4580. For tour information, contact the Department of Cultural Resources at (919) 807-7389.

About the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historical sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council, and the State Archives. Cultural Resources champions North Carolina’s creative industry, which employs nearly 300,000 North Carolinians and contributes more than $41 billion to the state’s economy. To learn more, visit www.ncculture.com.

The Civil War Comes to Carteret County

BEAUFORT - Cannons and cavalry, music and living history - Step back to 1862 as the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort offers a free Civil War Sesquicentennial "Living History Weekend" on Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, March 25.

Held in partnership with the Beaufort Historical Association, Cape Lookout National Seashore, and Fort Macon State Park, events will be offered on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"The year 2012 commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Union invasion and occupation of Beaufort," said Museum event coordinator Lori Duppstadt. "The weekend of events will bring history alive for visitors of all ages."

Throughout downtown Beaufort, re-enactors will create vignettes of drills, encampments, and life in a Union-occupied town. Visitors will also be able to watch cannon demonstrations, and take interpretive tours historic homes and the Old Burying Ground.

To show the widespread impact of the occupation, additional Civil War sites throughout Carteret County will hold programs. Take a tour of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, watch a rare night-time cannon firing at Fort Macon State Park, and enjoy Civil War-era music at The History Place.

Saturday's schedule:

--Cannon demonstrations - Grayden Paul Park, 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m.

--Infantry demonstrations - Beaufort Historic Site, 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

--Children's games, dress-up and crafts - Maritime Museum, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

--Civil War Lighthouse Tours - Cape Lookout National Seashore, 10 a.m.-noon, 1-3 p.m.

--Historic house tours - Beaufort Historic Site, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

--Civil War bus tours - Beaufort Historic Site, 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m.

--"Life in Beaufort during the Civil War" exhibit - Beaufort Historic Site, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

--Navy demonstrations - Maritime Museum's Watercraft Center, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

--"Watched by Sound and Sea: Occupied Beaufort, 1862" exhibit - Maritime Museum, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

--Night-time cannon firing - Fort Macon State Park, 7:30 p.m.

--Old Burying Ground tours - Beaufort Historic Site, 1-3 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.

Sunday's schedule:

--Civil War Lighthouse Tours - Cape Lookout National Seashore, 10 a.m.-noon, 1-3 p.m.

--Performance by "The Carteret Grays," Civil War-era music - The History Place, 2 p.m.

For more information, visit online or call (252)728-7317. The Museum is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

News and notes

Friends, I've not done this in forever, but here is a look around at different news stories concerning the War in North Carolina.

The Charlotte Observer reports this morning that the SCV in Monroe is one step closer to erecting a monument to black Confederate soldiers from the area. Check it out here.

Raleigh's News and Observer has a good article about battlefield wounds and loss of limbs during the war. Check it out here.

Lots of news out there about the recent commemoration of the March 1862 battle of New Bern. Check it out here, here, and here.

Exploration at the Salisbury Confederate prison site continues. Check out this story here.

Eastern Carolina University has a display on the war at the Joyner Library. Get more information here.

Information on the slave narratives and the town of Cary can be found here.

And finally, a great story about the re-interment of two members of the 26th North Carolina Troops in Raleigh. Check out the story here.

RALEIGH - Another wave of volunteers will descend on battlefields in North Carolina and across the nation. However, unlike the Civil War volunteers of 150 years ago, these participants will be armed with paint brushes, trash bags and weed whackers.

On Saturday, March 31, volunteers from across the nation at more than 100 sites in 25 states are coming together to participate in the nationwide "Park Day" to help clean and restore America's priceless battlefields.

In North Carolina, there will be four North Carolina State Historic Sites and one State History Museum participating. They include:

Fort Fisher, 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd. South, Kure Beach, NC, 28449; or (910) 458-5538

Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, 8884 St. Phillips Road, Southeast, Winnabow, NC, 28479; or (910) 371-6613

Bennett Place, 4409 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham, NC 27705; or (919) 383-4345

Vance Birthplace, 911 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville, NC 28787; or (828) 645-6707

N.C. Maritime Museum-Southport, 204 East Moore St., Southport, NC 28461; or (910) 457-0003

In exchange for the hard work, volunteers will receive t-shirts and learn of the site's history from local experts. To volunteer, directly contact one of the sites.

For general information call (919) 807-7389. The Division of State Historic Sites and the Division of State History Museums are agencies of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

On the road

Friends, I'll be at the Bristol Motor Speedway this afternoon and evening, signing books, with New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb. Drop by and see us if you get a chance.

Tomorrow evening, I'll be speaking to the North Carolina Civil War Round Table in Burlington, NC. They meet at the K&W Cafeteria at 6:00 pm.

Next week, on March 22, I'll be speaking to the Cabarrus Rangers SCV Camp in Midlands (Cabarrus County), North Carolina.

NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL HERITAGE TRUST FUND AWARDS MAJOR GRANT FOR BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION

(Bentonville, N.C.) – The North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund on Feb. 27 approved a $355,000 grant to acquire 120 acres that will become part of Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. The Civil War Trust, the nation’s largest battlefield preservation organization, will be matching the state grant dollar-for-dollar using funds from the federal American Battlefield Protection Program, effectively allowing the state to acquire the land for half its total cost. With the completion of this project, the Trust and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources will have partnered in the preservation of a total of 1,435 acres at Bentonville.


“The remarkable work done to permanently protect the Bentonville Battlefield is among the great success stories of this organization,” said Trust President James Lighthizer. “We are honored to continue such a fruitful long-term partnership with the state of North Carolina and look forward to many more opportunities for mutual achievement in the months and years to come.”


Lighthizer emphasized that the availability of federal battlefield preservation matching grant funding made this project an outstanding investment for the state, essentially allowing the popular state historic site to grow significantly, while funding only half the fair-market value for that land.


“Our Bentonville Battlefield is a rare jewel because, unlike many Civil War battlefields, the landscape includes miles of original trenches in a largely undeveloped, agricultural area. We are grateful that the Civil War Trust recognizes and supports our efforts,” said North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Linda Carlisle. “We are preserving history and open space, while simultaneously enhancing economic activity in the area with tens of thousands of visitors and an economic impact of nearly $7 million for Johnston County annually.”


Each of the nine properties covered by the grant is adjacent to previously preserved properties, allowing this project to augment and enhance the preservation legacy at Bentonville. With the assistance of the North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund, in particular, the Civil War Trust has been able to acquire historically significant battlefield land associated with the First, Second and Third Days of the battle. Today, a total of 1,435 acres have been permanently protected at Bentonville, much of it through partnerships between the Civil War Trust, Bentonville Battleground Historical Association, the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site and the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.


With its proximity to Interstates 95 and 40, Bentonville has long been eyed by preservationists as a site potentially vulnerable to development. Today, Johnston and Wayne counties continue to experience long-term development pressure that is threatening the remaining rural landscape in the vicinity of Bentonville. This project will preserve open green space as well as the remnants of a battlefield that, in the words of the federal Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, had “a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war.” This combination of historic significance and pending threat, earned Bentonville a Priority I, Class A ranking in that congressionally-authorized report, the highest possible designation.


The Battle of Bentonville, fought in Johnson County in March 19–21, 1865, is often referred to as the Confederate army’s “last stand in the Carolinas.” This defeat, coupled with the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia a few weeks later, prompted Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to surrender his command on April 26. Fighting raged over more than 6,000 acres during the largest engagement to take place in the Tar Heel State and 4,500 men fell as casualties.

The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its goal is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War sites and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. To date, the Trust has preserved more than 32,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states, including 1,1919 acres in North Carolina. Please visit the Trust’s website at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.

Bentonville Battlefield Offers Rare After Dark Hospital Tour

FOUR OAKS - On Saturday, March 17, visitors to the Bentonville Battlefield "War So Terrible" Civil War medical program will have a rare after dark tour of the hospital with re-enactors for a $5 fee. Tickets are limited and will be available the day of the program. Parental discretion is advised.

During the evening living history program, the Harper House will be transformed to look as it did the first night of the Battle of Bentonville on March 19, 1865. Tour guides will lead civilians on a historical journey by candlelight on a search for loved ones injured in battle. Visitors will witness re-enactors as surgeons and medical personnel performing amputations and providing other medical care, and also see wounded soldiers awaiting treatment.

 

 

The evening tours are part of Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site's Civil War March 17-18 medical program that compares Civil War medical care to 21^st century care. A surgical company from the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps and medical units from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army will demonstrate current techniques used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The day time activities on March 17-18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., include musket and artillery demonstrations, and are free. Concessions will be available from the Bentonville Fire Department.

On March 17 at 1:30 p.m., research historian Ansley Wegner will give a presentation on her book, "Phantom Pain," about the hardships endured by Civil War amputees and North Carolina's artificial limb program for veterans, the first in the South.

The Battle of Bentonville was fought March 19-21, 1865, and was the last Confederate offensive against Union Gen. William T. Sherman. During the three day seize, 80,000 combatants fought across 6,000 acres. Approximately 4,200 casualties resulted.

In addition to the battlefield, the home of John and Amy Harper was converted into a field hospital by the Union Army. The home stands today and is furnished as a Civil War field hospital. The site also includes a reconstructed kitchen and slave quarters.

"this company is the worst Co. to swear and gamble..."

Lately, I've been slowly reading through Rable's God's Almost Chosen Peoples: A Religious History of the American Civil War. I came across an interesting passage the other day. Rable writes on page 90: "During the first two years of the war, soldier attendance at often infrequent religious services remained shockingly low." As many of you know, I've studied two regiments in details (and read about others). The war was already over a year old when the 58th North Carolina Troops was mustered into service (July 29, 1862). They went the next year without a chaplain. In late 1862, while stationed at Cumberland Gap, William Horton (Company I) wrote to his sister that “this company is the worst Co to swear and gambel you ever seen in your life. They play Cards day and night…” Interestingly enough, their chaplain, John W. Rabey, was listed as a deserter of the 26th North Carolina Troops when he was appointed chaplain of the 58th North Carolina Troops.

In stark contrast to the 58th NCT, and to Rable's statement, is the 37th North Carolina Troops. Albert L. Stough was a Baptist minister and was appointed on November 20, 1861, the same day the regiment was organized. Stough was "zealously engaged in the cause, [and] his labors were greatly blessed." Stough reported in the Biblical Reporter in February 1862 that the "religious interest in the 37th regiment was " very strong and attentive."  Stough asked for more "religious reading matter…  " and praised the work being made to circulate "Bibles among…" the soldiers.  “ The enterprise is glorious in its orgins…" he wrote, and thought that "the interest of our country, the happiness of our families, the preservation of pure religion, requires alike our exertions in supplying the destitute with the Gospel of the Son of God."  He closed his letter with "Pray for us.  Pray for our unfortunate nation, that we may have a speedy and honorable peace."

The interest regarding religion in the 37th North Carolina Troops went unabated through much of the war, while the lack of interest maintained itself in the 58th North Carolina Troops.  This leads to a few questions that I can’t answer right now: Did this level of interest have something to do with when the regiments were formed? The 37th North Carolina was formed of men in the second wave of enlistment in late 1861, and the 58th North Carolina was largely made up of men forced to voluntarily enlist because of conscription in 1862. Did it have something to do with place? Probably not - since sixty percent of the 37th North Carolina came from the same counties as the 58th North Carolina. Did it have something to do with class? That would be hard to answer. Was the Army of Northern Virginia more religious than the Army of Tennessee?  Well, that's a good question. I look forward to working out these questions as I work on more regimental histories. 

"From Slavery to Freedom in the North Carolina Piedmont"

Johnson C. Smith University is excited to host a one-day conference titled "From Slavery to Freedom in the North Carolina Piedmont." The conference will take place on Friday, March 30, 2012 on the JSCU campus in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.

The conference will showcase discussions of both slavery and freedom in North Carolina before and after the Civil War by scholars, students, archivists, as well as local historians. 

Between panels, Dr. John David Smith will give the keynote address at the luncheon. John David Smith is the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the author of several important works in Southern history including An Old Creed for the New South: Proslavery Ideology and Historiography,
1865-1918 (2008) and the forthcoming Seeing the New South: Race and Place in the Photographs of Ulrich B. Phillips. 

The conference is free and open to the public. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided; RSVPs are required. 

Please RSVP to Dr. Brian Madison Jones at bjones@jcsu.edu or call 704-378-1165. 

Update: Civil War Charlotte

Folks - sorry for the lack of posts this month. If you've followed along for any length of time, you've noticed that when I get close to the end of a project, I get really focused. I am happy to report that I've finished writing Civil War Charlotte, and I'm a little over half way through my first read-through. So far so good-- the book goes where no historian has been before. More details will follow soon, and I'll be back to posting regularly soon....

Libraries in Kinston, Marion Honor “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory” with Statewide Civil War Photography Exhibits March 2-29

RALEIGH – Since the beginning of the Civil War (1861-1865) 150 years have passed, but its widespread impact and defining characteristics remain vivid. These can especially be seen and the state’s war experience is illustrated in theFreedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit (www.nccivilwar150.com). The exhibit will be hosted simultaneously by the Neuse Regional Library in Kinston and the McDowell County Public Library in Marion from March 2-29, honoring North Carolinians in the Civil War with a variety of images.

“The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography,” explains Dr. Jeffrey Crow, Deputy Secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. “TheFreedom, Sacrifice, Memory exhibit provides images of historic figures, artifacts, and documents that brought the reality of the war from the battlefront to the home front, then and now.”

The exhibit will travel the state from April 2011 through May 2013, visiting 50 libraries and four museums with its showcase of 24 images. The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncculture.com) commemorates the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War with images gathered from the State Archives (www.archives.ncdcr.gov), the N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org) and State Historic Sites (www.nchistoricsites.org). A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further information and seeking viewer comments.

Among the various pictures is an image of a mourning ring crafted by a North Carolina Confederate soldier and made out of a type of easily carved rubber called guttapercha, containing mother of pearl and gold inlay. Mourning rings were used to buy various items in prison like socks and were also fashionably worn by Southern women as a symbol for loved ones fighting or fallen in the war.

For more information on the exhibit, call the Neuse Regional Library at (252) 527-7066 or the McDowell County Public Library at (828) 652-3858. Contact the Department of Cultural Resources at (919) 807-7389 for tour information.

"Mr. Vance, Again"

Of all of North Carolina political figures, none rarely rank above Zebulon B. Vance. This US Congressman, Governor, and US Senator, who led North Carolina through the war years, was revered by many after the war. He is still highly esteemed today, and a bronze likeness of the governor is one of two North Carolinians in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol.

But, Vance was not always so highly esteemed. He opposed secession in the early days of the war, a position that won him few friends. This piece gives us a glimpse inside how many people felt about Vance in 1861. It come from the Western Democrat, January 29, 1861:

Mr. Vance, Again - We stated some weeks ago that Mr. Vance, the member of Congress from the Mountain District, was franking Andrew Johnson's coercion speech into this state. We are informed that Mr. Vance says he sent but one copy into the State, and that was to a gentlemen who requested it. We make this statement simply because we desire that no erroneous charge shall go out in our paper uncorrected, and not because we consider the gentlemen too patriotic to do as we charged if he thought he could increase his chances for promotion thereby. He belongs to the small-fry, monkey-acting, Jim Crow class of politicians anyhow. He voted for the motion of a Black Republican to lay on the table an anti-coercion resolution offered by Mr. Pryor of VA--A man who would do that will bear watching.

Bentonville Battlefield's Medical Program Compares 19th Century

FOUR OAKS - Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site will present a weekend program, March 17-18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., demonstrating the trauma of wartime injury. The free program entitled "War So Terrible" will offer numerous medical care comparisons of the death and injury surrounding the Civil War to what is now experienced on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

 

 

 

Modern day military representatives will be on hand throughout the weekend, along with with numerous historic site staff and Civil War re-enactors, to answer questions and showcase the advances in combat medicine. Sailors and marines from the 2^nd Medical Battalion of Camp Lejeune, airmen from the 43^rd Aero-medical Evacuation Squadron, and soldiers from the 3274^th U.S. Army Hospital at Fort Bragg will be available .

An additional program on the evening of March 17, 7-10 p.m., will graphically reflect the hospital care one might experience during the Civil War era. Discretion is advised for younger guests, and the cost to attend is $5.

During the 1860s, the Civil War happened as weaponry was becoming more accurate and deadly. Unfortunately, the advancement of medical care was not as successful. A dose of chloroform, a shot of whisky, and a likely amputation were standard treatment for the wounded. In fact, during the Civil War limbs were frequently shattered by bullets and artillery projectiles, resulting in 75% of all surgeries being amputations.

To further present the hardships of a Civil War amputee, research historian Ansley Wegner will give a Saturday presentation based on her book,"Phantom Pain" The book examines in detail North Carolina's implementation of an artificial limb program, the first in the South. Visitors will be able to view a Civil War era wooden leg on permanent display at the Bentonville Battlefield Visitor Center.

The Battle of Bentonville was fought March 19-21, 1865 and was the last Confederate offensive against Union Gen. William T. Sherman. During the three day seize, 80,000 combatants fought across 6,000 acres. Approximately 4,200 casualties resulted.

In addition to the battlefield, the home of John and Amy Harper was converted into a field hospital by the Union Army. The home stands today and is furnished as a Civil War field hospital. The site also includes a reconstructed kitchen and slave quarters.

Tar Heel Tars in the famous duel between the Monitor and the Virginia.

One of the sections of the new Civil War Charlotte book includes vignettes of several of the soldiers from the greater Charlotte area. A story that I've uncovered recently that will be one of these vignettes is the tale of  three Tar Heels from Mecklenburg who served on the CSS Virginia.

Most of you know the story of the USS Merrimack/CSS Virginia, so I won't go into minute details of the destruction of the Merrimack and the building of the Virginia. We will pick up the story with the Virginia just about finished, and in need of a crew. J. Thomas Scharf, writing in the 1880s in his History of the Confederate States Navy, gives us this information: "There had been no merchant marine at the South to supply experienced sailors and but few of the sailors of the U. S. Navy were in Southern ports when the rupture of the Union occurred. To meet  that pressing exigency, Leiut. Wood visited Gen. Magruder's army at Yorktown..." (156) Scharf goes on to tell us that a large group of sailors in a regiment from New Orleans were recruited to crew the new ship.

But the Louisianans were not the only crew members. There were men from Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina, along with a handful of North Carolinians. There were eight men from the 14th North Carolina State Troops. The 14th NCST was in the Yorktown area, and all of these transfers took place mid-February 1862. Among those who transferred were:

William Craig, a 23-year-old shoemaker from Buncombe County (Company F)

Elijah W. Flake, a 21-year-old farmer from Anson County (Company C)

Howell Harrison, a 21-year-old hireling from Wake County (Company E)

William Little, a 21-year-old laborer from Wake County (Company K)

James A. Puttick (or James A. Patrick), a 19-year-old printer from Wake County (Company K)

William R. Powers, a 21-year-old farmer from Buncombe County (Company F)

Alfred A. Stroup, a 23-year-old farmer from Cleveland County (Company D)

Samuel W. Smith, a 24-year-old farmer from Wake County (Company K)

The navy recruiter also visited the 13th North Carolina State Troops, also in the area at the time. From the ranks of the 13th NCST, the recruiter pulled the following men, also in mid-February 1862:

John C. Baker, a 22-year-old farmer from Mecklenburg County (Company B)

Jacob Brown, a 22-year-old laborer from Rockingham County (Company H)

James C. Davis (or Josiah C. Davis), a 24-year-old Mecklenburg County farmer (Company B)

Brice Harrelson, a 31-year-old Caswell County merchant (Company A)

Joseph Hedgepeth, a 19-year-old farmer from Edgecombe County (Company G)

Seth A. Hotchkiss, a 19-year-old farmer from South Carolina (who enlisted in Mecklenburg) (Company B)

Henry F. Johnston, a 18-year-old farmer from South Carolina (who enlisted in Mecklenburg) (Company B)

William W. Lyon, a 26-year-old carpenter from Rockingham County (Company A)

Richard A. Mitchell, a 26-year-old laborer from Alamance County (Company E)

William M. Price, a 25-year-old carpenter or cabinetmaker from Edgecombe County (Company G)

James M. Sheffield, a 35-year-old "tobacco mcf" from Mecklenburg County (Company B)

William H. Ward, a 21-year-old laborer from Alamance County (Company E)

Levin H. Wood, a 28-year-old grocer from Caswell County (Company A)

Sidney R. Wright, a 26-year-old painter or carpenter from Caswell County (Company D)

In looking over these men, they were mostly young, but not many of their occupations, like that of a farmer, grocer, or tobacco merchant, seem to strike me as the material sought after for a sailor.

Finding out what happened to these men after their famous duel with the USS Monitor is a challenge. James Sheffield survived the war, and died at the North Carolina Confederate soldiers home in Raleigh. Information regarding other men is equally scarce. But there you have, 22 men, Tar Heel tars, members of the crew that fought the famous battle in Hampton Roads on March

What's wrong with this picture?

If you were to Google "Travel Charlotte," the second link you find is a wikitravel blurb, a portion of which reads:

Civil war

Thankfully, Charlotte was mostly spared the wide-scale destruction of the Civil War. The city contributed troops to the Confederate effort, many of whom are buried in the Confederate graveyard at modern-day Elmwood Cemetery. Curiously, landlocked Charlotte briefly became the home to the Confederate Naval Yard near the end of the war, as a result of its railroad connections. Also, the city was host to the final full meeting of the Confederate Cabinet, and Jefferson Davis was standing on Tryon St when informed of Lincoln's assassination (Davis' widow later retired to Charlotte). Generally, though, Charlotte was fortunate to play a relatively minor role in the devastating conflict. Its main casualty was the loss of the Mint, which was shut down for obvious reasons by the Union government.

 Ok, let's pick this apart.

The city contributed troops to the Confederate effort, many of whom are buried in the Confederate graveyard at modern-day Elmwood Cemetery

While there are many Confederates buried in the Confederate section at Elmwood Cemetery, very few of them came from Charlotte. Most of those interred there were originally buried near the Wayside hospital, and come from other parts of North Carolina, and from other states.

Curiously, landlocked Charlotte briefly became the home to the Confederate Naval Yard near the end of the war, as a result of its railroad connections.

Charlotte became the Confederate Naval Yard in 1862, not near the end of the war. At least the info on the railroad connections is right.

Also, the city was host to the final full meeting of the Confederate Cabinet, and Jefferson Davis was standing on Tryon St when informed of Lincoln's assassination (Davis' widow later retired to Charlotte).

Ok, that's true, until you get to part about Davis's widow retiring to Charlotte. Never happened. Stonewall Jackson's widow did move to Charlotte, twice, but not Davis's.

 Generally, though, Charlotte was fortunate to play a relatively minor role in the devastating conflict.

Not really true. Charlotte was the site of the Confederate Naval yard, a major component to the War effort. There were the acid works, medical laboratory, warehouses of war materials, the gunpowder manufacturing facility, the hospital, and for a short time at the end of the War, a prison. Then, once you add the railroad, well, Charlotte was a pretty important part of Confederate War effort.

 Its main casualty was the loss of the Mint, which was shut down for obvious reasons by the Union government.

The Mint was captured by the Confederates in 1861. It was reopened after the end of the war by the Federal government, but not in its original capacity. I guess this could almost be true.

 Ok - I know some of you are saying "But we expect this from Wiki-related products". True. We do. However, most people, especially school-aged children, take anything Wiki related as gospel.

Thoughts?

“A Spelling Book in One Hand, a Musket in the Other: African Americans in Civil War North Carolina”

Join us at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 3:00 PM, when Dr. Jeffrey Crow, Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, will offer a presentation on African Americans in North Carolina during the Civil War. More than 300,000 African Americans were in the state by 1860. Existing laws precluded slaves from learning to read, and more stringent restrictions were put in place during the Antebellum period. The Civil War and Union occupation were the avenue for freedom. Enslaved people escaped to Union forces and picked up arms for their rights and liberty. As an award-winning author, Crow has published “The Black Experience in Revolutionary North Carolina” and “A History of African Americans in North Carolina.” Join the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort for its Civil War Lecture Series the second Saturday of each month at 3 p.m. Discover a variety of topics by gifted authors and historians from around the state as they commemorate the Civil War. All lectures are FREE.

On the road...

Friends - I'll be on the road the next few days. Thankfully, the weather is really lovelyright now. Everyone thinks that we'll pay for this nice winter weather later. I like to think that this is the payback for the horrible past couple of years!

Thursday, February 2, 2012 - Watauga Historical Association -

Tipton Haynes Historical Site, Johnston City, TN

Saturday, February 4, 2012 - Lee-Jackson Banquet

General Morgan Inn, Greenville, TN

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - Caldwell County and the Civil War

Caldwell County Public Library, Lenoir, NC

From the Mail Bag...

Friends, I thought I would share a response to a recent post I made. The post was from "Scarlett"; she wrote:

I think it's interesting that you call yourself a historian yet you refer to the American Civil War as the War for Southern Independence. At least you didn't opt for the classic, yet equally subjective, "War of Northern Aggression." Kudos.

Historians don't deny that African Americans "served" (and I'm using that term loosely) in the Confederate Army as physical laborers, cooks, or even soldiers. However, they do recognize that African Americans were were often threatened or coerced into serving in these roles. Historian Bruce Levine claims that “many of those who today make the Black-Confederate cause their own do so as part of a larger effort to vindicate the Confederacy and to honor their own southern ancestors…The claim of a massive black presence in southern armies is meant to accomplish something else as well: to demonstrate once and for all that the Confederacy did not stand and did not fight for slavery.” Could this be what you're doing, Mr. Hardy?

Try again to convince me that a people who were enslaved - who were the PROPERTY of another living person - fought in DROVES for a government that, at that time, didn't even consider them human. Did an African American ever willingly fight for the Confederacy - probably (it would be foolish to say no). But it is equally foolish to say they were a common occurrence.

First, thanks for the post, Scarlett. If you had read a little more deeply on this blog, you would discover that I have never believed (much less written) that there were “droves”—a dehumanizing, livestock-oriented, term in itself, mind you—of blacks (slave and free) who took up arms and marched under the Southern banner during the war.  That being said, after 29 years or research and reading,  I cannot deny that there were some, a few, who did so. My title for the blog post was aimed at those who ignore these documented individuals and steadfastly believe that there were absolutely none (and yes, there are “historians” who actually do believe this). To completely deny that there were a few blacks (slave and free) who voluntarily took up arms and fought is simply ignoring historical facts and denying these people their individuality and complexity as human beings.

You obviously have some predetermined agenda to suggest that I might deny that the war was fought over slavery... once again you have failed to read at any great depth into my many books and articles. Certainly, the institution of slavery played a great part in the discussion. The South was concerned that if Congress could limit or abolish slavery, then other rights and laws guaranteed by the Constitution would fall victim to the radical, or better termed liberal, politicians.  The North, under the battle cry of "the Union must be preserved" also fought to preserve the institution of slavery. How else could the burgeoning industrial revolution in the Northern States survive without the slave-picked Southern cotton? (Of course, it did survive, largely due a new exploitable workforce of freedmen and immigrants, but the Northern industrialists did not know that in 1861.) So, in 1861, North and South both went to war to preserve the institution of slavery.

It would appear that you aim to classify me as a neo-Confederate. Alas, others have tried launching those slings and arrows, falling victim to the temptation to thus stereotype any historian who does not unconditionally vilify the Confederacy and praise the Union. It is simply my intent to be fair and honest, unbiased in my quest to truly understand and to help others understand one of the defining points of American History. I'm sure that there are many who would agree with my intent.

Lastly - if you would conduct a little thoughtful research into the time period, specifically into what Southerners wrote in the 1860s (and not merely the writings of modern academics), you might understand the reference to "War for Southern Independence." That is how Southerners in 1861 defined the conflict they were fighting. The Southern States desired an independent nation, and, like their fathers and grandfathers, resorted to a revolution, albeit a failed one, to obtain a nation based upon the ideals of the founding fathers. 

Civil War events in Caldwell County

During the month of February, the Lenoir branch of the Caldwell County Public Library and the Caldwell Heritage Museum will join together with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources to display a series of Civil War photographs at the Lenoir Branch of the library. Entitled “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory,” the exhibit is traveling the state through spring 2013 as part of the 150^th anniversary commemoration of the Civil War.

The photos will be on exhibit during the library’s regular hours from February 1 through Feb. 29.

In addition to the photo exhibit, two programs, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, are being presented. Both of the programs are free to the public.

February 7, 2012 – 7 p.m.

Michael Hardy will be speaking on Caldwell County’s role in the Civil War, based on his latest book, “North Carolina in the Civil Warm,” which was released in July 2010. The program will be on the main floor of the library.

February 21, 2012 – 7 p.m.

Kay and Patrick Crouch American Folk Music will present a program of Civil War era music on guitar, banjo, fiddle, flute, whistle, vocal, bugle, and percussion. They will concentrate of music relevant to the Western North Carolina mountain folk. The program will be in Room 6 on the Library’s lower level.

So I was humming along yesterday, reading through the applications sent by Mecklenburg County citizens after the war to President Johnson, asking for presidential pardon, when I found something really interesting.  On May 27, 1865, Johnston extended pardon to all former Confederates unless they fell into one of fourteen classes of citizens. Most of you are probably familiar with these classes. They included those who held the rank of colonel or above, those who held appointed or elected posta, like tax collector or post master. And then there are those who had $20,000.00 or more in property/real estate in 1860. There are 39 folks from Mecklenburg County who applied for a pardon. One was an army officer (D. H. Hill), fifteen worked for the postal department, and twenty-five fell under the $20,000 or more class.

As I am working my way through the list, going over each file, low and behold, I find an application for Mrs. Margaret M. Withers. I'll confess early: I don't recall ever coming across in my research a woman applying for a presidential pardon. So, I did some digging. Out of15,000 (or so) requests for pardons received by President Johnson from Southerners, only 389 were from women. Of that 389, only twenty-one were from North Carolina.  I'm not sure who the other twenty were, but I find the case of Withers intriguing.

Withers applied under the $20,000 or more section. She stated that her husband, Samuel M. Withers, enlisted in 1863 and died in 1864. I have not found his regiment, yet. She was asking Johnston for a "special pardon with restoration of rights of property in behalf of herself and infant children."

The author of an article I found on the subject ("Not Intended to Dispossess Females: Southern Women and Civil War Amnesty" by Bradley R. Clampitt) believes that women were afraid that their property would be confiscated at the end of the war, divided up, and given to African-Americans. I find all of this very interesting. Have you come across this? Drop me a line and let me know.