Anson and Granville County Libraries Honor “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory” With Civil War Photography Exhibits Dec. 1-29

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 in North Carolina as illustrated by the“Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit” (www.nccivilwar150.com). The exhibit will be hosted by the Hampton B. Allen Library in Wadesboro and the Granville County Library in Oxford from Dec. 1-29, honoring North Carolinians in the Civil War with a variety of images.

 

“The Civil War occurred when photography was just becoming popular and became the first conflict to be widely recorded in this manner,” explains N.C. State Historic Sites Division Director Keith Hardison. “Battlefield images fascinated the public and acquainted them, in a dramatic way, with the horrors of war. The ‘Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory’exhibit presents images that compare and contrast the conditions of war, 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.ncdcr.gov) 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.

 

One of the images, “Opposing Lines – Battle of Bentonville,” shows Confederate forces advancing on Union troops in Johnston County. The original battle occurred March 19-21, 1865, and was the largest engagement to take place in North Carolina. It was the last Confederate offensive action of the war, but the greatly outnumbered Confederates lost the three-day battle.

 

For exhibit information call the Anson library at (704) 694-5177 or the Granville library at (919) 693-1121. Contact the Department of Cultural Resources at (919) 807-7389 for tour information.

Laboring for the Confederacy

A couple of weeks ago, I posted information on a member of the 40th United States Colored Troops who is buried in the Hardin Cemetery in Avery County. There is another interesting grave at this cemetery. It is the grave of Peter Hardin. There are not a lot of "facts" concerning the life of Peter Hardin. It seems that Hardin was a slave, possibly park Creek Indian. He was owned by Jordan Council Hardin, the same man who ran the Cranberry Iron Works for the Confederacy. As the local story goes, Peter Hardin would take a load of iron-ore down the mountain to Morganton once a month. The Iron-ore was then taken by train to some facility (possibly Salisbury or Charlotte) to be turned into munitions of war for the Southern war effort. Once the war ended and the 13th Amendment   was adopted in December 1865, Hardin continued to live in Cranberry and work at the Cranberry Iron Mines. The cemetery where he is buried is named for him.

A Look Around the Old North State

Once again, it has been too long since I did this. But here it goes, a look around the different news sources for stories connected to North Carolina and the War.

 

USA Today reported a few days ago that the Haywood County Commissioners are moving to limit the display of the Confederate flag on courthouse lawns to one day a year - Confederate Memorial Day. You can read more here.

 

An interesting, though not quite factual article from Ireland about North Carolina and the War can be found here.

 

The Amarillo  Globe News reports that the last son of a Confederate soldiers in Texas has died. The soldier had served in the 29th North Carolina Troops. Click here to check out the story.

 

Part two of a three part exhibit on North Carolina and the War recently opened at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. You can learn more here.

See you in a week.

Folks - I'm taking this week off from blogging. I hope you and your family have a good Thanksgiving. And I am thankful, thankful that you show up to read these humble thoughts of mine.

See you in a week with some more Looking for North Carolina's Civil War.

Second Part of Civil War Exhibit Series Opens

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in North Carolina, the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh is presenting a three-part exhibit series titled North Carolina and the Civil War: 1861-1865. The series explores the four-year conflict that changed the state and nation. It also tells the story of North Carolinians who lived, served and sacrificed during the nation's bloodiest conflict. The exhibit is located within the museum's larger military history gallery A Call to Arms. Admission is free.


Part two of the series, North Carolina and the Civil War: The Raging Storm, 1863, opened Nov. 4 and will run through Oct. 27, 2013. The Raging Storm, 1863 focuses on a tumultuous year marked with intense battles and devastating loss of life. More than 10,000 Tar Heel soldiers were killed or wounded or died from disease in 1863. Exhibit artifacts include Civil War handguns, battle flags and uniforms, as well as surgical instruments used for amputations.


The Raging Storm, 1863 includes some artifacts that have never been exhibited or have not been on view for many years.


Weapons of War: Civil War Pistols and Revolvers showcases 23 handguns ranging from an M1851 .36-caliber Colt navy five-shot percussion revolver to a Belgian-made .40-caliber single-shot muzzle-loading percussion pocket pistol.


A Year of Carnage covers the Chancellorsville campaign, fought from April 27 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Va., where 3,000 North Carolina soldiers were injured or killed. Featured is a battle flag carried by the 18th Regiment North Carolina Troops, which accidentally shot Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson on May 2, 1863.


The last exhibit section, Gettysburg, tells the story of the 7,000 North Carolinians killed, wounded or captured at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania from July 1 to 3, 1863. Among the artifacts from the battle are several battle flags, including that of the 26th Regiment North Carolina Troops captured by Union troops during the Confederate attack on Cemetery Ridge on July 3. The flag is on loan from the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va.


The third part of North Carolina and the Civil War: 1861-1865, debuting in 2014, will highlight the last engagements of 1864-1865 and postwar consequences.


The exhibit series is part of the N.C. Civil War Sesquicentennial, a statewide initiative organized by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in North Carolina. For more information go to www.nccivilwar150.com

Henry Wyatt

Henry Wyatt was the Southern first hero in a long war. Wyatt was a Virginia native, but was living in Edgecombe County when the war broke out. The 19-year-old Wyatt volunteered to serve in Company A, 1st North Carolina Volunteers. On June 10, 1861, he was killed at the battle of Big Bethel Church, Virginia. Wyatt was heralded as a hero and given a hero’s burial in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. His tombstone reads "In Memory of the First Confederate Soldier Who Was Killed in Action..."

There are other monuments to Wyatt - one marks the spot where he was struck down, and another graces the grounds of Union Square in Raleigh.

I took this photo in May 2006.

Turner Chambers - 40th United States Colored Troops

For years, I've known about the grave of the Rev. Turner Chambers. He is buried at the Peter Harding Cemetery in Avery County, not far from the Tennessee state line. This past Sunday, I actually found the cemetery and crawled through the woods, visiting the grave of Chambers.

We don't know much about Turner Chambers. Local history has it he was born a slave, but to whom he belonged remains a mystery. According to his tombstone, he was born March 29, 1848. Chambers, according to his compiled service record from the National Archives, was just 18 years old when he enlisted in Company I, 40th United States Colored Troops. He stated that he was born in Iredell County, North Carolina. Chambers enlisted on April 26, 1865, in Greeneville, Tennessee, and gave his occupation as that of a farmer. For most of his enlistment, he was reported present for duty, although at times, he was sick and in the hospital in Huntsville, Alabama. On April 26, 1866, Private Chambers was honorably discharged from the Union army. The only other piece that his records provides is that Chambers was illiterate when he enlisted.

I was able to follow Chambers on the census following the war. He is listed as living in the Toe River Township in Mitchell County in 1860. He is living with the A. D. Childs families, and working as a farm laborer. The next listing on the census is for Isaac Avery, also a member of the United State Colored Troops.  Chambers seemingly does not appear on the 1880 census, nor the 1890 veterans census for Mitchell County. In 1900 and 1910, he is listed as living in the Cranberry Township of Mitchell County. His occupation is that of a preacher. Chambers died on May 24, 1913.

I took this photo in November 2012. The cemetery is badly overgrown. His gravestone is the one on the left.

Appomattox

It must have been a long walk for the Tar Heel soldiers. An unknown North Carolina soldier wrote: "Blow Gabriel blow! My God, let him blow; I am ready to die!"

According to Nine and Wilson's The Appomattox Paroles, there were 4,871 Tar Heel soldiers paroled at Appomattox.

It must have been a long walk....

I took this photo in September 2006.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Bentonville

In March 1865, recently re-appointed Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston planned one more final assault.  The Union army under Gen. William T. Sherman had split his army, and the two wings were a day apart. If Johnston could move quickly, he might be able to overpower his adversary. We all know that while Johnston's attack met with some success, he was unable to complete his mission, and the Federals brought in reinforcements. The Confederates were forced to withdraw.

There were numerous Tar Heel regiments under Johnston's command. They included:

1st North Carolina Battalion Heavy Artillery

8th North Carolina Troops

10th North Carolina Battalion

13th Battalion North Carolina Light Artillery

17th North Carolina Troops

20th Battalion North Carolina Junior Reserves

31st North Carolina Troops

36th North Carolina Troops

40th North Carolina Troops

42nd North Carolina Troops

50th North Carolina Troops

51st North Carolina Troops

58th North Carolina Troops

60th North Carolina Troops

61st North Carolina Troops

66th North Carolina Troops

70th North Carolina Troops (1st North Carolina Junior Reserves)

71st North Carolina Troops (2nd North Carolina Junior Reserves)

72nd North Carolina Troops (3rd North Carolina Junior Reserves)

77th North Carolina Troops (7th Senior Reserves)

Adam's Battery

Confederate losses for the battle totaled 2,606.

I took this photo of the Confederate monument at Bentonville in September 2006.

Looking for NC's Civil War: The Fayetteville Arsenal

The United States Arsenal in Fayetteville was constructed in 1838. "The cornerstone for the Arsenal was laid April 9, 1838. It was constructed of brick and stone and at each of the four corners of its massive walls was an octagonal tower. Entry into the Arsenal was controlled by use of massive iron gates, workshops, quarters and other buildings in the Arsenal were constructed of brick and wood."

Governor Ellis ordered the arsenal to be seized in 1861. In October 1861, equipment used to manufacture rifles was shipped from the captured Arsenal at Harper's Ferry to Fayetteville and manufacture of the Fayetteville rifle began soon thereafter. At peak production, 500 rifles were made per month, along with swords, bayonets, and other munitions.  The facility employed both men and women during the war.

As General Sherman approached in 1865, the rifle manufacturing machinery was shipped from Fayetteville and hidden in the Egypt, North Carolina, coal mines. Sherman ordered the arsenal destroyed and his soldiered reportedly used railroad rails to batter down the walls. The remains were later set on fire, and artillery projectiles within exploded and caused additional damage.

The footers of the building are all that remain. I took this photo in October 2009.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Willoughby's Run

I know that I've posted on the 26th NCT at Gettysburg, but on a recent trip to the 'burg, I got this good photo of Willoughby's Run.

Once again, instead of my telling you about it, I'll let them tell you about. This letter appeared in the Semi-Weekly Register (Raleigh) on July 22, 1863. It was written by Capt. J. J. Young, Quartermaster of the 26th NCT and he described the fighting that took place in this area. The whole letter appears in my book, North Carolina Remembers Gettysburg.

 

Near Gettysburg, Pa.,

July 3, 1863

      “I feel it my duty to communicate the painful and melancholy intelligence to you of the death of Col. H. K. Burgwyn, who was killed nobly fighting for his country, July 1^st, 1863. He was shot through both lungs and died an easy death. I have buried him as well as possible under a walnut tree leading from Gettysburg to Chambersburg, about two miles from the former place. His loss is great—more than any of us can imagine—to his country. To me it is almost stunning, and to the whole Regiment...     Poor Kincaid (his servant) takes it bitterly.—the Colonel, Lieut. Col. Lane, Captain McGreesy and eight others were shot down (in succession) with our colors in hand... The Regiment went in 800 strong and came out the first day 250...  The fighting yesterday and to-day has been terrible, and will continue to morrow, I suppose.

I took this image in October 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War: the 29th NCT at Murfreesboro

Some battlefields, like Gettysburg or Fort Fisher, I visit on a regular or at least annual schedule. Murfreesboro is not one of them. My first visit came in 1993 or 1994. A second visit came in October 2012. I stopped for the purpose of photographing the different spots that are associated with North Carolina regiments. There were three of them involved in the battle: the 29th NCT, 39th NCT, and 60th NCT.

Here are the words of Robert B. Vance, then colonel of the 29th NCT, and later brigadier general:

   In the heat of the fire, Private David Patton, of the "Buncombe Life Guards," was killed by a shell which took his head off, and it [his head] lodged in the fork of a small tree.

   While the regiment was in camp at Versailles, Ky., the Colonel of the Twenty-ninth got his meals at the house of Colonel Cotton, of the Sixth Kentucky (US). Mrs. Cotton was very bright and said she would make her colonel shoot ours if they met. Our colonel said: "We will shoot high on your account," but sadly enough, he was killed in front of our lines on the field of Murfreesboro or Stone's river.

   After the fire had slackened on 31 December, 1862, our men saw a Federal Lieutenant-Colonel between the lines, seemingly fearfully wounded. At the risk of their lives our people formed a squad and went after him. The balls fell around them, but not one was struck.

 

I took this photo, over ground where the 29th NCT charged on December 31, 1862, in October 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Zebulon Baird Vance Monument

There are many monuments to Zebulon Baird Vance, North Carolina's War-time governor. The large one in Pack Square (which our friends in the 26th NCT Reactivated are raising funds to restore); a more modest one in Charlotte, where Vance lived after the war; the nice one on the grounds of the state-capital in Raleigh; and in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. But the one we are going to discuss briefly today is very small, and up until about a month ago, I did not know it even existed.

Back in August, I was speaking and signing books at the Zebulon Baird Vance Birthplace in Buncombe County. During a down time, I was wandering the grounds of the site, camera in hand, when I stumbled across this little marker at the foot of a flag pole. It simply reads

Zebulon Baird Vance

1830-1894

Colonel 26th Regiment, C.S.A.

N.C. Governor, U.S. Senator

Asheville Chapter, U.D.C.

Fannie Patton Chapter, U.D.C.

May 2, 1969.

 

I took this image in August 2012

Warren County Memorial Library To Display Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit in November

RALEIGH – Determination, commitment and pride are among many characteristics of North Carolinians depicted in the “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit” (www.nccivilwar150.com).The exhibit commemorates the state’s role in the Civil War (1861-1865), a defining period in United States history. It will be shown at the Warren County Memorial Library in Warrenton Nov. 1-28.

 

“The Civil War occurred when photography was just becoming popular so was the first conflict to be widely recorded in this manner,” explains N.C. State Historic Sites Division Director Keith Hardison. “Battlefield images fascinated the public and acquainted them, in a dramatic way, with the horrors of war. The ‘Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory’exhibit presents images that compare and contrast the conditions of war, then and now.”

 

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) will illustrate valiant members of the Confederacy, African Americans fighting for freedom, and daring women dedicated to their homes. A total of 24 images will be exhibited by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncdcr.gov) in 50 libraries throughout the state from April 2011 to spring 2013. A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further information and seeking viewer comments.

 

One of the images,Civil War Dress, shows a dress in the collection of the Museum of the Cape Fear in Fayetteville. Writing in the bodice reads: Janie W. Robeson/1864/calico. In the hemline is written: Dress made in 1864 by “Combo,” wife of “Jim Dry,” the “carriage driver.” 

 

For information on the Warren County exhibit, call (252) 257-4990. For information on the tour, visitwww.nccivilwar150.com or call (919) 807-7389.

"Incomplete" actually a compliment

A couple of weeks ago, "Bert" posted a review on Amazon.com of my book Civil War Charlotte. While "Bert" meant the review as a rebuke, it was actually a compliment, and I would like to explain why.

First, he describes the book as "Incomplete." Well, every history book that has ever been written is incomplete. If they were not, we would not have 60,000+ books on the War, which includes 14,000+ books on Lincoln alone. I'm not sure why or how you could write another about Lincoln (or want to), but that is another post.  The reason that they are incomplete is that there are so many research gaps. I want to know more about the naval yard in Charlotte, but that information appears to have gone up in flames at the end of the war.

Second, "Bert" wrote that Civil War Charlotte is "a noble effort, however incomplete and lacking details of the great spirit of our people." That is not actually an exact quote. "Bert" used all caps, which is very rude, and his sentence construction and style leave much to be desired. But, the gist of what he is saying is that since I did not laud the people of Charlotte for what they did during the war, the book is not all it should be. Wow! Thanks! It was not my intent to write a history of a noble group of people fighting for a cause which remains lost. It was my intent to write an unbiased history of a place and a War. Many people will be familiar with the statement by D. H. Hill after the War that is considered the charge of the SCV. Hill said that it is our responsibility as Southerners to "see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations." That was my aim: to write a true history, one unstained by bias that seems to run rampant  through the historical literature of the day. I wanted to be fair.

Could I have talked more about the "great spirit" of the people of Charlotte? Maybe. The story of Mrs. Col. Charles C. Lee, who continued to work at the way-side hospital in Charlotte after the death of her husband in June 1862 is a picture of that noble people. Of course, I would need to be fair, you know, that "true history thing," and have written more about Lewis Bates, with whom Jefferson Davis stayed  while in Charlotte in April 1865. Bates later testified (in a highly questionable statement) that Davis was excited and rejoiced over the news of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. I don't think that Bates would fit into "Bert's" ideals of a noble people.

Several of you have paid me great compliments in the past, saying that my writing was "clean." That's what I aim for: presenting history in such a fashion that anyone can read it, and that preserves the true history of the South for future generations, not some "noble" or gilded idea of what that history should be.

By the way, if you like Civil War Charlotte, or any other of the fifteen books that I have written, please consider crafting your own review and posting it on Amazon.  After all, we'd like to see more reviews from thoughtful folks like you so that it doesn't look like everyone who read about the war is as misguided as poor "Bert."

The rest of October

Folks - I'll be out and about the rest of the month. If you are close by to any of these, stop and say hi!

October 23, Avery County and the Civil War discussion, Avery-Morrison Public Library, Newland. 6:30 pm.

October 25, Rotary, Trinity Episcopal Church, Spruce Pine, 12:00.

October 26, Zeb Vance Camp, SCV, Asheville. 7:00 pm.

October 27, Heritage Festival, Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Millington, TN. All day.

October 30, Matthews Historical Society, Matthews, NC, 7:00 pm.

Opportunities this weekend.

Lots of exciting things going on this weekend. On Saturday, October 20, I'll be participating in a Civil War living history at the Mineral Museum in Spruce Pine. This is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway (Mile Marker 331). The event will run from 10:00 until 4:00. You need to come and bring your family! It's free!

On Sunday, October 21, 2012, I'll be speaking and signing books at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library (downtown branch). Once again, everyone is invited and this event is free! We'll get started at 2:00 pm.

The not-so-little drummer boys

This past weekend, I was in Gettysburg, and I found a good deal on a used drum for living history/reenacting programs. I had a drum when I was younger, and have always regretted selling it. I have a young man here in my household who will make a good drummer boy.

But that leads to this question: were the drummers really boys? I thought I would look at the field music of three different regiments and see what could find.

The three regiments that I chose, all infantry, were the 16th, 18th, and 58th. I went through and looked for men listed as musicians.

We will start with the 16th. There were 24 men listed as musicians. Eleven of these men served in a regimental band, Only one is listed as a fifer, and I suppose (but no proof) that the others might have played other wind instruments. Out of the 24, we have the ages of 19. Their average age was 23 years, by no means, boys. The youngest was 18, and the oldest, 35.

Next, I turned my attention to the 18th regiment. I found 11 who were listed as musicians. Nine were listed as drummers. Interestingly, there were several boys who enlisted who were later discharged. Their ages were 16, 12, 14, and 15. The oldest was 32. So in the 18th Regiment, there were some boys who, for about a year, served as drummers.

Finally, I looked at the 58th NCT. In this regiment, I found twelve men who served as musicians. Six were listed as drummers, three as fifers, and three just as musicians. The youngest was 17 years old, and the oldest was 32. Of the 11 who had their ages listed, they averaged 23 years of age.

Being a musician was not always a safe position. Of the 47 boys and men I surveyed, one was listed as killed in action, three wounded, of which two died, and three who died of disease.

I wonder what kind of numbers we would have if we surveyed all of the North Carolina regiments?

The photo is of Calvin Miller, 37th NCT.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Elmwood Cemetery, Columbia, SC

There are a small number of graves in the Confederate section of Elmwood Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina, identified as being those of Tar Heel soldiers. One of those belongs to Pvt. Michael B. Herring, Company B, 50th North Carolina Troops. According to the NC Troop books (Volume 12) and his Compiled Service Record, Herring was born in Robeson County and was a blacksmith before he enlisted at the age of 34 on February 28, 1862. Around July 1, 1862, he was reported sick in the hospital in Raleigh, but later rejoined his command. In December 1862 he was reported on detailed duty as a carpenter, but appears to be back with his company from September 1863 through February 1864. Herring died of disease at a hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 31, 1865.

I took this image in May 2009.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library and Northampton County Memorial Library Host Civil War Commemorative Photography Exhibit in October

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 the “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit”(www.nccivilwar150.com) which is visiting the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library from Oct. 2-29 and the Northampton County Memorial Library in Jackson Oct. 1-26.

The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography. The “Freedom, 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.ncdcr.gov) in 50 libraries and four museums 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 African Americans, women and militiamen, including images of artifacts and official documents. One image is a political cartoon fromHarper’s Weekly magazine questioning the impact of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and pointing to continued suffering of African Americans.

The statewide tour will present various aspects of North Carolinians in the Civil War and educate viewers of each area’s participation and commitment during this tumultuous time.

For information on the commemorative tour call Cultural Resources at (919) 807-7389. For information on the exhibit call the Mecklenburg library at (704) 461-0152 or the Northampton library at (252) 524-2571.

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.