Thoughts on Ft. Fisher

A week ago, I was just getting home from the Fort Fisher event. I had meant to post some thoughts earlier, but book proofs and other things got in the way. So, here are my thoughts:

Overall, it was a fantastic event, and, I believe, a model for others to emulate. The mix of speakers and historians, the living historians and re-enactors, and various other groups, all came together to produce a great event.

We arrived on Saturday morning and got checked in, and began to scope out the area. Having been to the Ft. Fisher State Historic site on several occasions, I was familiar with the area. Talks started at 10:00 am, and I had a chance to sit in on the portions of the lectures delivered by several, including Rod Gragg and Chris Fonvielle. Pat McCory, Governor of North Carolina, spoke at the monument at Battlefield Acre shortly after 11:00 am on Saturday, followed by Ed Bearss. The battle portion of the reenactment started at 1:00 pm on Saturday with a shot from the Fort's 32-pounder. Saturday evening concluded with a lantern tour. Estimated visitor count on Saturday was placed at 12,500 folks.

Late Saturday night and into early Sunday morning, the rains blew through the area. Despite the sogginess, there were still throngs of visitors at the site. The reenactment scheduled to begin at 10:00 am was pushed back to 12:00. I spoke again at 1:30, and about 3:30, we started back toward the mountains.

As I mentioned before, it was good to see the reenactors and sutlers, the living history displays, listen to the lectures, and visit with the Friends of Ft. Fisher and the various Sons of Confederate Veterans camps set up. Kudos to the George Davis Camp, SCV. They had brought their notes and records, along with their North Carolina Troop books, and were helping people look up their Confederate ancestors. There was also a reunion during the weekend for people whose ancestors had originally served on the Confederate or Union side during the war at Ft. Fisher.

Overall, it was a fantastic event.

There are many other events coming up in the next three months, including reenactments in Wilmington and at Ft. Fisher, Averasboro, Bentonville, and the Bennett Place. I know I will be at Averasboro and the Bennett Place. I look forward to seeing you out and about.

Fort Fisher this weekend.

Many of you know I don't make trips off the mountain much in the winter time.  The weather is unpredictable, and the months of December, January, February, and March are my writing time. I'm making an exception this weekend and heading to the 150th commemoration of the fall of Fort Fisher. The Friends of Fort Fisher and the staff at the Fort Fisher State Historic Site have put together a superb event. If you are in the area, I hope you will join me!

There will be a slew of things to do. Opening ceremonies kick off at Battle Acre at 11:00 pm. Ed Bearss is scheduled to speak, as is Gov. Pat. McCrory. There are living history demonstrations throughout the day in different areas, and a re-enactment of the assault on Shepherd's Battery at 1:30 on Saturday and at 10:00 on Sunday. A speakers' tent will hold lectures by Rod Gragg, Chris Fonvielle, Richard Triebe, Ray Flowers, and Michael C. Hardy (hey, that's me!). A host of other activities, including a candlelight tour Saturday evening.

This event kicks off the final years of the sesquicentennial events, a year in which the war really comes home to North Carolina. I look forward to seeing many of you out and about at these events.

The picture? This is the Armstrong Gun captured at Fort Fisher, on display at West Point after the war.  

One mystery solved - the reorganization of the 18th North Carolina Regiment

As part of the Conscription Act of April 1862, regiments that re-enlisted for the war were allowed to re-elect their commanding officers. Most regiments replaced a handful of officers. The 18th Regiment, replaced almost everyone. You might think I exaggerate, but I do not. The colonel, lieutenant colonel, and adjutant were defeated for re-election, while the assistant commissary of substance chose to resign on the day of the election (April 24, 1862). Seven of the ten company captains were replaced and in some companies, all the officers lost their bids for re-election.

My question, however, is this: how did the adjutant, which is an appointed position, lose his position through an election?

According to Confederate regulation, "The commander of a regiment will appoint the adjutant from the subalterns of the regiment...." (Article XII, section 68, Regulations for the Army of the Confederate States, 1862)

Prior to becoming adjutant of the 18th NC, Charles D. Myers was mustered in as a 1st Sergeant of the Wilmington Light Infantry on April 15, 1861. Myers was elected 1st Lieutenant on June 21, 1861, and in August 1861, appointed adjutant and transferred from Company G to the field and staff. (As an aside, Myers was born in New York City, was a 26-year-old merchant, and lived in New Hanover County.)

Ah, but wait, there is more. I was simply basing my assumption on the North Carolina Troop book (Vol. 6, page 306). When I went and looked up Myers's compiled service record on Fold3, I did find one record that stated Myers was "Not re-elected at reorganization." The card before that tells a different story. It reads: "Declined appt. at reorganization." That makes 1,000 times more sense. Since the colonel (James D. Radcliff) who gave Myers the job of adjutant was defeated for re-election, Myers refused to serve as adjutant under the new colonel (Robert H. Cowan). Of course, I cannot explain the too different entries in the Compiled Service Records. I also cannot explain why the editor of the troop book chose to go with "Not reelected at reorganization" and not "Declined appt. at reorganization." Maybe it is something as simple as the editor's not knowing adjutants were appointed and not elected....

Well, I believe this one mystery is solved. Only a million or so more to go now... Thoughts?

What happened to George Trenholm?

Anytime you are researching and have more than one source, you run into the possibility of the sources not agreeing. Such is the case of the journey of Confederate Secretary of the Treasury George Trenholm and the last days of the Confederate government.

There are four places that claim to have hosted the last meeting of the Confederate cabinet: Charlotte, NC; Fort Mill and Abbeville, SC; and, Washington, Georgia. My argument has always been that the last meeting of the Confederate cabinet was in Charlotte on April 26, 1865. After that morning meeting in the Phifer home, the government more or less broke up for all practical intents and purposes.

Who was present at that meeting?

George Davis - Attorney General

Judah P. Benjamin - Secretary of State

George Trenholm - Secretary of the Treasury

John C. Breckinridge - Secretary of War

Stephen Mallory - Secretary of  Navy

John H. Reagan - Postmaster General

George Davis was the first to leave. On April 25, Jefferson Davis advised George Davis (no relation) to look after his family. George Davis submitted his resignation, and it was accepted the following day. I do not believe that George Davis crossed into South Carolina with Jefferson Davis's party.

George Trenholm - The Secretary of the Treasury was sick, and had been sick on the entire trip, from Richmond to Danville to Greensboro, and eventually to Charlotte. He was so ill that the other members of the Confederate cabinet gathered in his room on the morning of April 26 before setting out. Mrs. Trenholm, who was a member of the party, wrote afterwards: "We started again in the ambulance on the 26th & reached Mr. White's, three miles from the Catawba Bridge (Fort Mills) the same day. Here Mr. Trenholm was so sick we had to stop a day. The President & Cabinet  proceeded on their journey. Mr. Trenholm had a consultation with them and decided that he was unable to go on with them and attend to the duties of his office so he there handed in his resignation." I believe Mrs. Trenholm's account was written after the events transpired.

An interesting, conflicting account is that of John T. Wood, one of Davis's staff officers. His diary seems to be a day  off. He chronicles that George Davis resigned on April 24, that the party crossed the South Carolina line on April 25, the same day that Trenholm resigned.

Post Master General Reagan wrote after the war that Trenholm, "made an effort to travel with us, but after some twenty miles found himself to go further, and resigned his position as Secretary of the Treasury. Thereupon a meeting of the Cabinet was held, in my absence; and after consultation, the President sent for me and requested me to accept the appointment as Secretary of the Treasury..." 

Jefferson Davis himself, writing in Rise and Fall of Confederate Government, states, "I rode out of Charlotte attended by the members of my Cabinet (except General Davis, who had gone to see his family residing in that section, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Trenholm, who was too ill to accompany me), my personal staff and cavalry, representing six brigades, numbering about 2,000."

In a letter written in 1919, a Phifer descendant stated that the Trenholms remained in Charlotte several days before traveling to Fort Mill and to Winnsboro before turning toward home.  

There are many who claim that Fort Mill, South Carolina, was the site of the last meeting of the full Confederate cabinet. Reagan admits he was not there. George Davis had already resigned, and it would appear that Trenholm was not with the group, at least according to Jefferson Davis.  That leaves three members : Mallory, Benjamin, and Breckenridge, hardly the full Confederate cabinet.  

Thoughts?

Flag of the 33rd NCT

On several occasions in the past few years, I have been honored to stand on the stage at the North Carolina Museum of History and Raleigh in order to share the history of some of the Confederate regiments that came from North Carolina. This Saturday, I will have that privilege again, thanks to the fine folks in the 26th North Carolina Troops, Reactivated. On Saturday, December 13, 2014, the recently conserved flag of the 33rd North Carolina Troops will be unveiled. Unlike the half-dozen battle flags that I have had the privilege of accompanying  in the past, this is a state flag, captured during the Battle of New Bern, North Carolina, on March 14, 1862. The flag was returned to North Carolina in 1917.

This program will start around 2:30 in the auditorium at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, and is free and open to the public. If you are out and about, please feel free to join us.

A racially integrated Confederate military?

Recently, I was reading the most recent issue of The Journal of the Civil War Era, and I found a mention of “a racially integrated Confederate military.” The author of the essay does not believe that the Confederate army was integrated to any degree, and that the idea of tens of thousands of black Confederate soldiers served beside their masters or former masters within the ranks. As I have stated before, I’ve never believed there were hundreds of thousands of black Confederate soldiers. But at the same time, I have come to believe the Confederate army was far more integrated that most people want to believe.

The only way to back up the belief of an integrated Confederate army is to look at Confederate regiments on a company level. This type of research does not come easily, and is probably beyond the interest of the academic historian. To accomplish this type of research, you really need to be a family historian.

I’m not a family historian. But I know of lot of them. So, I formulated a test. I pulled out all of the men in Company B, 37^th North Carolina Troops, who came from Watauga County and who originally enlisted in September 1861. Located in the mountains of western North Carolina, and by looking at the 1860 Federal census, Watauga might be considered one of the least ethnically diverse counties, at least in North Carolina. According to this census, there were 4,821 white people, 104 slaves, and 32 free persons of color in Watauga County. The county furnished several companies to the Confederate army in 1861 and 1862, along with a handful who joined the Federal army, and another group who used the guise of the Federal uniform to wage a dirty war on their neighbors.

Back to our test company: Company B was originally recruited from Watauga County in September 1861 and entered Confederate service in November 1861. Of that initial group of 98 men, we find 21 mixed race people. The most famous would be the Cozzens (or Cousins) brothers. They considered themselves Melungeons or descendants of the Portuguese.   The government considered them either mulattos or Negroes. We understand that Melungeons are today considered descendants of sub-Saharan African men and white women of northern or central European origin. The Cozzens were two members of Company B who were free blacks. They voluntarily enlisted in Company B on September 14, 1861. Franklin was killed in the fighting at Second Manassas on August 29, 1862. William Henry Cozzens served as a teamster for much of the war, a more traditional role for a black person in the Confederate army. He was captured on April 2, 1865, and spent a couple of months at Point Lookout, Maryland.

And then there is the story of Larkin Oxentine, born in Sumter District, South Carolina. He, and his family, claimed that he was a Lumbee Indian and  a recent arrival to the Watauga County area. After the war was over, Oxentine headed one more county west, settling in Carter County, Tennessee.

All of the rest of 21 men's families claim to have some degree of Native American ancestry. This is probably not the most scientific way to conduct such a study, but at the same time, even a DNA study would not tell us when the Native American ancestry entered into a person's  family background. It should also be remembered that Native Americans were not considered citizens. Anyone with Native ancestry, in the mid-19th century, hid it, or faced possible forced relocation.

So, at least 21 percent of the original enlistees of Company B, 37th North Carolina Troops, could be considered racially mixed in some form or fashion. This is just one test case. I wonder what additional research into the subject might show? Maybe that the Confederate army was little more "racially integrated" than some folks might want to admit? 

North Carolina Symphony to Perform Stirring Civil War Program on Thursday, Oct. 30

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina Symphony will perform "Battle Hymn of the Republic: Words and Music From the Civil War," a special concert that combines music and history Thursday, Oct. 30, at 10:30 a.m., at Meymandi Concert Hall. Associate Conductor David Glover, along with special guests Dr. Kevin Cherry of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, tenor Scott MacLeod and Civil War re-enactors, will lead the audience on a journey through the Civil War era with music, letters and historical information.

Tickets to the concert are $5 and are on sale now. Tickets are available online at www.ncsymphony.org or by calling the North Carolina Symphony Box Office at (919) 733-2750.

Musical selections include "The Battle Cry of Freedom," Copland's Lincoln Portrait, narrated by Dr. Cherry; "Oh Susannah," "Old Dan Tucker," and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," performed by MacLeod, as well as stirring renditions of "Ashokan Farewell," also known as the theme to Ken Burns' PBS series "The Civil War," and the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Letters from Civil War soldiers will be read from the stage, and artifacts from the North Carolina Office of Archives and History will be available for viewing in the lobby prior to and after the concert. North Carolina's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which is sponsored by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, continues through 2015. North Carolina has a number of key Civil War sites, including Durham's Bennett Place State Historic Site, which was the location of the largest troop surrender of the Civil War. 

Dr. Kevin Cherry is the deputy secretary of the Office of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Dr. Cherry has several North Carolina connections. He served as a consultant for special collections for the State Library of North Carolina. He also created one of the largest cultural heritage repositories ever undertaken in North Carolina - the N.C. Exploring Cultural Heritage Online (ECHO) project. He has worked in Rowan County, at UNC-Chapel Hill, and taught at East Carolina University.

Scott MacLeod has appeared in a variety of venues both nationally and abroad, including Opera Omaha, Central City Opera, Opera North, Utah Festival Opera, Mobile Opera, Duluth Festival Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Greensboro Opera, Long Leaf Opera, Opera on the James, the Tucson Symphony and National Symphony of Costa Rica. He made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in Mendelssohn's Elijah with the New York Chamber Orchestra in 2009. Recent performances include Lee Hyla's Wilson's Ivory Bill with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, Messiah with the Greensboro Oratorio Society and the debut performance of "The Persistence of Smoke" with the Duke University Encounters new music series.

Governor Ellis in Richmond

In doing some research today, I came across the following, concerning a visit of Governor Ellis to  Richmond in May 1861. I'm not sure I've come across this before. We know that Ellis only had two months to live. The Avery referred to is William Waighstill Avery, one of the most interesting characters in North Carolina history.

From the Richmond Dispatch, May 14, 1861

   Serenade to Gov. Ellis.-The patriotic and eloquent Governor of the Old North State was serenaded last night at his lodging, at the Exchange Hotel, the First Regiment Band having been engaged for that purpose by a number of citizens.

   Hon. Wm. W. Avery was introduced to the people, who excused the absence of the Governor on account of indisposition, and proceeded to deliver an impassioned address, which was received with enthusiastic applause. He said North Carolina was a unit on the secession issue, and would stand or fall with the Southern Confederacy, with which her fortunes were now indissolubly linked. She had paused for Virginia to act, though confident how she would go in the great contest;  there was now a race between them as to who should be first in the new and out of the old Confederacy. He promised on the part of North Carolina, arms, ammunition and men in any quantity, ordered in sustaining Southern Rights. They could soon be on the soil of Virginia. Addresses were also delivered by Judge Person, and Hon. W. M. Ransom. His Honor the Mayor, introduced the last two gentlemen. 

The Ft. Caswell Cannons

Have you ever wondered about those two cannons on either side of the Confederate monument on Union Square in Raleigh? Union Square? The North Carolina State capitol actually sits on a piece of land entitled "Union Square." That, however, is another story. Back to those cannons. They are large and have a great history of their own.

Those two cannons have quite a history. According to an article in the New Bern Weekly Journal (October 3, 1902), the "guns were originally naval 32 pounders, and they were taken at the Norfolk navy yard when Virginia occupied it in 1861. They were sent to Tredegar Iron Works, rifled and made 6 inch rifled guns and a wrought iron band was shrunk on the breech, making them greatly resemble Parrott guns. They were mounted on the sea front of old Ft. Caswell. When in January 1865 that fort was vacated they were left loaded and spiked."

 Another article, this one from the News and Observer (Raleigh, August 24, 1902), tell us that the cannon were buried sixteen feet underground prior to their excavation.

The Wilmington Morning Star reported (August 12, 1902) that "Before the two cannon could be shipped here [Raleigh] they had to be taken out of the sand into which they had been rolled and the charges taken out. This was a work of no little trouble... Up to about 1898 [Fort Caswell] was in precisely the same condition it was after the evacuation in 1865. Fire and powder have done their work upon it."

As with many sites connected to North Carolina and the War, there is much history to explore when talking about Fort Caswell. I for one would like to know what happened to the 8-inch English Armstrong rifle (cannon) that was captured at Caswell at the end f the war. But I guess that is a whole 'nother post! 

Urgent Fundraising Drive to Preserve Historic Civil War Land by Bennett Place

DURHAM, N.C. -- Part of the original Hillsborough Road traveled by Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston to meet with Union Gen. William Sherman in April 1865 is for sale. Bennett Place State Historic Site, where the Civil War ended, is desperately trying to raise $310,000 to purchase the tract located directly across the street.

"The state's option on a piece of wooded land near Durham's Bennett Place State Historic Site, where sits one of the most significant Civil War monuments in North Carolina, is about to expire," states Deputy Secretary Kevin Cherry, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. "The site needs $310,000 to purchase the land near "The Unity Monument." This monument, located at the site where the Civil War effectively ended, symbolically marks the reunification of the nation. If the site is not able to purchase the optioned land, it is possible that development will mar the historical context in which the monument currently sits."

On April 26, 1865, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered all active Confederate forces in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida at a farm house just outside of present-day Durham. This surrender effectively ended the American Civil War. The location of Johnston's historic surrender to Union forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman is currently preserved as Bennett Place State Historic Site. This site is maintained by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

A number of North Carolina's leading citizens initiated grassroots efforts to preserve Bennett Place before it became a state historic site in 1961. Many gathered at Bennett Place on Oct. 12, 1923 to dedicate two tall white Corinthian columns, one representing the Confederacy and one representing the Union. These two separate columns were joined at the top by a bridge with the text "UNITY" carved into it along with two flanking shields. With this piece of symbolic architecture, descendants of the men who fought this nation's bitterest conflict, fulfilled their desire to build a monument to national unity.

"Donations are needed to purchase the adjoining tract and preserve the sanctity of this place," insists Site Manager John Guss. "The need is urgent and immediate." Donations can be made to the Bennett Place Support Fund at 4409 Bennett Memorial Rd., Durham, NC, 27705.

  

For additional information, please call (919) 383-4345 or email bennett@ncdcr.gov. Bennett Place State Historic Site is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. 

The US Mint in Charlotte

When I was working on the book Civil War Charlotte: Last Capital of the Confederacy, I had the chance to dig into the history of the US Mint in Charlotte. I've found a couple of other pieces of information recently, and I thought you might enjoy learning a bit more.

Gold was discovered in North Carolina in 1799 in Cabarrus County. North Carolina led in the production of gold in North Carolina until 1848. In 1835, the United State Government officially established a branch of the United States Mint in Charlotte, and a building was built in Charlotte for the production of gold coins. In 1861, the officers at the US Mint were as follows: Green W. Caldwell - Superintendent and Acting Treasurer.; John H. Gibbon - Assayer, Melter and Refiner; E. Graham - Chief Coiner; and, William F. Stranger - Clerk.

On March 9, 1861, the Confederate Congress passed a resolution for the continuance of the mints at New Orleans and Dahlonega (GA). Had North Carolina already left the Union and joined the Confederacy, this act no doubt would have extended to the Queen City as well. The Mint itself was captured by militia colonel J. Y. Bryce in April 1861. Governor Ellis offered the Mint building and operations to Jefferson Davis. There was an estimated $26,716.01 in gold bullion and coins captured at this time. However, the mints in the South ceased operations on May 14, 1861. It was determined that the cost of operating the mints would far surpass their anticipated income.

In June, there was some discussion about keeping the Assay Office open, but once again, it was determined that the cost outweighed the potential profit. On August 6, 1861, the Confederate government was petitioned by North Carolina, asking that the mint in Charlotte be put into operation. This was approved on August 24, 1861, but, in May 1862, the operation was shut down. The building and machinery was turned over to the Navy Department (loaned). What was not needed by the Navy was put into storage. It was not until December 1864 that inquiries were made by the CS Senate regarding putting the Mint back into operation. Secretary of the Treasury Trenholm replied that the he did not see any benefit of opening the mints, and they remained closed.

The Mint would serve as offices for much of the War. At the end of the War, the remnants of the Confederacy treasury, along with gold from the banks in Richmond, were deposited in the Mint building, along with the papers of the Treasury Department.

Following the end of the War, Federal military forces used the building as their headquarters. The Assayer's office was reopened in 1867. In 1873, North Carolina petitioned Congress to reopen the mint itself, but that request was denied. The Assay office operated until 1913.

So there you have it, a little more information about the United States Mint in Charlotte during the War. I for one would love to know just who was still mining gold in the Charlotte area 1861-1865. 

Was the Home Guard really that bad?

For the past three or four years, when I open the floor at one of my talks for questions, frequently I get the question, "Was the home guard really that bad?" This happened just this past Saturday night at an interpretive program I was doing for the National Park Service. Many people have read or seen Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. Frazier portrays the Home Guard in a not-so-favorable light. Is his portrayal accurate?

The Home Guard was created in July 1863 by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Vance. Section 2 of the Act states that: "the Governor shall have the power to use the Guards for Home Defence for the purpose of arresting conscripts and deserters." Section 1 states that the home guard can be "called into actual service to repel invasion, or suppress insurrection, or to execute laws of the state." So, there are the purposes of the home guard: to repel invasion, to suppress insurrection, to carry out the law, and to arrest conscripts and deserters.

While there are some instances of the Home Guard working to repel invasion, such as the battle of Asheville, or opposing Stoneman's Raiders, most of their activities focused on the other part of their mandate. For the next few minutes, let's focus on that Section 2: arresting conscripts and deserters.

What is a conscript? In April 1862, the Confederate government passed a Conscription Act requiring all white males, unless exempt, to enlist in the army. Eventually, the age range was modified to 17 and 50, with the 17 year olds serving in the junior reserves and the 45 to 50 year olds serving in the senior reserves. When the law was originally passed, military aged men were given a grace period in which to volunteer. If they did not volunteer within that time, they were forced into the army. Part one of the job of the Home Guard was to make sure those men were enlisting in the army.

Just who made up the Home Guard? Often, the Home Guard was made up of former Confederate soldiers who had been discharged (often for being wounded) and, of the officer corps of the militia. Every county had at least one pre-war militia regiment. Each county was divided up into districts (the precursor of townships). Each of these districts had on average three company grade officers. Often times, these men served as justices of the peace and/or magistrates. These two groups formed the core of a home guard company.

Given the nature of rural areas, most of the men in these Home Guard companies were at minimum familiar with each other, and in many cases, were related, if not by blood, then by marriage. Likewise, the conscript dodgers that the Home Guard were chasing fall into that same line. Those trying to evade service were at least familiar with, if not related to, those who were attempting to enforce the law. You may also say the same thing about deserters. Men who were AWOL (absent without leave) or declared deserters, were soldiers who had come home without leave. Some were simply trying to take care of their families. Others might have been suffering from PTSD, while others had just had enough of the army, or, in a few cases, truly had Unionist beliefs.

So, to get back to the Cold Mountain reference. If you were a loyal Confederate, whose husband/sons or brothers were off fighting for the Confederate cause, you probably did not have any problems with the Home Guard. In fact, the Home Guard was probably your friend, out trying to round up those who kept stealing your livestock or raiding your smokehouse and/or corncrib, and the Guard might even possibly prevent an attack upon your person. Yet if your loved one was attempting to evade military service, there were difficulties coming your way.

Through my research into Watauga County, whose Home Guard commander Maj. Harvey Bingham was awarded a letter of thanks by the North Carolina General Assembly, I was able to document (to some degree) the activities of the 11th battalion, North Carolina Home Guard. It appears that Home Guard commanders routinely received lists of deserters from the army. At the same time, they undoubtedly kept lists of those trying to evade military service.

If you were trying to evade service, your house could be searched. George W. Eggers took to "scouting," trying to avoid the recruiters from both armies. Once, while he was hiding upstairs in his home, his wife Lucinda "took a piece of burning chestnut bark from the fireplace and gave one soldier a whack with it as he was climbing the ladder...." On another occasion, Eggers was concealed beneath the floor at a neighbor's house. He had a bad cough, and he "said it liked to killed him trying to hold back his cough...."

At other times, the Home Guard was waiting for you. For months, they had been trying to capture Leander Pyatt. According to the family story, Pyatt was hiding in the woods near his Mitchell (now Avery) County home. He sneaked in one night to fix the shoes of his children and was captured. The Home Guard was waiting for him. He died a few weeks later in Atlanta.

According to an old typescript manuscript about the Civil War in Watauga County, there was a cemetery in the Deep Gap area that bore a tombstone for a man named "Black" who was killed by the Home Guard. In the Aho community, a man named Hines was shot by the Home Guard as he begged for money. Supposedly, Bettie and Lucy Story saw that the man got a decent burial. And in the Dutch Creek community, a man by the name of Shoemaker was killed by the Home Guard and buried in Valle Crucis. Dugger records that Shoemaker's father came and removed the remains to Alexander County. Yet a different source tells that Nathan Harrison left to join the Union army, and the Home Guard went to Richlands in Caldwell County and “shot a Nelson man but found out he was mistaken and had shot the wrong man.” Chances are we will never definitely know the validity of these stories.

Possibly the best known story in the state comes from the Randolph-Moore-Montgomery County area. A two-week campaign  was led by Collet Leventhorpe against deserters/dissidents/conscript dodges in these areas. One member of the Home Guard wrote:  "we marched 16 miels an back yesterday... the desrtrs shot in our men an kild one man an hit a nother one in the under gaw  We ar taking the fathers of the Desertrs to the Camp an trete them as prisners untill that send for ther suns to relece them. we are taking property too... we bring wiming [women] to the camp that has husbins in the wodes tell thea send for them an bring them in  that is the best way to Cetch them."

I want to reiterate that the deserters/dissidents were not lying peacefully at home, or out tending their fields. They actually formed bands of armed gangs that roamed the countryside, robbing, raping, and murdering. One band near Roan Mountain numbered 200 men. Another band in the Trap Hill section of Wilkes County numbered up to 1,500 men. The Confederate government actually sent front line infantry and cavalry regiments to deal with the latter.

This story could go on and on with little pieces of history I have found over the past. But to answer the question once again, were the Home Guard really that bad? If you were evading Confederate law, yes, it really could be that bad. 

Ten favorite books

A couple of folks have tagged me in the 10 favorite book challenge on facebook. So, here is my top ten, in no particular order:

The Life of Johnny Reb - Wiley

The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Doyle

John Adams - McCullough

R. E. Lee - Freeman

Army of the Potomac - Beatie

Taken at the Flood - Harsh

The Lord of the Rings - Tolkien

Harry Potter - Rowling

1776 -  McCullough

The Heart of Confederate Appalachia - Inscoe and McKinney

Why do you visit a battlefield park?

Recently, I had the opportunity of attending the first Emerging Civil War symposium in the Spotsylvania area of Virginia. It was great experience participating in the panel on Friday evening, attending lectures on Saturday, and touring the Spotsylvania Battlefield on Sunday. Kudos to the staff of the Emerging Civil War blog for putting on a great event!

Saturday afternoon, I slipped out a few minutes early to visit the rehabbed visitor center at the Chancellorsville Battlefield. They have done an overall great job. I was impressed with the portrayal and evolution of breastworks from the Chancellorsville time period (May 1863) to the Spotsylvania (May 1864). I was disappointed by the lack of information on the various regiments and brigades that fought at these battles. Why do Park visitor center planners think people come to these parks?

Thankfully, I've been around long enough to have collected a good understanding of the battles that were fought, and could probably give a decent tour (at least pertaining to Tar Heel troops) myself. This comes from a great deal of study and a fair amount of time personally spent on the fields.

I spent most of Saturday late afternoon and evening on the field, mostly at Chancellorsville, visiting a few places I had not been in several years, like the spot of Lee and Jackson's last meeting and Catherine Furnace. I capped this off by a drive down Lee Drive at the Fredericksburg battlefield.

Overall, it was an awesome weekend, and I look forward to attending the Emerging Civil War conference next year. 

The Salem Wayside Hospital

I've not talked about North Carolina Confederate hospitals in quite some time, but this past Friday I found a document that's gotten me thinking. While perusing the volumes of the Forsyth County Genealogical Journal, I found a reference to the Wayside Hospital in Salem, North Carolina.   The note comes from Vance's papers, and is a listing of men who were served meals at the Wayside Hospital in the month of June and half of July, for an unknown year. In that six-week span, the hospital served 105 men 416 meals. It would probably be possible to set down with the Troop books and figure out, based upon the names on the list, the year for which this list was generated.

More importantly, I've never seen a reference to a Wayside Hospital in Salem (you know, Winston-Salem). Salem lacked one important part of the Wayside Hospital criteria - a railroad. I did a quick search of digitized Salem newspapers, but I could not find any other references.

Just one more little piece of an incomplete puzzle.

So, were there other towns in North Carolina that had Wayside Hospitals but that were not on the railroad?

Why so few...

Why so few blog post as of late? I'm not so sure. For someone who sets his own schedule, I certainly do seem pressed for time as of late. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into a routine with the starting of school for the Mrs. and the kids.

I am off tomorrow to attend the Emerging Civil War Symposium in the Spotsylvania area. I'm not presenting, but I will have a few books for sale. Please stop by and say hello if you are a part of the event!

The photo? I took it recently at Fort Fisher, the most visited state historic site in North Carolina. I hope you enjoy. 

On the road.

Friends, I'll be out and about over the next week. Here are a few places I will get to visit.

Sunday, August 9, North Carolina Museum of Forestry. Whiteville, NC 2:30 pm

Wednesday, August 13, Rowan County Public Library, Salisbury, NC 6:30 pm

Friday-Sunday, August 15-17, First Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge, Fredericksburg, VA.

Three new North Carolina books.

Recently, I have acquired three new books that deal with North Carolina and the War. Let's take a brief look at the three.

The newest of the three is Pen in Hand: Davis Parker Civil War Letters, compiled by Riley Henry. According to his military record, Parker was living in McDowell County and enlisted in Yancey County on March 21, 1862. He was mustered in as a private in Company B, 54th North Carolina Troops. Parker was captured once, released, and wounded twice. The last wound occurred during the battle of Fort Steadman on March 25, 1865. He died in a hospital in Richmond on April 3, 1865. There are some 75 letters covering both military matters and even the mundane challenges of trying to manage a farm while stationed hundreds of miles away. These letters are transcribed, but are not edited. Even so, if you are into the day-to-day life of Confederate North Carolina soldiers, this is a great book.

The second book is edited by veteran author Bradley R. Foley. Letters Home: The Civil War Correspondence of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander C. McAlister, 46th North Carolina Troops. McAllister started the war as a lieutenant in Company I, 22nd North Carolina Troops. He transferred to Company F, 46th North Carolina Troops in March 1862, and was later promoted to lieutenant colonel of the regiment. He finished the war in North Carolina, trying to protect piedmont counties from Federal raiders. The letters begin in 1861, and end at the end of 1864. This very rich collection contains not only Colonel McAlister's letters, but his wife's letters as well. The letters are edited and contain illustrations as well.

Finally, I received a copy of Books to Bulletts... In Defiance of Northern Propaganda! A History of the 46th North Carolina Infantry, CSA, by "COL Charles W. L. Hall, Ph.d" I am not quite sure what this book is supposed to be. A history of the 46th NCT it is not. Of 135 pages, 56 pages are taken up by a roster that could have fitted on five or six pages had it not been done in a table format. The roster only gives the soldier's name, company, rank in, and rank out. The rest of the book is largely made up of tables with a few Civil War Trust maps and copious quotations from the Official Records and Clark's. Hall lables himself as a  "Confederate Historian." He needs to learn how to research and write history and let the critics decide if he is really a historian.  

The largest towns in North Carolina in 1860.

It always seems to surprise people, when I am out giving a talk, about how small Charlotte was in 1860. So, here is a list of the population of North Carolina towns in 1860, based upon the census. Things sure have changed.

1. Wilmington         9,552

2. New Bern            5,432

3. Fayetteville        4,790

4. Raleigh                 4,780

5. Salisbury              2,420

6. Charlotte             2,265

7. Washington        1,599

8. Edenton               1,504

9. Kinston                 1,333

10. Greensboro       1,050

11. Asheville              960

12. Wilson                  960

13. Goldsboro           885

14. Greenville           828

15. Statesville           320

16. Monroe               204

17. Henderson         186

Last speech of Jefferson Davis.

While rooting around the other day, I came across the few lines below, reportedly delivered by Jefferson Davis from the front steps of the Bates House in Charlotte. The speech would have been given on April 18, 1865. The date of the article was May 20, 1896. I have read (but not looked for the actual piece) that there was an earlier version of this speech printed in a newspapers in Georgia, maybe just a couple of years after the war. If these claims are true, then would this not be the last speech of Jefferson Davis? Would not Charlotte be the place of that last speech?

"My friends, you greet me as cordially as if I brought you tidings of victory, while indeed I am the bearer of bad news. Gen. Lee has been forced to surrender--but the men live yet. The war has been for the people and by the people, and if they are firm and true there is hope. I thank you from my heart for this evidence of your confidence, and can say in reviewing my administration for the last four years, I am conscious of having committed errors and very great ones, but in all that I have done, in all that I have tried to do, I can lay my hand upon my heart and appeal to God that I have but one purpose to serve--but one mission to fulfill--the preservation of the true principles of constitutional freedom, which are as dear to me to-day as they were four years ago. I have nothing to abate or take back. If they were right then, they are right now and no misfortune to our arms can change right into wrong. Again I thank you."