Why Pender?

  For the past couple of weeks, I've been working on the Chancellorsville chapter of the Branch-Lane book. In all the accounts that I have read, this one question keeps bothering me: why Pender?

Once Jackson is wounded (by the 18th NCT, of Lane's brigade), General A. P. Hill sends out Capt. Benjamin W. Leigh, an aide-de-camp, to find an ambulance and a surgeon. Leigh returns with Dr. Richard R. Barr, assistant surgeon, 34th North Carolina Troops, a part of Pender's brigade. Now, I understand how difficult it would have been for Leigh to find someone - it was dark, the woods thick (in places), confusion reigned supreme. Given the events, I imagine that finding someone was a chore, although Leigh seems to find Barr quickly. But, was there no surgeon or assistant in Lane's brigade, or Heth's brigade behind them? Pender's brigade was even further back.

And that leads me to my second “Why Pender?” question: Lane writes to A. C. Hamlin in 1892: "Genl. Pender rode into the woods, calling for me. When we met he advised me not to advance, as Genl. Jackson had been wounded, & he thought by my command." If the map in Sear's Chancellorsville is correct, how does Pender know? Heth's brigade is stacked in front of him on the Orange Plank Road. Does Leigh run into Pender looking for a surgeon? Once again, Leigh has to pass through Lane's lines, through Heth's brigade stacked on the road, just to find Pender and his brigade.

I looked at Willis'a biography on Pender. He, and several other sources, have not only Doctor Barr on hand quickly, but General Pender as well. Was Barr following Pender, kind of like a staff officer? Willis writes:  "A staffer sent by Hill to locate a doctor stumbled into Dorsey Pender as he came forward to make his own assessment of what had happened" (207-8). I also looked through Pender's letters, but he makes no mention of the encounter.

Thoughts? 

Looking for John Polk

   In Volume 8 the North Carolina Troops books series, on page 148, we find this:

Polk, John -----

Negro. Served as "body guard to Colonel Samuel Lowe" of this regiment.

Who was John Polk? Was he a slave owned by Colonel Lowe? A freeman? Inquiring minds want to know more.

I've been writing today about free persons of color and slaves attached to the Branch-Lane brigade. Talk about an area in which there is a total lack of research. There are, I believe, a couple of reasons for this gap. First, people seem more interested in adopting positions than actually doing the research to confirm or refute their ideas. The positions run the gambit from "There were no blacks in the Confederate army," to "There were no blacks willingly serving in the Confederate army," to "There were tens of thousands of blacks willingly serving in the Confederate army." Second - it's not easy to find good sources, especially when the "National Narrative" is already against you. Why is this? I believe the reason why we don't find more mention of black men serving right alongside white men in the ranks is this: it was not an uncommon practice prior to the war. They worked in the fields together, in towns together, often attended church together, and, given that the majority of slave owners only owned one or two slaves, often lived in the same house together.

On a couple of occasions here on this blog, I've talked about the Cozzens/Cossens/Cousins brothers. They were free people of color who voluntarily served in Company B, 37th North Carolina Troops. In one letter from another member of the 37th NCT, I have a list of men messing together. The Cozzens are included in that list. This clearly was no big deal to the writer of the letter.  While this is scant evidence of the theory that I proposed above, it is a start.

So just how many free men of color, or slaves, served in or simply served Confederate regiments? That is impossible to say. But I did a little sample. There were 139 men who served in the officers corps of the 37th NCT. Officers were, historically, better educated and wealthier and could afford slaves. I took the officers of two companies from Watauga, B and E. Out of the twelve officers in Company B, nine were from Watauga. In Company E, seven out of eleven were from Watauga. According to the slave census, only one officer in Company B owned slaves - Jonathan Horton. He owned five, and could possibly have brought one from home. Likewise, in Company E, only one man, William F. Shull, owned slaves. He owned three, and could have brought one from home. If that tally is true for every company, then there might have been one slave brought from home for each company. Of course, that slave would be attached to his master, and possibly his master's mess mates.  It is possible that this number would be greater in a regiment recruited earlier in the war. I've not written about a regiment recruited early in the war (yet), so I'm not sure. You might easily add three or four more for the field and staff. I also have some records of soldiers renting servants. But, they often do not specify whether they were renting slaves or freemen. So, maybe fifteen slaves or servants tending to their masters in a regiment?

In the Branch-Lane brigade, I have identified twenty-three men who served as teamsters during the war, a position traditionally occupied by black men. But so far, I have not been able to identify any of them as either free men of color or as enslaved. The research continues.

Back to John Polk. The scant amount of information we have simply says he was a "Negro" and that he was Samuel Lowe's "body guard." The record does not tell us if he was a cook, or teamster, or  if he was slave or free, or even how long he served.

I went and looked in the US Census. Samuel Lowe was from Lincoln County. I found a John Polk, age 35, in the 1860 Gaston County census. He is a freeman, and lists his post office in the King's Mountain area.

There is a John Polk in the 1870 US census for Cleveland County, North Carolina. He is listed as a black man, age 49, living in the home of Abe Polk, age 59. He was from North Carolina, and could read and write.

Of course, I have no idea if these are the same men, or even if this is the right John Polk. I also searched for Samuel Lowe as a slave owner on Heritage Quest. I could not find him listed.

People often mention the plethora of books about the war. Save for a literal handful, like Bell Wiley's Southern Negroes, 1861-1865; Durden's The Gray and the Black: The Confederate Debate on Emancipation; Blackerby's Blacks in Blue and Gray: Afro-American Service in the Civil War; and Barrow, Segar, and Rosenburg's Black Confederates, it appears that everyone is willing to just adopt some position, dig in, and hurl "bum shells" at those who disagree. That is a terrible shame, as men like John Polk deserve to have their stories told. 

Branch-Lane update

Despite all of the traveling this summer, I've made some progress on the Branch-Lane manuscript. I've been working on a chapter about daily life. The first part of this chapter actually walks a reader through what a normal (non-campaign) day was like. I covered things like sleeping arrangements, roll call, food, drill, guard mounting/pickets, dress parades, and down time, while Sundays brought inspections and church services. The rest of the chapter deals with other aspects of daily life, like writing and getting letters from home, camp fun, gambling, snowball fights, music, visitors in camp, hygiene, and accidents. Yet to be included are sections on getting paid and clothing. Handled in other chapters will be the whole medical aspect (there was a sick call every morning), and military disciple.

In the past, I have integrated the daily life into the chronological sequence of the book.  I thought with the Branch-Lane brigade book that I could probably better explain what life was like by keeping it all together. I guess you, the readers, will tell me what worked better.

In writing a brigade history, I have found scores of illustrations from their letters to illustrate the various points. That's great. But, at the same time, I can only use a couple out of maybe ten or more. It is a challenge, but I hope you will enjoy what I've come up with. The Daily Life chapter will probably be the largest chapter in the book.

It is my hope to have the Daily Life chapter finished up by the end of the week. Then it is on to Chancellorsville. I image this will be the most challenging, considering the number of things written regarding the mortal wounding of Jackson.

Onward and upward.... 

On the road in August

Things are slowing down just a little over the next month. If you are out and about, please come join me!

August 1 - Ft. Fisher - 2:00 pm

August 4 - Pvt. Lorenzo Bennett Camp SCV, Bennett Place, Durham

August 6 - 47th Regiment NC Troops Camp, SCV, Wake Forest

August 7-9 - Emerging Civil War Conference, Fredericksburg, VA

August 10 - Big Ivy Mountain Guard Camp, SCV, Barnardsville

August 11 - Tour for the Beech Mountain Club

August 13 - Southminster Retirement Community, Charlotte

August 17 - Mitchell County and the Civil War, Spruce Pine Public Library, 6:30 pm

August 18 - Col. John B. Palmer Camp, SCV, Burnsville

August 20 - Moses Wood Camp, SCV, Gaffney, SC

August 24 - Avery County and the Civil War, Public Library, Newland, 6:30 pm

August 25 - Gen. William Kirkland Camp, SCV, Chapel Hill

August 31 - Yancey County and the Civil War, Public Library, Burnsville, 6:30 pm

Putting little pieces together

I've been working on the story of the band of the Thirty-third regiment today. It is at times frustrating that someone can write an entire book on the band of the 26th NCT, and yet I can only come up with a paragraph on the band of the 33rd NCT. Both bands primarily came from Forsyth County.....

I have said many times that the work I do is like a massive jigsaw puzzle, except I will never have all of the pieces. And that is just what it is: pieces. For example. Julius F. Stauber served in Company I, 33rd North Carolina Troops. He was an original member of the band. In August 1862, he died of disease in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

It appears that many of band members in the 33rd NCT were members of Bethania Moravian Church. Their pastor during the war was Jacob Siewers. He recorded in his diary on December 12, 1862: "Samuel Stauber returned this afternoon with several others from Virginia with their deceased sons." The 1860 Forsyth County Census shows a Samuel Stauber with a son named Julius.

Pieces.... That is all I have. Just pieces.....  

George Stoneman

Continuing the theme of interesting questions that arise during the Q&A, I thought we would spend a little time looking at the life of George Stoneman, the Federal cavalry commander who led the raid through western North Carolina in March and April 1865. Instead of a full biographical sketch, I thought we would cover a few points.

George Stoneman commanded the Federal cavalry during the battle of Chancellorsville. As part of Hooker's plan of battle, Stoneman was to lead the Federal Cavalry beyond Lee's lines, destroying vital railroad junctions, cutting Lee's supply lines and forcing the Army of Northern Virginia back. Rain first caused Stoneman's men difficulty, forcing him to recall part of his advance. Later the plan was changed by Hooker to be solely to destroy the railroads and lines of communication.  While Lee was concerned about Federal cavalry in his rear, he basically ignored Stoneman and, in the end, defeated Hooker and the Army of Northern Virginia. Hooker blamed Stoneman for the defeat. It only took the Confederates a few days to repair the damage. Stoneman was replaced as commander of the Federal cavalry corps in the Army of the Potomac before the month of May ended.

George Stoneman led another raid in Georgia in July and August 1864. Stoneman commanded one part of the cavalry of Sherman's army.  Sherman ordered the cavalry to break up the Macon and Western Railroad near Jonesboro. Stoneman proposed that after "destroying" Confederate cavalry in the area, he move to Macon, and then on to Andersonville, where he could free 23,000 Federal prisoners. The movement began on July 27. In Monticello, Stoneman learned that the bridges over the Ocmulgee did not exist, and chose to move on towards Macon, instead of turning back towards the west and linking up with other Federal forces. When he reached the outskirts of Macon, he found thousands of militia troops. Soon, Confederate cavalry closed in. On July 31, at Sunshine Church, Stoneman attempted to fight his way out. In the end, Stoneman surrendered his command. Stoneman was the highest ranking officer ever captured by the Confederates. He was exchanged in late September for Brigadier General Daniel C. Govan (captured during the battle of Jonesboro).

George Stoneman led a raid into North Carolina and Virginia in March and April 1865. After much delay, the raid began on March 20, 1865, moving through Morristown, Tennessee, on March 23, and skirmishing with home guardsmen in Boone on March 28. Instead of writing a blow-by-blow account, I would like to consider the question that has arisen more than once: what was Stoneman's directive? US Grant wrote to Stoneman's superior on January 31: "Stoneman might penetrate South Carolina well down towards Columbia, destroying the railroad and military resources of the country, thus visiting a portion of the state which will not be reached by Sherman's forces. He also might return to East Tennessee by way of Salisbury, N.C., this releasing some of our prisoners in rebel hands." Stoneman's goal was to destroy the railroad and "military resources" of the places that he went.

There you have it - three points that have come up in my discussion regarding George Stoneman. 

Statesville: the Last North Carolina State Capital during the War

Continuing my "Stump the Historian" series today. Last week, I spoke at the Iredell County Public Library, and the claim of the Vance House as the last North Carolina Confederate capital was brought up. According to an early linen postcard, the Vance House was the "Former Capital of North Carolina During Vance's Occupancy."

Hmm, the only problem with that claim is that Vance had already abdicated his position as governor before he got to Statesville.

On April 12, 1865, Vance left Raleigh, and by April 13, was meeting with Generals Johnston, Hampton, and Secretaries Regan and Breckinridge in Greensboro. Vance eventually went on to confer with Jefferson Davis in Charlotte, but returned to Greensboro and attempted to contact General Sherman. Sherman had already left North Carolina, and Vance had to deal with General John M. Schofield. Vance offered to surrender on April 27, but Schofield told him to go home. Vance issued a proclamation on April 28, calling for a return to social peace and an end to the strife caused by the war. It was his last official act. Instead of returning to Raleigh, Vance went to Statesville. He had sent his family to Statesville on the approach of Sherman towards Raleigh. When Stoneman approached the town, Vance's family fled to Lincolnton. Just when they returned, I have not found. Vance arrived in Statesville on May 4 and was in Statesville when he was arrested on May 13, 1865.

W. W. Holden, who was Vance's political rival, and who was appointed Governor of North Carolina by US President Andrew Johnson on May 29, 1865, firmly believed that once Vance left Raleigh, he relinquished his position as governor.

In looking through various biographies on Vance, I can find nothing that states that he attempted to conduct the business of the state from the house he rented in Statesville. He was only there for nine days before his arrest and transfer to the Old Capital Prison in Washington, D. C. 

So, I would argue that Statesville did not serve as a capital of North Carolina. Thoughts? 

On the Road in May.

It looks like things are going to calm down just a little over the next month. I have not quite as many places to go, but I am taking the Capitals of the Confederacy talk to different states. Not only will I be in North Carolina, but in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida as well. I look forward to meeting with folks and continuing the conversation!

May 2 - Rocky Ford, NC

May 5 - Creedmore/Stem, NC SCV

May 7 - Elizabethton, TN  SCV  

May 11 - Gastonia, NC SCV

May 12 - Rock Hill, SC  SCV

May 19 - Ocoee, FL SCV

May 20 - Leesburg Public Library, FL

May 22 - New Smyrna Museum of History, FL  

May 23 - Ft. Myers, FL  SCV

39 Kegs of Mexican Silver Dollars

As I travel about and talk to folks about the last days of the Confederate government in North Carolina, the fate of the gold and silver of the Confederate treasury almost always comes up during the discussion. The history and folklore of the Confederate treasury is as varied as the uniforms worn by Confederate generals. This post is going to look at one aspect of the story. The 39 (or 40, depending on the source) kegs of Mexican Silver dollars.

As the story goes, these 39 kegs of silver were from the sale of cotton to the Mexican government. They arrived in Danville about the same time as Jefferson Davis did, sometime around April 3 or 4. And the folklore further states that the kegs of silver were buried in Danville, and reside there to this day.

I'm not so sure why there is a mystery regarding the 39 kegs of Mexican silver coins. $39,000 in Mexican Silver was delivered to Joseph E. Johnston in April 1865. (One source states it was $37,679.96.) Davis sent it to Johnston for safe keeping, and at one point, even asked for it back. Johnston refused, and instead, paid his men with it. Johnston had been clamoring for weeks for money to pay his troops. According to Maj. G. W. F. Harper of the 58th North Carolina Troops, each man received “one dollar and fourteen cents” in “Mexican silver dollars.” “There being no means of making change for the cents, the men, in groups of seven, drew for the surplus dollar.”

Why was this money not moved to Charlotte and deposited in the old US Mint building with the remaining treasury gold, silver, and notes on April 8? Because the other funds from the Confederacy treasury were taken by rail. Stoneman's men wrecked the railroad around Greensboro on April 11. Transporting 39 kegs of silver would have been too much for Davis and his party to undertake. It was a struggle to come up with enough horses and ambulances/wagons to move the Confederate cabinet.

This leads me to another question: there are plenty of books out there about the lost Confederate gold/treasury. I understand this. Sensationalism sells and who does not love a good buried treasure story?  But is there not a book that looks at the hard, cold facts regarding the final disposition of the very limited funds of the Confederate government? Maybe a future project......

Civil War's End Re-enactment at Bennett Place and Reunited Nation Events from Cultural Resources

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Union Gen. William T. Sherman and Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston negotiated the largest troop surrender of the Civil War on April 26, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War. Re-enactment of those negotiations at Bennett Place State Historic Site, and other developments from the Civil War including a "Soldier Walk Home" and "Hotel de 'Afrique" lecture, will be presented through June at venues of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Bennett Place, Durham. April 18. Bennett Place Museum Grand Opening. Public opening of a totally redesigned museum gallery featuring artifacts from the Bennett family, soldiers involved in the peace negotiations and more. Part of the observance (April 17-26) of the final Civil War surrender negotiations which started April 17, 1965. 10 a.m. Free.

N.C. Museum of Art, Raleigh. April 21. Arms for Art, and Other Shenanigans. Discover the little-known facts behind the bust of Confederate Vice President John J. Calhoun in the NCMA collection at a lecture by Curator of Modern Art John Coffey. The bust was at the center of an extraordinary conspiracy in 1861 as North Carolina prepared to join the Confederacy. 6:30 p.m. $50 non-members, $45 members.

Mountain Gateway Museum, Old Fort. April 25. Pioneer Day. An encampment of Civil War interpreters and a display of the 58th Regiment North Carolina Troops battle flag will be featured at this annual festival celebrating the heritage of the North Carolina Mountains. 9 a.m. Free.

Bennett Place, Durham. April 25-26. The Dawn of Peace Surrender Negotiations, 150th Anniversary Commemoration. Re-enactment of surrender negotiations between Union Gen. William T. Sherman and Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, with military escorts and final stacking of arms of the Army of Tennessee. The surrender of 89,270 troops led to subsequent surrender of remaining Confederate forces. Programming includes military encampments and drills, historian and author lectures, civilian refugee camps, vendors, food trucks and more. 10 a.m. $10, ages 12 and under free. Off-site parking $5.

Museum of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City. May 2. North Carolina Civil War Monuments Lecture and Book Signing. Dr. Douglas Butler, an independent historian and practicing physician, will give a presentation on his recent book North Carolina Civil War Monuments: An Illustrated History. 11 a.m. Free.

Museum of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City. May 2. After Appomattox: North Carolina Civil War Monuments, 1865-1965. An exhibit focusing on the monuments across the state that commemorates the Civil War. In the century following the Confederacy's demise, North Carolinians memorialized the Union and Confederate dead in cemeteries and courthouse lawns throughout the Old North State. Some towns, such as Hertford, even had monuments to both sides. North Carolina photographer and author Douglas Butler spent five years documenting the state's 109 Civil War monuments.

N.C. Museum of History, Raleigh. May 6. History Corner: Civil War Kids. Program for ages 6-9 with parent. Learn what it was like to have battles in your backyard, and what life was like during and just after the Civil War. 10 a.m. Register at NCMOH-programs.com. $3 plus tax per child/$1 plus tax for museum members.

N.C. Museum of History, Raleigh. May 6. History Hunters: War's End? Program for ages 10-13. Learn what the end of the Civil War meant in North Carolina, and how freedom changed the lives of the formerly enslaved as well as former owners. 11:15 a.m. Register at NCMOH-programs.com. $3 plus tax per child/$1 plus tax for members.

State Capitol, Raleigh. May 9. Raleigh Occupied. A Civil War era troop encampment on the Union Square lawn and character interpretations that will recall the occupation of the State Capitol by troops of Union General William T. Sherman.10 a.m. Free.

Museum of the Cape Fear, Fayetteville. May 9. Civil War Bands. Dr. Robert Downing, founder of the Regiment Band, 11th N.C. Troops, will give a presentation on the history and the purpose of Civil War bands. Original and reproduction Civil War-era instruments will also be on display. 2 p.m. Free.

Duke Homestead, Durham. May 11-23. Soldier Walk Home. A Civil War re-enactor makes a walk from New Bern to Durham, following a route much like Duke tobacco magnate Washington Duke made at the end of the Civil War. Stops in communities along the way will celebrate local history. A tribute to all soldiers returning home from war and a celebration of reunification.

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Hatteras. Civil War on Hatteras Island. Author and historian Drew Pullen shares the fascinating story of the war on Hatteras Island, lending colorful insight to the island's memorable history. 2:30 p.m. Free.

Somerset Place, Creswell. May 16. Music and Literature of the Civil War. Take a glimpse into the war time experiences of Somerset Plantation residents and learn what they encountered in their own words. Costumed interpreters will share true stories adapted from letters. Visitors will encounter the characters on a walking tour. Music historian Simon Spaulding will perform Civil War music and soldier songs. 11 a.m. Adults $6.41/Under 12 $3.20/Friends $5.12, tax included.

Duke Homestead, Durham. May 23. Bull Fest. In addition to traditional fun, there will be a focus on doing without in 1865. Re-enactor Philip Brown arrives after walking from New Bern in a route similar to that of Washington Duke as he returned home from the Civil War. Brown will arrive in Durham on May 22 and have a welcome program before journeying to Duke Homestead to a welcome home celebration of substitutions at a time of doing without. 11 a.m. Free.

Historic Stagville, Durham. May 30. Freedom 150. A 150th Civil War commemoration examining the effects of the war on African Americans in the South as the war ended. The joys and uncertainties of the newly freed will be examined as historic interpreters present happenings at and around Stagville Plantation. Children's activities, hikes through Horton Grove Nature Preserve led by the Triangle Land Conservancy, other demonstrations, and historian Joseph McGill will discuss his work in raising awareness of preservation of slave cabins. 10 a.m. Free.

Bentonville Battlefield, Four Oaks. June 13. A Day in the Life of a Civil War Soldier. Members of the 18tth N.C. and 1st/11th N.C. Regiments will discuss soldiers' daily routine, uniforms and equipment. Infantry and artillery demonstrations also. 10 a.m. Free.

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Hatteras. June 16.Salty Dawgs Lecture Series: Hotel de'

Afrique. Local historian Drew Pullen shares a presentation on Hotel De' Afrique on Hatteras Island, the first safe haven for African Americans in North Carolina during the Civil War. He is author of two books that focus on Outer Banks history and will also do book signings. 2 p.m. Free. 

For additional information call (919) 807-7389 or visit ncculture.com/civilwar. The Divisions of State Historic Sites, History Museums and Art Museums are within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Last Meeting of the Confederate Government

Over the past couple of weeks, as I have been out speaking about the various Confederate capitals, the question frequently arises about other sites in South Carolina and Georgia. It is my argument that once Jefferson Davis rode out of Charlotte, the Confederate government ceased to exist. The final important decision made by Jefferson Davis and the Confederate Cabinet was to accept the terms worked out by Joe Johnston and William T. Sherman.

I want to look specifically at the monument in Washington, Georgia, dedicated in 1938. On that monument is a list of names of men present, meeting with Davis, when Davis dissolved the Confederate government. I mean no disrespect to my family and friends in Georgia, but not everyone carved on this monument was present at the Washington meeting.

The names carved on this rock are:

Jefferson Davis, President

John H. Reagan, Postmaster General

Stephen P. Mallory, Secretary of Navy

John C. Breckenridge, Secretary of War

M. H. Clark, acting Secretary of the Treasury

Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector General

C. E. Thorburn, Naval Purchasing agent

Braxton Bragg, Military Advisor

I. M. St. John , Commissary General

A. R. Lawton, Quartermaster General

Burton Harrison, Private Secretary

J. T. Wood, Aide-de-camp

Francis Lubbock, Aide-de-Camp

William P. Johnston, Aide-de-Camp

This meeting took place on May 4, 1865. Breckenridge and Reagan were still at the Savannah River, paying off the Confederate Cavalry escort. Also with Breckenridge and Reagan were Micajah Clark, A. R. Lawton, Isaac M. St. John. Reagan would not catch up to Davis until after Davis had left Washington. Breckenridge never rejoined Davis. William C. Davis's biography of Breckenridge also hints that Bragg was with Breckinridge at this time. However, McWhineny and Hallock, in Braxton Bragg and Confederate Defeat, write that Bragg was with Davis in Washington, leaving the president's party the next day.

Clint Johnson writes in Pursuit: The Chase, Capture, Persecution and Surprising Release of Jefferson Davis, that Mallory left before the meeting was called, joining with Brig. Gen. Louis T. Wigfall, and heading toward Atlanta.

Samuel Cooper, also on the monument as having been at the meeting on May 4 in Washington, Georgia, never left Charlotte. Cooper received his parole in the Queen City.

So of the above list, we know that Davis was there, maybe Bragg, and Thorton, Harrison, Wood, Lubbock, and Johnston. This is a far cry from the fourteen listed above. 

Where was D. H. Hill?

My next "Stump the historian question" came this past Saturday at the Bennett Place State Historic Site. A gentleman from the audience wanted to know where Confederate Lt. Gen. Daniel Harvey Hill was during the surrender negotiations between Johnston and Sherman at the Bennett Place.

First, I turned to Hal Bridges's biography of D. H. Hill, but found nothing. Next I looked at Mark Bradley's This Astounding Close: The Road to the Bennett Place.

We know that Hill spent a lot of late-1864 sitting out the war at his home in Charlotte. On Jan. 21, 1865, he assumed command of the District of Georgia and in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In February, he rejoined the Army of Tennessee. Bradley writes that Hill was in Smithfield on March 22, 1865. D. H. Hill was a guest of William Hardee on April 4, at Hardee's grand review. Robert Dunkerly writes in The Confederate Surrender at Greensboro that this review took place at the Stevens house, near Selma. After these accounts, Hill seems to disappear from both Bradley’s and Dunkerly's accounts.

Next, I went to the official records, but I only found mentions of the General, with nothing about where he personally was during the time frame of the Bennett Place negotiations. Next I browsed through Hill's Compiled Service Record from the National Archives. There are 117 items in his folder, and I will admit that I did not read every page, but I saw nothing pinning him down after April 4, 1865.

Also, I tried to look through various newspapers online, but turned up nothing.

The only other entry is in July 1865, when Hill wrote to US President Andrew Johnson, concerning his presidential pardon. This letter was written from Davidson College.

So for now, I am still stumped about just where Hill was between April 4, 1865, and May 1, 1865, when he was paroled in Greensboro. Maybe someone else knows of Hill's whereabouts. 

Jefferson Davis regains his citizenship

In last night's question session after my lecture, someone asked about Jefferson Davis and when (or if) he ever got his citizenship restored. I could remember that it was US President Jimmie Carter who restored Robert E. Lee's citizenship, but I could not recall the fate of Jefferson Davis. Come to find out, it was Jimmie Carter who, in October 17, 1978, also restored "the full rights of citizenship to Jefferson Davis."  This was two years after Carter had done the same for Lee. So now we know, and maybe next time, I'll remember.

Capitals book tour kicks off Wednesday!

My Capitals of the Confederacy tour kicks off this Wednesday at the Rowan County Public Library. On Saturday evening, I'll be speaking at the Tennessee Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans annual meeting in Greenville, Tennessee. I'll be at the Greenville-Greene County History Museum on Sunday afternoon, April 12. I look forward to seeing you out and about. I'll be visiting these cities in April:

Apr. 8 - Salisbury, NC   SCV

Apr.11 - Greensville, TN   SCV

Apr. 12 - Greenville History Museum, TN

Apr. 13 - High Point, NC  SCV

April 14 - Dallas, NC  SCV

Apr. 18 - Bennett Place State Historic Site, Durham, NC

Apr. 19 - Historic Rosedale, Charlotte, NC

Apr. 20 - Taylorsville, NC SCV

Apr. 21 - Charlotte, NC  SCV

Apr. 23 - Asheville, NC  SCV

Apr. 25 - Bennett Place State Historic Site, Durham, NC

April 26 - Old Fort, NC

Guilford County now the most written-about North Carolina County and the War.

Most of you know that I collect books. One of the cornerstones of that collection is any book that deals with North Carolina and the War. There are scores of those that line the shelves : Troops books, biographies, regimental histories, etc. Having these resources at hand helps me tremendously in the work that I do.

   A couple of new books just coming out have propelled Guilford County and Greensboro into the lead as far as being the most written-about area of the Old North State and the War. Just being released is C. Michael Brigg's Guilford under the Stars and Bars. Briggs is a Greensboro native and collector. This book (hardback, 296 pages, color and black and white photos, maps), is rich in detail, especially when it comes to the various arms manufacturing facilities around Guilford County and Stoneman's Raid in April 1865.

On the heels of the release of Briggs's new book is Carol Moore's new Guilford County and the Civil War. This is one of the History Press's latest Civil War Series books and will be released in late April 2015. In looking over what is available on Google books, Moore's account looks well written and will be useful for future generations.

Moore is the author of an additional book on Greensboro, a part of Arcadia's Images of America series. This tome is entitled Greensboro's Confederate Soldiers and was released in 2008.

There are three books that deal with the end of the war in Greensboro/Guilford County. The first book released on Greensboro and the war was Ethel Arnett's Confederate Guns Were Stacked in Greensboro (1965). This was followed in 2008 by Bradley Foley and Adrian Whicker's The Civil War Ends, Greensboro April 1865 and in 2013, Robert M. Dunkerly's The Confederate Surrender at Greensboro- The Final Days of the Army of Tennessee, April 1865.

Also touching Greensboro and the War in significant ways are Chris Hartley's Stoneman's Raid 1865 and William T. Auman's Civil War in the North Carolina Quaker Belt, released in 2014.

For the foreseeable future, I believe that the events in Greensboro during the war have been adequately covered. 

Greensboro - this Saturday.

I'll be speaking in Greensboro this Saturday. If you get a chance, come and join us!

Getting between the Confederate Capitals

One aspect of the War that has always been of interest to me is the role of transportation. In our world, we can easily travel from place to place, and find ourselves irritated when traffic, weather, mechanical issues, or accidents delay or divert our journeys or cause us to change forms of transport.  However, throughout the nineteenth century, including the four years of the war, travel was often complex and convoluted. Yet, it often came with a surprising variety of choices, and sometimes at greater speed than we would expect of a world without interstates or the internal combustion engine.   Most travel was conducted not from point A to Point B, in a single vehicle, but from one rail station, dock, or coach  stop to another, with multiple changes of transport in between.

This is true when looking at the various cities that served as a Confederate capital. When the delegates arrived in Montgomery, a few undoubtedly rode on horses or arrived by carriages. The majority came by train or by riverboat. When the first session was over, they left by the same means. In May 1861, when Jefferson Davis and a few others set out for Richmond, it was a trip that took only three days. Davis left on May 26, and arrived in Richmond on May 29. Save for the occasions when he rode out to inspect the troops in the defenses around Richmond, Davis resorted to rail travel. This includes when Davis visited the fields of Manassas in July 1861, and when he visited the Army of Tennessee in late 1863.

The Confederate government took to the rails on the night of April 2, 1865. The engine that pulled the train from Richmond to Danville was the Charles Sneddon. When Davis chose to abandon Danville, he set out on one train bound for Greensboro, but that engine broke down, leaving the president and cabinet alone in the darkness while a new engine was retrieved from Danville. When it came time for Davis to move from Greensboro to Charlotte, he was forced to take to the horse once again. Stoneman's raiders had wrecked many of the lines in and around Greensboro.

The image above is of the Charles Sneddon - the train last train out of Richmond. 

The pictures I wish I had.

Every so often, some message will be floating around on facebook that goes something along these lines: "If you could go back in history for one day to observe something, when and where would you go?" Or, "If you could talk for one hour with just one person from the past, who would it be?" I've kind of developed an answer of my own. I would not want to go back for a day to observe something, but I would want to go back with a camera to take a few pictures of places and people to fill in the gaps and gather images we need to have today. Such a list could go on and on, and researching and writing The Capitals of the Confederacy has brought to the forefront my desire for several images I wish we could have. So here is my short list, an inventory of photographs I wish I could have had to complement The Capitals of the Confederacy.

1. Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens together, maybe even on inauguration day. I'd probably take this photo in Montgomery, namely because it rained when Davis and Stephens were inaugurated in Richmond. I would want a photograph of Davis and Stephens, a close-up on the portico of the Alabama state house in Montgomery, standing side by side, or, maybe Davis sitting and Stephens sitting, because Stephens was so small. While I am in Montgomery, I might try to get photos of the various buildings while they were being used by the Confederate government, and maybe one of Toombs, Stephens, the Cobbs, and Rhett together.

2. When the Confederate government moved to Richmond, they acquired several buildings to use as government offices. One of those buildings was the Old United States Custom's House. Davis's executive office was located in the judge's chamber. The court room was turned into a cabinet meeting room and war planning office. According to one later history, the walls were covered with large maps of both the new Confederacy and the surrounding border states. A picture of Davis's office, and the cabinet meeting would be grand. Of course, while in Richmond, there are other photographs I would take: The Confederate House and Senate chambers, in the Virginia State House, with the members at their desks. A picture of Davis's office at Spotswood Hotel (room 83) would also be nice. There are many other photos I would take in Richmond - the interior of Chimborazo, Winder, and Jackson Hospitals; the matrons and slaves/free persons of color working at those hospitals; ladies making uniforms; Camp Lee; the prostitutes who lived in Screamerville;  the gravediggers plying their trade in Hollywood and Oakwood Cemeteries; Davis and his cabinet; the aftermath of the bread riots in 1863; Stonewall Jackson's funeral.... This list could probably go on for a couple of pages, but those listed would be in my top ten.

3. Following the fall of Petersburg, many left Richmond for Danville. Off the top of my head, I am not aware of any war-time photographs of Danville. I am aware of post-war photographs of some of the tobacco warehouses used as Federal prisoners, and of the Sutherlin Mansion, and a few other structures. How about a war-time photo of the Sutherlins in front of their grand home, or maybe with Davis in the front parlor? A photo of the defenses constructed outside the town would also be nice.

4. A number of war-time buildings in Danville still exist, so it is possible to get a feel for the war-time era. In Greensboro, where Davis and cabinet went next, there is really not much to see. The building that Davis stayed in is gone, and likewise, the buildings connected with the train depot. A photograph of the boxcar that the cabinet used while in Greensboro, or maybe the headquarters train of P. G. T. Beauregard would have been awesome.

5. I am quite certain that there are no war-time photos of Charlotte. I, along with other folks, have searched for years. Davis standing on the front porch of the Bates home, making his speech, would have been grand. Maybe a photo of the CS Naval works in Charlotte, the meeting of the cabinet in the bank, or even at the Phifer home around the sickbed of Trenholm would be outstanding. Or a war-time photo of the old US mint building, where the CS treasury was temporarily deposited, or even the US soldiers who garrisoned the town after the war was over. A big wish would be D. H. Hill, James H. Lane, and Charles C. Lee with the Cadets of the North Carolina Military Institute before they marched off to serve as drill masters would help me highlight several books.

I guess this list could go on and on - I would probably spend a lot of time photographing men in the field, Lee and his staff in front of his headquarters tent, various regiments in the mid-war time frame in line of battle with their colors unfurled, Lee and Jackson together. The battle fields of Chickamauga, Resaca, and Kolb's Farm right the battles there. Yes, this list could go on and on and on......

The woodcut above is an idealized image of Davis and his first cabinet. To my knowledge (and about everyone else's, too) it is not based on an actual photograph, but it would be fantastic to have such a photo of Davis and the entire cabinet together.

Now taking orders!!!!

Now taking orders for signed copies!!! The Capitals of the Confederacy will be released in a couple of weeks, and I am now taking pre-orders for signed copies. Books will be mailed as soon as they arrive from the publisher.

Can I tell you a little about The Capitals of the Confederacy? This new book, my twentieth, looks at the places that served as the Confederate capital. The journey starts in Montgomery with the gathering of delegates from the Deep South states. These delegates form a new government based upon the old United States Constitution. With the secession of Virginia, the government moves from Alabama to Richmond, a city much larger and, arguably, the most important in the new Confederate States of America. For four years, Richmond is the Confederate capital. On April 2, 1865, Federal forces break through Confederate defenses south of Petersburg, forcing Richmond to be evacuated. Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of the Confederate Cabinet move to Danville, Virginia. Following the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, Davis and the Cabinet move to Greensboro, then Charlotte, North Carolina. In Charlotte, the Confederate government collapses. Davis moves into South Carolina, and eventually Georgia, as Cabinet members drop off at various points along the way. Davis is eventually captured on May 10 in southern Georgia.

This new book looks at each of these places, from Montgomery to Charlotte, examining the role that they played and the contributions they provided the Southern Confederacy. There is even a chapter tracking Davis's movement through South Carolina and Georgia. The final chapter looks at places people can visit in five different states to learn more.

Copies are $17.00, plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Checks can be sent to PO Box 393, Crossnore, NC   28616. 

My favorite part

Many times, people will ask about my favorite part of a book. Well, I like all of it. If I didn't like a part, I rewrote it! That being said, I deeply enjoyed researching the chapter on Montgomery.

It is surprising that I don't write more about Alabama. Portions of my family first moved to the state in the 1840s. I have a score of Alabama ancestors who fought for the Confederacy. My dad was born in Alabama; I graduated from the University of Alabama (I could go on). However, The Capitals of the Confederacy is the first time I have ever put pen on paper and written about the state.  Other parts of the book I have written about in the past. I've covered Richmond in other projects, most notably The Battle of Hanover Court House. Danville has had a mention or two, as had Greensboro in North Carolina in the Civil War as well as Tar Heels in the Army of Tennessee: The Fifty-eighth North Carolina Troops. And of course, I go into great depths about Charlotte and the War in Civil War Charlotte: Last Capital of the Confederacy.

Researching and writing about Montgomery was something new, something fresh. And I had a couple of great resources, including William C. Davis's A Government of Our Own, to use. It is a really great book and I've found myself becoming a fan of Davis’s work. I've been to or passed through Montgomery on numerous occasions, visiting the First White House of the Confederacy and the state history museum. There is even a picture or two around here of me with the star on the state house rotunda.

I'm looking forward to getting back to Montgomery and Alabama in general. It's been a couple of years since my boots trod the red clay of my ancestors.