Looking for NC's Civil War - the flag of the 37th NCT

You've probably figured this out by now, but just in case you have not, I have a special interest in a few of North Carolina's regiments. One of those, the subject of my first book, is the 37th North Carolina Troops. This regiment was mustered into service in November 1861, and became members of the Branch-Lane brigade, Light Division, Army of Northern Virginia. The 37th NCT lost more men during the war than any other Tar Heel regiment.

This flag was issued to the regiment prior to the battle of Fredericksburg in late 1862, and was captured on April 2, 1865, below Petersburg, Virginia.

For over two decades now, I've been following the flag of the 37th NCT around. When I was a child, this flag was one of eight that hung over the sarcophagus of Robert E. Lee in Lee Chapel in Lexington, Virginia. My next encounter came in the late 1990s as I researched for the book on the 37th NCT. The flag was at Pamplin Park, at their Breakthrough Museum, not far from where it was captured. Next came a special treat at the North Carolina Museum of History in May 2008. I got to speak about the regiment, and then unveiled the flag to a packed house. Now, the flag, pictured here, is at the new Appomattox branch of the Museum of the Confederacy.

This photo was taken in May 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Hastings House

In February 1865, Confederate Generals Joseph E. Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard left their headquarters in Charlotte and moved via-rail towards Smithville. They planned to confront a portion of William T. Sherman's army.  The William Hastings House, built ca. 1854, is located in Smithfield, Johnston County. This house, although not on its original site, served as their headquarters prior to the battle of Bentonville.

I took this photograph of the Hasting House in March 2008.

On the road this week

Folks, I'll be hitting the trail again this week. I'll be speaking to the JEB Stuart  SCV Camp this evening in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. They meet at 7:00 pm at the Sagebrush Steakhouse (6:00 pm for dinner). Everyone is welcome.

On Thursday, July 26, I'll be speaking on Civil War Charlotte at the Watauga County Public Library in Boone. Time is 1:00 pm.

On Saturday, July 28, I'll be at the Yancey County Genealogy Research Get Together at the Yancey County Public Library in Burnsville. The event runs from 12:00 until 5:00 pm.

Looking for NC's Civil War - the Sunken Road

When it comes to War-time history, there are some places that are iconic: Ft. Sumter, the High Water Marker at Gettysburg, and the Cedar Grove at Murfreesboro are just a few. Among that list is the Sunken Road at Sharpsburg.

The Army of Northern Virginia had advanced north, into Maryland. Since the Federals were pressing his army, Lee sought to concentrate his men at the village of Sharpsburg, near Antietam Creek. The Federals attacked Lee’s left first but were never able to completely overpower the Confederates. Next they tried the center, with elements of Daniel Hill’s division positioned in a sunken farm road. Part of the position was occupied by George Anderson’s brigade, made up of the 2^nd, 4^th, 14^th and 30^th North Carolina Regiments. These regiments were eventually pushed out of their position, now known as the Bloody Lane, but not before stalling several Federal attacks. Anderson’s brigade lost 327 killed and wounded.

Taken in May 2010, this photograph shows the position of the 14th North Carolina State Troops in the Sunken Road.

Camden Library and Cleveland County Library To Display Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit in August

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 North Carolina’s role in the Civil War (1861-1865). It will visit the Pasquotank-Camden Library in Elizabeth City and the Cleveland County Library in Shelby on simultaneous routes in August.

At the Pasquotank-Camden Library the traveling exhibit is on display Aug. 5-29. A “Tea Social” on Aug. 5 at 2:30 p.m. will launch the exhibit opening and also a reading series, “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War.” Visitors can meet North Carolina Humanities Scholar Dr. Hillary Green, browse the exhibit and meet re-enactors Frank Parrish and Mark Maland, who will portray Generals Lee and Grant, respectively, in a dramatic reading narrated by Tom Cherry.

In Cleveland County the statewide commemorative exhibit is open Aug. 1-29.

“The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography,” explains Deputy Secretary Dr. Jeffrey Crow of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. “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.”

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 the South. A total of 24 images will be exhibited by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncdcr.gov) in 50 libraries and four museums throughout the state from April 2011 to May 2013. A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further information and seeking viewer comments.

Amidst the photos will be a picture portraying the battle at Fort Fisher, “Parapet Position,” which shows a re-enactment of Union soldiers advancing over the fort parapets in the march to cut off the supply lines to the Confederate Army before capturing Wilmington; and an image of a “Mourning Ring,” a popular adornment worn by Southern women to show support for loved ones fighting in the war.

For information on the exhibit call the libraries at 252-335-2473 (Elizabeth City) or 704-487-9069 (Shelby). For information on the tour visitwww.nccivilwar150.com or call (919) 807-7389.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Cross Creek Cemetery

Fayetteville has a rich War-time history. One familiar story regards  the US Armory which the Confederates appropriated and used to manufacture weapons. Fayetteville was visited by Sherman in 1865, who destroyed the army building. Fayetteville is also the site of North Carolina's first Confederate monument.

Sherman’s forces were barely out of Fayetteville when a group of ladies, led by Ann Kyle, the wife of a Confederate captain, obtained from the mayor a plot of land in Cross Creek Cemetery. Kyle raised the money to purchase coffins and have graves dug. Soon thereafter, the remains of thirty Confederate soldiers who had died in various places around town were reinterred in the new Confederate section. After coordinating the movement of Confederate soldiers in Fayetteville, the ladies determined to raise a monument. They pieced together a quilt and began to sell raffle tickets not only in Fayetteville but also in Chapel Hill, Tarboro, and Wilmington. Their goal was to raise $1,000. In a war-ravaged economy, they only managed to raise one-third of that sum. Martha Lewis won the quilt in May 1868 and then sent the prize to former Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The ladies next employed a local stonemason to construct and install the monument. On December 30, 1868, the monument to the Confederate dead at Cross Creek Cemetery in Fayetteville, the first in North Carolina, was dedicated. This was the fifth Confederate monument raised in the South following the end of the war.

I've visited Fayetteville on several occasions. This photo was taken in October 2009.

Looking for NC's Civil War - 60th North Carolina Monument

There were five North Carolina regiments at the Battle of Chickamauga, which was fought September 18-20, 1863, in north Georgia. Each of these regiments, four infantry and one cavalry, were assigned to different brigades and fought in different parts of the battle.

Bragg’s plan for September 20 was for the right of the Confederate line to attack at “day-dawn,” while the divisions to the left engaged once their neighbors made contact. Breckinridge’s division launched the first attack and quickly landed in the rear of the Federal lines. The 60^th North Carolina was in the center of the attack that pushed the Federals back. A call for reinforcements went out to follow up the successful attack, a call that went unheeded. Federal reinforcements soon arrived, and the Confederates, so close to cutting off the Federal line of retreat, were pushed back. Of the 150 men taken into the attack by the 60^th Regiment, 8 were killed, 36 were wounded, and 16 were reported missing.

Many decades after the War, North Carolina appointed a group of commissioners to go to Chickamauga and mark the places the regiments had fought. Three of those regiments-- the 39th, 58th, and 60th--eventually received monuments. . On November 10, 1905, Gov. Robert Glenn gathered with “a small party of North Carolinians” to dedicated the Tar Heel markers. The marker to the 60th was dedicated first, followed by the marker to the 58th NCT.

This photo was taken in April 2011.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Slash Church

Hanover County, Virginia, is packed with history: from Native Americans and European explorers, to Revolutionary War history. Much concerning the Civil War also took place in the area. On May 26, 1862, Brigadier General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch made his headquarters here, at Slash Church. His staff officers slept in the pews that night, as the men who formed his North Carolina brigade slept in the rain outside the building. The next day, portions of Branch's forces pitched into the Federals of Fitz John Porter's Fifth Corps to the east. The day would result in a Confederate loss.

Branch did not survive the war; he was killed at the battle of Sharpsburg in September of that year. Slash Church did survive the War, and a later fire. The building, or most of it, was constructed in 1729, and it is the oldest such structure in Virginia.

I have been to Slash Church on several occasions, even attending worship there when I was working on my book on the battle of Hanover Court House. This photograph dates from May 2010.

On the Road

Two events coming up in the next week.

On Sunday, July 15, I'll be speaking and singing at Park Road Books in Charlotte at 2:00 pm. Subject: Civil War Charlotte: Last Capital of the Confederacy.

On Tuesday, July 17, at 4:00, I'll be leading a workshop on researching your Civil War ancestor at the Watauga County Public Library in Boone. Everyone is invited!

Looking for NC's Civil War - Blanford Church Cemetery

Among North Carolina's soldiers, the War produced some 36,000 to 40,000 dead. Some of these men were killed on a battlefield, while others died of wounds they received. The majority died of disease. The Blanford Church Cemetery, in Petersburg, Virginia, is proclaimed as the largest Confederate Cemetery. And the vast majority of the 30,000 plus dead, died during the war. There were others that were brought in and reinterred after the war was over.

When possible, soldiers were buried in plots divided up into sections by states. This marker denotes the location of the North Carolina section.

This photograph was taken in March 2007.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Allison-Deaver House

Located in Brevard, in Transylvania County, the Allison-Deaver house has a good bit of sad, War-time history associated with it. Considered the oldest standing frame house in western North Carolina, portions of it were built in 1815. According to the story, a group of bushwhackers attacked the house, looking for Capt. James Deaver. Instead of finding him,  they found his father, William Deaver, whom was shot and mortally wounded on the front porch. The house is open for tours May through October.

This photograph was taken in October 2008.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Cumberland Gap

When it comes to history, more people would associate Cumberland Gap with Daniel Boone and the Wilderness Road than with the Civil War. While the famed explorer certainly passed through the Gap on more than one occasion, the area also has very strong connections with Civil War history. Both sides built defenses on the top of Cumberland Mountain. And, not once during the war did these fortifications actually fall to a attack of the enemy. No, usually the enemy simply used another pass, and surrounded the Mountain and the Gap, simply waiting for those on the Mountain to get hungry and surrender.

There were several North Carolina regiments stationed at Cumberland Gap, or the surrounding area, from 1861 until 1863. The 29th NCT was there, and it was the 58th NCT that was left behind to garrison the area in September 1862. In September 1863, a large portion of the 64th NCT was captured at the Gap, with the resulting stay at Northern prisons resulting in numerous deaths.

Cumberland Gap is a place I visit regularly, as it is on the way between my house and the home of my in-laws. This photo of Fort McCook was taken in June 2008.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Oxford Confederate monument

There are more than 150 Monuments to North Carolina's Confederate soldiers. The Granville County monument was dedicated on October 20, 1909, with North Carolina governor William W. Kitchin speaking. The monument was raised by the Granville Grays Chapter of the United daughters of the Confederacy. One witness to the day of dedication wrote that "the line of march [by the old soldiers] was flanked by thousands of beautiful women and handsome men, and as many of God's sweetest smile - numberless happy-faced children. None were more attractive, none presented a finer appearance than the several hundred orphans under the guardianship of the Masons of North Carolina." The monument originally sat in the middle of the street but was later relocated in front of the library.

This photograph was taken in June 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Battery Buchanan

Way out on Federal Point, where US 421 ends, stands an earthen mound. It does not look like much today, but during the War, it was an impressive fortification that mounted four heavy guns. Battery Buchanan, the works further to the north at Fort Fisher, was constructed to protect the port at Wilmington, along the Cape Fear River.

Battery Buchanan was constructed in 1864. On January 15, 1865, as the Federals attacked Fort Fisher, the Fort's wounded commanders, Gen. W. H. C. Whiting and Col. William Lamb, were taken via stretcher to Battery Buchanan with hopes of being loaded on boats and making their escape. They found no boats and were forced to surrender as the Federal troops closed in.

I have visited Battery Buchanan on several occasions. This photo was taken in June 2012.

Looking for North Carolina's Civil War

You have probably already figured this out, but just in case you haven't: I travel. A lot. Some trips are to do research, and others to talk and sell books, while a few trips are just for fun. And, I take pictures. Thousands of them. With all of these trips and photos, you would have thought it would not have taken me as long to come up with a way to use them. So, I'm going to start a new series here on the old blog. It is going to be called "Looking for North Carolina's Civil War." Over the next few months and years, I hope to share with you some of the places that I have gone and how they are connected to the War. These places might be forts, battlefields, historic houses, or old cemeteries. Most of the stories will be short. I hope you enjoy. And, if you have any places you think I should visit, please drop me a line and let's chat.

The Patriotic Past

Reid Mitchell, in his book Civil War Soldiers, once observed that "the Civil War soldier proved curiously filled with echoes of the American Revolution. The patriotic past and the Biblical past were the two great historical memories by which Americans measured their present."

There is probably no place in North Carolina (and few in the South) where Reid's words rang more true than in Charlotte.  For many years prior to the War, local citizens gathered each May 20 to celebrate the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. While scholars today debate the Meck Dec's actually existence, in the 1850s and 1860s, local citizens congregated yearly to remember what their grandfathers (and probably a few fathers) had done to defy the British.

In reference to Mitchell's statement, I thought we might look at a few examples of Charlotte citizens' use of their "patriotic past."  There are probably many, many more than just these few.

At Morrow's Turn Out, in December 1860, Jas. Ardrey, speaking to the crowd while the committee met, appealed "to the sons of Mecklenburg to know if they had degenerated since the days of '76." (Western Democrat 18 December 1860)

At a meeting approving the candidates for the proposed convention in February 1861, part of the resolution read "That the spirit which animated the patriots of 1775, in Mecklenburg, survives to us as our birth right, and shall be exerted now with the same determination to maintain and defend our rights." (Western Democrat  26 February 1861)

In April 1861, the ladies of Charlotte presented a flag to the Hornet's Nest Riflemen, right before the company left for Fort Caswell. In their presentation speech, the ladies reminded the men that "You are honored as being among the first called by our Governor to maintain the honor of the State and defend those rights maintained by our forefathers on the 20th of May, 1775." (Western Democrat April 23, 1861)

In September 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was in town, speaking for 15 to 20 minutes in the rain at the railroad depot.  Trying to rally the support of the people, Davis said "that he was happy to meet the old people of Mecklenburg, whose ancestors were known in history as the foremost and staunchest friends of freedom; that no matter who made the first written declaration of independence, it was certain that the people of this section were the first to defy British authorities and declare themselves free; that the present struggle for liberty from yankee tyranny proved that the spirit of the sires of '75 and '76 still actuated their descendants." (Western Democrat 27 September 1864)

So just a few quotations. I wonder how other Tar Heel towns felt? Maybe some more newspaper digging is in  the future. It would be equally interesting to compare Charlotte, with say, Philadelphia...

Anyone interested in talking about the War?

Ok - I know up front that there are already organizations called "Civil War Round Tables." I  have spoken at quite a few of them. But for the lack of a better term, I've been calling a program that I've been working on for the past couple of years "________ County Civil War Round Table." This past Tuesday evening, I moderated the Burke County and the Civil War Round Table discussion at The History Museum of Burke County.  This event was a stunning success. There were around 75 to 80 people present, and we talked for about two hours about the War, and about Burke County and the War.

For the past four or five years, I've been working on having similar discussions at several other libraries and museums, in Watauga, Caldwell, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. They usually likewise meet with success. At one in Avery County a couple of years ago, Dr. Allen Spear of Lees-McRae College brought his entire Civil War class to the discussion.  

Most of these discussions are very rich, and the subject matter varies, even at times when the event has been held in the same county repeatedly. Sometimes the groups of participants are small, just a dozen or so people. At other times, there are 30 or 40, or even 80 people. Not everyone participates in the discussion, but I believe everyone takes something away, or learns something new. I know that I do - I learn something new every time I moderate one of these discussions. Hopefully, it gets people thinking.

The way the program works is like this. At the appointed hour, I open the meeting (sometimes I get introduced), but  after a few opening remarks - there is only one rule: we are not going to talk about anything modern - just about the War or Reconstruction. After the one rule, I give a few other remarks. In Burke County, I talked briefly about what a deep war-time history Burke County has, about Col. Isaac Avery, about Camp Vance, and about Stoneman's Raid. This usually lasts five or six or seven minutes. Then, I sit down. Participants can ask me anything about the War. That in itself is nerve-wracking. By no means do I even know everything about just North Carolina and the War. But after 29 years of research into the War, and the past seventeen just about North Carolina, I'm pretty confident that I've encountered it in some form or fashion. And hey, if I don't know, maybe someone in the crowd does. That is the beauty of the discussion: it often gets people talking to each other about local and regional history.

So, I have decided to try and hold this type of meeting in every county in at least the western part of the North Carolina, even though I am receptive to the eastern counties as well. If you are involved in a historical group or library, and would like to be involved, please drop me a line. Some of these meetings are co-sponsored. The event in Avery County is usually co-sponsored by both the Col. John B. Palmer Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the Avery County Historical Society and Museum, and held at the Avery-Morrison Public Library in Newland.  So there is a lot of opportunity to work together.

I am also open to a new name. Maybe something just as simple as "Avery County Civil War Discussion." What do you think?

Please drop me a line (you can use the form to the right) or comment back here if you are open to helping put something together. I am going to email a standard letter to all of the libraries/historical societies and groups in the western half of the state. To be honest, I might hear from one or two. So, it takes you to help me get the word out.

Burke County

Tomorrow night, I will be heading up the Burke County Civil War Round Table at the Burke County History Museum, so I thought we might spend some time surveying Burke County and the War. By the way, the program, on June 26, 2012, begins at 6:00. Everyone is welcomed.

Burke County, in the western portion of the state, was created in 1777 and named for Thomas Burke, delegate to the Continental Congress and governor of North Carolina from 1781-1782. The county is the parent county of Alexander, Buncombe, Caldwell, Catawba, Madison, Mitchell, McDowell, and Yancey counties. The county seat is Morganton, incorporated in 1784 and named for Gen. Daniel Morgan, who led the Patriot forces during the battle of Cowpens.

In 1860, there were 9,237 people who lived within the confines of Burke County. This included 2,471 slaves, and 276 free persons of color.

One of the Burke citizens was local politician William W. Avery. Avery had served in the General Assembly, and in 1856, was speaker of the Senate. Avery ran for the U. S. Congress in 1858, but lost to Zebulon Baird Vance. In 1860, Avery chaired the committee which introduced the resolution that split the party, leading some members to walk out of the meeting. He later served in the Provisional Confederate Congress, but was defeated for election. Avery returned to western North Carolina, and was in the process of recruiting a cavalry battalion when he was killed.

Avery County men cast 470 votes for Breckinridge, 447 for Bell, and 4 for Douglas in the 1860 presidential election. In the February 1861 call for a convention to consider a secession convention, Burke Cast 718 votes for, with 273 against the convention. Surprisingly, the voters elected Dr. John Calhoun McDowell, who opposed secession, as the local representative, over lawyer Burgess S. Gaither. McDowell's brother, Dr. Joseph A. McDowell, also served in the convention, representing Madison County.

Local men served in Company G, 1st North Carolina State Troops;  Company D, 6th North Carolina State Troops; Company D, 11th North Carolina State Troops; Company E, 16th North Carolina State Troops; Company B, 46th North Carolina Troops; Company H, 6th North Carolina Cavalry;  Company G, 3rd North Carolina Junior Reserves, and Company G, 8th Battalion North Carolina Junior Reserves. There were also a few men in the 2nd and 3rd North Carolina Mounted infantry (US). Several of the Avery slaves also served in the 40th United States Colored Troops. Overall, Terrell Garren in Mountain Myth, writes that there were 1,450 men from Burke County who served in the Confederate army, and 28 men who served in the Union army. Of the Confederate forces, 308 died while in service.

Probably the most famous soldier from Burke County was Isaac Avery, colonel of the 6th North Carolina State Troops and brother to W. W. Avery. Colonel Avery, after being mortally wounded on day 2 of the battle of Gettysburg, penned the hauntimg words "Major, tell my father I died with my face to the enemy." This blood-spattered letter is a part of the collection at the North Carolina Museum of History. Another Avery brother, Col. Clarke Moulton of the 33rd North Carolina Troops, was killed the following year during the battle of the Wilderness. A fourth Avery brother, Maj. A. C. Avery, led a cavalry battalion, known as Avery's Battalion, during the war. A. C. Avery was a brother-in-law to Stonewall Jackson.  

Confederate officials established Camp Vance in Burke County, to the east of Morganton not far from where the railroad terminated, in mid-1863. The camp was a base for the efforts in western North Carolina to deal with new soldiers (such as the junior reserves in 1864), and for conscripts rounded up in periodic sweeps through the area. Men were taken to the railroad depot and sent further on, back to their regiments or to Salisbury prison. Camp Vance contained several buildings, such as a jail, barracks, and a hospital. In June 1864, Capt. George W. Kirk, of the 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry, led a raid out of east Tennessee, through the mountains of western North Carolina, and attacked Camp Vance. The camp was forced to capitulate, and the Federals captured over 200 men. Kirk's band, after burning a train, boxcars, and other supplies, along with the buildings of the camp, set out back to east Tennessee. They fought three different skirmishes in northern Burke County. In one skirmish, Kirk used some of his prisoners as human shields, and then laughed when the local home guardsmen shot and killed Confederate soldiers. In another of the skirmishes, W. W. Avery was mortally wounded. Kirk, wounded himself, was able to make it back to Federal lines. Camp Vance was rebuilt.

The war was never far from Burke County. Numerous small raids were conducted through the area in 1864 and 1865. In April 1865, a large contingent of Federal soldiers, conducting what has become known as Stoneman's Raid, arrived in Burke County. On April 17, Union soldiers battled with the  local home guard at Rocky Ford along the Catawba River. After holding the Federals at bay for several hours, the local home guardsmen began to run low on ammunition for both small arms and their one artillery piece. Also, a large Federal force soon attacked at Flemmings Ford, pushing aside the defenders. The main defensive force at Rocky Ford was forced to withdraw. Federal cavalry was soon in Morganton. Homes, barns, and smokehouses were ransacked. Louisa Norwood wrote that the Federal soldiers "tore everything to pieces... and put pistols to the ladies' heads, drove them out of the house and took what they liked, guided by a negro boy." Some homes were burned, including that of Dr. Felix Dula, and the records from the courthouse. On April 19, the Federal cavalry headed west toward Asheville.

Following the war, a permanent post for the Federal army was established in Morganton, and continued in operation for a number of years. On June 22, 1918, a Confederate monument was dedicated on the grounds of the Burke County Court House. There is also a Civil War Trail Marker at Rocky Ford and Morganton.

Press Release--High County Festival of the Book Civil War Symposium

Featuring Douglas Southall Freeman award-winning author Rod Gragg and Patrick Schroeder, Historian of Appomattox Court House National Battlefield and noted author/publisher. Additional speakers include authors Patricia Garber, Dr. Judkin Browning and Dr. Andrew Slap. On Saturday we have a Civil War panel discussion as part of our larger book festival with authors, Michael Hardy, Johnny Pearson, Rod Gragg, and Patrick Schroeder.

The Symposium is part of the High Country Festival of the Book. The cost for the Symposium is $50 and includes lunch and invitation to the evening opening ceremony with NC Poet Laureate, Fred Chappell (a portion of the entry fee is tax deductible). The events on Saturday are free and opened to the general public for more information on the Book Festival and Symposium tickets: www.highcountryfestivalofthebook.com

On the website click on the Civil War Symposium link on the left hand side for further information.

CSS Neuse Moves to Downtown Kinston

KINSTON - After many years of planning and preparation, the CSS Neuse will move to its new climate controlled home in downtown Kinston on Saturday, June 23. The 141 foot remains of the vessel will be loaded onto moving dollies at sunrise to begin the short journey from Vernon Avenue to downtown. The 260 tons will travel at the dizzying speed of one mile per hour and should arrive at its destination after two hours.

The ironclad CSS Neuse was a new class of warship built with iron plates attached to protect her crew. Because of her weight and the receding Neuse River, she saw little military action and was scuttled and burned by her crew in 1865. For nearly 100 years, the remains rested on the bottom of the Neuse River. Since 1964, the vessel has been part of the CSS Neuse/Governor Richard Caswell State Historic Site. This is the only commissioned Confederate ironclad that remains above water.

In addition to climate control, the new space at 100 N. Queen St. has a 12 inch slab below floor to hold the vessel, and the tall beams needed to support the ceiling. Because of the size of the ironclad, construction on the building will be completed after the Neuse is positioned inside.

The Caswell Memorial will remain open during the period of the move, but tours of the CSS Neuse have been suspended as preparations for the move are underway.

For additional information, call (919) 807-7389. The CSS Neuse/Governor Caswell State Historic Site is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Now taking orders!

Now taking orders for signed copies of Civil War Charlotte: Last Capital of the Confederacy. This new book, the only look at Charlotte, North Carolina, and the war, will be released next week, and orders will be shipped then. The books are $18.00 each, plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Books can be ordered via my website, www.michaelchardy.com, or a check or money order mailed to Michael C. Hardy, PO Box 393, Crossnore, NC   28616. If you have any questions, please drop me a line.

News and notes...

Friends - I thought we would look around the Old North State and see what is going on - in the news, that is. I hope you enjoy.

The Union County Historic Preservation Commission has moved to allow a new Confederate monument, one honoring slaves, to be erected at the Old County Courthouse in Monroe. You can read more here in this article from the Charlotte Observer or here at Fox News.

The Associated Press is running a piece nationally today, looking for help on identifying some images held by the Museum of the Confederacy. One of those photos is labeled "An unidentified man found in a tent somewhere in North Carolina during the war." Check it out here.

There is much in the news surrounding the Confederate monument in Reidsville. You can read stories here, here, and here.

In Anderson, South Carolina, three Confederate headstones were recently dedicated to three Confederate soldiers, including one Tar Heel. Check it out here.

Off to the east coast.

Folks, I'll be on an east coast swing the next few days. I'll be speaking Thursday, June 7, to the 47th Regiment NC Troops SCV Camp in Wake Forest. They meet at Forks Cafeteria at 6:30 pm.

On Saturday, I'll be Fort Fisher Historic Site, below Wilmington. I'll be speaking at 1:30 pm.

On Sunday, June 10, I'll be speaking to the Columbus County Volunteers SCV Camp. They meet at the NC Forestry Museum (at 2:00 pm, I believe).

State Capitol to Bring Civil War Home Front to Life

RALEIGH - The State Capitol will host a living history event to demonstrate what life was like for citizens of Raleigh living on the Civil War home front in the summer of 1862. The free event will take place Saturday, June 9, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Visitors can visit a re-created Confederate post office, learn about Raleigh's several hospitals from a re-enactor playing the part of a surgeon, or attend a soldiers' benefit concert in the historic House Chamber performed by the Huckleberry Brothers string band. Costumed interpreters will demonstrate and help patrons try their hand at many of the skills women carried out to aid the war effort, including knitting, sewing, spinning, carding wool, bandage rolling and more.

The 6th North Carolina State Troops reenactment group will operate a Confederate recruitment station on the grounds while demonstrating drilling and parade instruction typical of a soldier's earliest lessons upon joining the service.

This event is part of the North Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial, a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in North Carolina. The event is also part of the Department of Cultural Resources' 2nd Saturdays summer programming series which showcase North Carolina's culture, heritage, and arts. For a complete schedule of more than 100 2nd Saturdays programs across North Carolina, go to www.ncculture.com or call 919-807-7385

The State Capitol's mission is to preserve and interpret the history, architecture and functions of the 1840 building and Union Square. The Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington Streets. For more information, visit www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol or call (919) 733-4994.

Help Wanted [from the Bennett Place]

We [the Bennett Place] are now in the process of redesigning our museum exhibits (first designed in 1983) to better tell the story of the end of the American Civil War. However, we need your help. Funding is extremely limited for the purchase of artifacts to tell this important story of our American history. We are seeking donations of original artifacts of the both Union and Confederate Armies, which ...were part of the Army of Tennessee, CSA and Maj. Gen. Sherman’s Armies, USA.

Some of the artifacts we are seeking:

-Cavalry related-Saddles, bridles, stirrups, Blanket rolls, canteens, sabers, pistols, uniforms, and other related cavalry gear

-Infantry soldier personal effects: cartridge boxes, cap boxes, canteens, haversacks, knapsacks, dice, playing cards, Bibles, books, toothbrushes, combs, tin ware-cups, plates, eating utensils, shoes, socks, hats, uniforms, and other related infantry gear.

-Photographs of individual soldiers in these armies

***Full Credit will be given publicly to each individual or group who donates the artifact.

**Monetary donations are also graciously accepted.

Thank you for helping contribute to YOUR museum.

If interested please send response to:

Bennett Place State Historic Site
Attn. Site Manager
4409 Bennett Memorial Road
Durham, North Carolina 27705
bennett@ncdcr.gov
919-383-4345

Note on Hanover

Busy, busy, busy. I've been traveling, speaking, and tackling some home improvement projects, so not much time to blog lately. But I did want to take a few moments to give you a recap of one of the places I've been.

Last Sunday, I had the chance to stand on the ground in and around Hanover Court House. It was really a special occurrence, as last Sunday was the 150th Anniversary of the battle. The Historic Hanover Tavern put together a lecture and a tour of the battle site. I gave the lecture part of the program, while a little over 45 guests ate lunch. This was followed by a tour led by Robert E. L. Krick. We loaded on buses and visited Slash Church, the Kinney Farm, and the site of the fight between the 18th and 37th North Carolina Regiments, and the 2nd Maine, 25th and 44th New York regiments. A special addition was a visit to historic Dundee, a favorite haunt of JEB Stuart during the War.

Overall, it was a fabulous way to spend May 27, 2012.

The photo - part of the tour group on the ground of the Kinney Farm. This is where the 28th North Carolina was positioned on May 27, 1862.

Nantahala Regional Library System Will Display Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit at Four Sites in June

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 North Carolina’s role in the Civil War (1861-1865), a defining period in United States history.

The statewide traveling exhibit will visit the Nantahala Regional Library in June: at the Graham Library June 1-8, the Andrews Library June 9-15, the Murphy Library June 16-22 and the Moss Library in Hayesville June 23-29.

“The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography,” explains Deputy Secretary Dr. Jeffrey Crow of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. “ 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.”

Images gathered from the State Archives (www.archives.ncdcr.gov), the N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org), and State Historic Sites (http://www.nchistoricsites.org) will illustrate valiant members of the Confederacy, African Americans fighting for freedom, and daring women dedicated to the South. A total of 24 images is being 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 accompanies the exhibit with further information and seeking viewer comments.

Among the photos will be an image of a rare dress from the Civil War period from the collection of the Museum of the Cape Fear in Fayetteville. The inscription written inside the bodice reads: “Janie W. Robeson/1864/calico $8 pr yd brought on blockade str from Nassau Bermuda [Bahama] island.” It tells that a blockade runner brought the fabric into North Carolina, which was purchased for a dress for Janie W. Robeson.

For information on the Nantahala tour call (828) 837-2025. For information on the exhibit visitwww.nccivilwar150.com or call (919) 807-7389.

Off to Virginia

Friends, I've got a couple of engagements this week. Thursday evening, I will be speaking with friend Sharyn McCrumb at the Roanoke Public Library in Virginia. The subject will be the lives of Keith and Malinda Blalock. Everyone is invited.

On Sunday, May 27, I'll be at the Historic Hanover Tavern, in Hanover, Virginia, speaking about the May 27, 1862, battle of Hanover Court House. This will be followed by a tour led by Robert E. L. Krick. This is a ticketed event and you need to contact the Tavern for more information.

North Carolina's Confederate Hospitals

Lately, I've been digging in a different direction. I've been trying to create a list of general hospitals and wayside hospitals established by the Confederate government in North Carolina. General hospitals were usually large structures, sometimes occupying existing buildings, like Peace College in Raleigh, or at times, new structures were built, like the 500-bed facility at the fairgrounds in Charlotte. I am fairly certain that I've identified all of the general hospitals in North Carolina in 1861-1865. They are:

General Hospital No. 1 - Kittrell Springs

General Hospital No. 2 - Wilson

General Hospital No. 3 - Goldsboro

General Hospital No. 4 - Wilmington

General Hospital No. 5 - Wilmington

General Hospital No. 6 - Fayetteville

General Hospital No. 7 - Raleigh

General Hospital No. 8 - Raleigh

General Hospital No. 9 - Salisbury

General Hospital No. 10 - Salisbury

General Hospital No. 11 - Charlotte

General Hospital No. 12 - Greensboro

General Hospital No. 13 - Raleigh

     Wayside hospitals were established next to the railroads, and offered food, along with clean bandages or medicine to soldiers traveling home on furlough or back to the army. As of today, my "official" wayside hospital list is:

Wayside Hospital No. 1 - Weldon

Wayside Hospital No. 2 - Greensboro

Wayside Hospital No 3 - Salisbury

Wayside Hospital No. 4 - ?

Wayside Hospital No. 5 - Wilmington

Wayside Hospital No. 6 - Charlotte

Wayside Hospital No. 7 - Tarboro

And then there comes a list of others - places that so far have not appeared on any list as being official general or wayside hospitals. This list included:

Goldsboro

Thomasville

High Point

Wake Forest

Raleigh

     Maybe Raleigh was Wayside Hospital No. 4 in the above list. However, I've yet to find anything that says that in an official capacity.

      By the way, the list above is the most complete list that I know of. It is built from period newspapers, and from a list that appeared in an article that was in the Confederate Medical and Surgical Journal  in 1864.

Civil War Currency Program at UNC, 2 June 2012

Civil War currency will be the topic of a June 2, 2012 program at the Wilson Special Collections Library. Participants who bring samples of Civil War currency will also have the opportunity for experts to evaluate their items.

The free public program will begin at 10 a.m. in the Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library, UNC. Registration will open at 9:30 a.m.

Wendell Wolka will deliver the keynote speech, "And the World Turned Upside Down: The Effect of the Civil War on the Paper Money of the United States both North and South." Wolka writes and teaches about numismatics. He is a governor of the American Numismatic Association and is governor and past president of the Society of Paper Money Collectors.

For more information, please see: http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/news/index.php/2012/05/civil-war-money-will-be-topic-of-june-2-program/

Marking graves

If you have not figured it out by now, I'll go ahead and let you in on a bit of my life: I really like cemeteries. I actually teach a class on cemetery iconography. Over the past twenty years, I've been in hundreds of cemeteries, from Florida, to Massachusetts, to Missouri. Very few things give me greater pleasure than setting stones for veterans, especially Civil War soldiers.

This past Saturday, I was honored to help set a stone on an unmarked grave of a Confederate soldier - one that I had been hunting for a long time.

Henry Cozzens (Cousins) or at times, William Henry Cozzens, and his brother, Franklin Cozzens, both voluntarily enlisted in Watauga County in what became Company B, 37th North Carolina Troops, on September 14, 1861. Both were mustered in as privates. Both were from Randolph County. Henry was 21 and living at home; Franklin was 28 and married, with an infant daughter.  Franklin Cozzens was killed in action at the battle of Second Manassas on August 29, 1862, and lies buried in a mass grave.

Henry served most of the war as a teamster. He was captured on April 2, 1865, after the break through below Petersburg, Virginia. He was confined at Point Lookout and released after taking the Oath on June 10, 1865. After returning from the war, he moved southwest to Yancey County, where he married Alex Beaver King, the widow of a Confederate soldier. He eventually applied and was awarded a pension for his service in the Confederate army.

I've believed for many years that he was buried in the King Cemetery in Yancey County. A few months ago, after persistent questioning, we finally found a family member who confirmed this. A stone was ordered from the VA and placed on his previously unmarked (or fieldstone marked) grave.

But there is more to this story (something I've been researching for over a decade): Henry and Franklin Cozzens were "free persons of color."  They and their families are listed as either being negroes (1850) or mulatto (1860) on the Watauga County census. They considered themselves melungeons, or, of mixed blood, part Indian, part Portuguese, part Black. Regardless, they were not required (or even eligible) for Confederate service.  Yet they did serve, voluntarily. It cost Franklin his life. I've always wondered what happened to his widow after the War. She simply disappears. Oh well, the search goes on.

“Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory” Civil War Exhibit at Fontana Regional Library

RALEIGH – Heroic tales and valiant feats are depicted in images that reflect North Carolina’s dedication to the war in the “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory:Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit” (www.nccivilwar150.com). Fontana Regional Library in Macon is hosting the exhibit through May 29, sharing images and stories that capture the history and people of the Civil War (1861-1865).

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

The exhibit will display 24 images from the State Archives (www.archives.ncdcr.gov), the N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org) and State Historic Sites (www.nchistoricsites.org). Between April 2011 and May 2013, 50 libraries will showcase “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory” offering visuals that present gallant women, African American triumph and the perseverance of Confederate soldiers. A notebook will accompany the exhibit with further information and seeking viewer comments.

One of the images is a photograph of Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow, who was an imprisoned along with her daughter. Greenhow was released after a few months, and later died after a blockade runner she was aboard ran aground. While attempting escape in a small rowboat that capsized, she was weighed down by gold she was attempting to smuggle to Southern forces and drown in the surf.

The unique exhibit will share the history from regions of North Carolina, including the western mountains, to educate viewers about the hardships North Carolinians faced during this pivotal time in United States history.

For information on the exhibit call (828) 488-2382. For tour information visitwww.nccivilwar150.com or call (919) 807-7389. The N.C. Museum of History, State Archives, and State Historic Sites are divisions of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Who was the "Spy"

A few days ago, I came across this tidbit in the Confederate State Medical and Surgical Journal (September 1864).  Anyone know who the "Spy" was? Maybe Gregory Spry?

Spy, private, Company "B," 10th North Carolina battalion of artillery. Patient strong and robust; has had five or six attacks of intermittent fever; quotidiana form; hour of expected chill, 11 o'clock, June 5th. At 6 A. M., 6 grains were given according to directions given the evening before. 7 A. M., pulse 64-6 grains given, and the same ordered at 8 and 9 o'clock. 10 A. M., pulse 85-very slight moisture on surface of body. 11 A. M., pulse 92--10 grains given, no moisture; patient complained that the chill was coming on. 11 1/2 A. M.; chill come on at 11.25 minutes, but slight. 12 M.; chill has passed off; fever succeeded; pulse 110. The fever lasted two and half hours, followed by the usual degree of diaphoresis. June 6th. Patient reports himself as "right smart better;" pulse 72. 6 A. M., 6 grains given, and the same ordered every hour, which had the effect of breaking the chill and fever; diaphoresis began at 10 o'clock. The patient returned to duty two days afterward.

Update: Civil War Charlotte

As many of you know, I sent Civil War Charlotte: Last Capital of the Confederacy off to the publisher a few weeks ago. Last week, I received and finished the editorial proofs. Now I am just waiting for the galley proofs. Soon I will have a release date, and I'll start booking programs. I recently wrote a short article about Charlotte and the War for Battlefield Journal. Check it out if you are a subscriber. I'm also starting to work on a much longer article. Not much else to report right now, so stay tuned.

I was wrong.

Early today, I was digging around and came across something that I've been telling folks did not happen: escaped slaves on the "underground railroad" in western North Carolina. It's not so much that it did not happen, it is just that it VERY seldom happened. I have a post-war account here someplace that speaks on escaped Union soldiers telling slaves they could not come with the fleeing soldiers. A slave would be missed and sought after immediately. While escaped Union soldiers were always being sought after by the home guard, it is not the same as a master getting together a posse to hunt for an escaped slave.  

The account below was written by Dr. Steadman O. Pine (sometimes listed as Oran Steadman Pine). Pine served as a private in the 14th Brooklyn and in the 5th New York ( Duryea's Zouaves).  Pine was captured at Cold Harbor in June 1864.

This account was written more than forty years after the event, so, we should not take it as gospel. Pine probably would have traveled through modern-day Avery or Mitchell Counties to join up with Federal soldiers. Of interest is his description of his escape in Charlotte.

     At the battle of Cold Harbor, June 2, 1864, during a charge and by a flank movement of the enemy, I was one of the fourteen of my regiment to be captured, marched to Richmond and lodged in Libby prison. Our beds were on a level with the floor, and our meals, consisting of a strip of bacon, a piece of corn bread and a dish of pea or bean soup, daily, was considered much better than that served at the "Hotel" at Andersonville. So when after a two weeks' sojourn, a cattle train load of us were started southward, four of my regiment (myself included) entered into a conspiracy to escape and "save carfare." When we reached Charlotte, North Carolina, on the evening of June 18, 1864, we were taken from the train and put under guard near the railroad crossing in the open field during a severe rainstorm which lasted the greater part of the night. We had all loaned our blankets and surplus clothing to our Confederate brothers in the field, as they said they needed them more than we did, and, having no fires, or wood to make them, we concluded to stand together in the mud until morning. This we did in very close ranks. When our picnic breakfast had been served squads were sent to an adjoining grove, fires were built, and our appreciation of southern hospitality somewhat increased. The four conspirators held a caucus and decided that we would endeavor to run the guards that night. Our plan was for each to make his escape alone at different points and meet in the morning by a large tree which was plainly visible to all in the forest about a half a mile distant. About two-thirty o'clock, while a group of comrades were seated about a couple of logs with some fagots burning between them, near the corner of the camp, which was indicated by a large tree, I observed quite often both guards going from the corner at the same time. I passed the word around that I intended to escape at the next favorable opportunity and asked the cooperation of the boys at the fire to attract the guards' attention when the attempt was made. At about three o'clock I saw my chance and flitted past the big tree into the darkness. At the same time one of the boys at the fire, whose name I never learned, jumped up, swinging a large poker, and, separating the logs so that the fagots were dropped and the sparks flew into the air, sprang upon one of the logs and crowed like a genuine twenty-pound Brahma rooster—and the deed was done. My absence was not noticed by the guards and I was making my way in a southeasterly direction to the railroad track south of the crossing. I bore too much to my left, for I suddenly was halted by a sentinel who was guarding a pile of cotton, which I had intended to avoid by passing more southerly between him and the camp line. However, I softly took to my heels and for some reason was not followed. I thought afterwards that the sentinel believed himself mistaken, or that the noise he heard was that of a razorback hog in his night prowlings. When I had proceeded south far enough to believe myself out of hearing, I crossed the track, going southeast toward the big tree spoken of as our rendezvous. My entire possessions were a pair of trousers, a blouse, a pair of shoes and stockings, a shirt, cap and a tin cup. The morning was near at hand, the faintest signs being visible in the east. I heard a cow bell at a distance through the woods, and my earliest instincts in life were at once aroused. I decided that if the cow were willing I would interview her with my tin cup, with the result that she divded her treasures between me and her owner. I have often thought that that cow and Captain Castle's army mule were alike in one particular. Either would give service to or kick a Union soldier as willingly as a Confederate. The sun was clear in the east as I came to the big tree, only to find no comrades there to greet me; but down at the camp all was activity. A train stood on the track and our boys were loaded on like cattle and started on their journey to Andersonville prison. But three, besides myself, of the fourteen captured at Cold Harbor ever returned.

I was indeed alone in the enemy's country and my only way of escape was to flee to the northwest towards the mountains. I followed the general course of the railroad, crossing the northwest corner of Gaston county to Lincolntown, through Catawba county and on to Morganton, the county seat of Burke county, about eighty miles from Charlotte, traveling this distance and reaching a ford on the Catawba river on the evening of the 22d, having covered about forty miles during the day and night of the 20th. Resting in the woods during the daytime of the- 21st, I proceeded in the evening and my night's travel brought me to a place called Connolly's Springs. Here again I took to the brush and waited the approach of night. I broke cover about four P. M. of the 22d, and having learned that there was a conscript camp a few miles from Morganton and having decided that it was safer to leave the railroad line running west to Marion, I must cross the Catawba river. I also learned that the bridge across the river was guarded by the forces at Camp Vance, but that a ford was available about a mile below the bridge. I reached the ford just at dark of the 22d, and, though a good swimmer, decided to wait for daylight. With the coming of morning, I forded the river, holding my clothes above my head. I found the water four or five feet deep in some places, and was thankful I had not made the attempt in the night. About 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 20th, my first day of travel I found in a lonely cabin (where I stopped to rest and try and get something to eat) an old lady who had formerly lived in New York, and who was hiding an only son in the woods from the conscripting officers. When I made bold to tell her I was an escaped Union soldier she took me in her arms and said "God bless you! I will divide with you," and she took an old flour sack, cut and made it smaller for a haversack, and gave me some boiled eggs and bacon with some corn pones she had just made for her own boy to take to him in the brush. This served me well for two days, for she could only spare a little. I had eaten the last while camping at the ford, so when I got across the river I must needs meet some friendly cow or a cabin of colored folks. I was nearing the foot hills of the Blue Ridge, which, when crossed, would bring me into Tennessee, so, as the country was being scoured by conscription officers and Home Guards, I must be strictly on my guard or recapture would be my inevitable lot. I traveled on and about a mile from the ford I espied a plantation house with some darky quarters near by, and I thought it safe so early in the morning to go to the cook-house and get something to eat. When I opened the door I found in a bed two soldier boys from the camp before mentioned. Luckily they believed my story that I was a paroled Confederate prisoner from Camp Chase, Ohio, on the way to my home near Table Rock, so I was given a good breakfast and sent on my way rejoicing, but trembling from my narrow escape.

During the day of the 23d I traveled in by-paths, avoiding the main highways, and as night approached I was in a quandary as to. how I was to cross the Iron Range of the Blue Ridge Mountains with no knowl edge of the passes or mountain roads, but again a guiding hand came to my relief, as in the case of so many poor prisoners seeking to escape, in the form of the colored man.

While endeavoring to flank one of several large plantations found in those rich valleys near the head waters of the Catawba, I came suddenly upon two colored boys, eighteen and twenty years of age. They were brothers, and with hoes in hands were sitting on a fence waiting for the supper horn. The following conversation ensued: "Good evenin', Massa; 'spects you's far from home. Is you a soldier from camp?" "Yes, going home on pass to see the folks before going to the front." This answer was made on the impulse of the moment, not having satisfied myself that it was safe to tell the truth. Then the elder boy, who said his name was Andrew, remarked: "I hear dey's draftin' all the young white boys in de country to fight for Jeff Davis; wish de wah was ovah; it makes mighty hard times around heah. Dat Massa Lincoln has freed all de niggahs but de freedom don't come heah yet and-we don't 'spect it will." I could see the human longing in their breasts as manifested by this discreet little speech, so I did not hesitate to inform them of the true state of things and to ask their aid in getting my freedom as well as theirs. They were bright boys, above the average, and said: "Ef de ole folks is willin', we'll go with you to Tennessee." So it was arranged that I hide in the brush until the old father should come down the road for the cows, when, if he were alone, I would know the result. True to their word, about dusk, the white headed old negro came along, and my whistle brought him to the brush. He said to me: "De boys want to go wif you to Tennessee and find Mass Linkum's soldiers; me and the ole woman too ole to go but we want dem to be free." And then, as the darkness came on, the darkies came also, bringing fried chicken, bacon, cornbread, a canteen of sorghum, and such other goodies as the faithful Mammy could give them. Then, with the blessing of both parents, we made tracks for Tennessee and liberty. Such a chase as those frightened boys led me that night, wading streams and up those stony mountain roads! The memory is as vivid after forty-six years as though it were but yesterday. The morning of the 24th found us well on our way, but still many miles from safety. We rested in a rocky cave until nightfall, fearing the approach of hunters or any who might betray us, and well I knew that vengeance would fall heavily upon me if I were caught spiriting slaves from their master.

Past dusk we resumed our journey and the early dawn of the 25th found us on the mountain summit. Looking east, we could see the valley of the Catawba river. The small farms and larger plantation in that beautiful country spread out like a panorama. We descended the western slope, probably eight miles, coming into mountain settlements and better roads. We now felt quite safe, for eastern Tennessee was considered within the scope of Union occupation, although Knoxville was the nearest military post, with out-posts at Strawberry Plains and other railroad points within a radius of twenty miles eastward.