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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

"Incomplete" actually a compliment

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rest of October

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opportunities this weekend.

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

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

The not-so-little drummer boys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The photo is of Calvin Miller, 37th NCT.

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

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

I took this image in May 2009.

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

RALEIGH – The Civil War savaged lives yet secured the future of generations in North Carolina and the rest of the nation, and altered the course of American history. The injustices faced by African Americans were some of the most significant factors leading to the American Civil War (1861-1865). The fight for liberation is just one of many moving features of the “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit”(www.nccivilwar150.com) which is visiting the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library from Oct. 2-29 and the Northampton County Memorial Library in Jackson Oct. 1-26.

The Civil War was the first war widely covered with photography. The “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory” exhibit provides images of historic figures, artifacts, and documents that brought the reality of the war from the battlefront to the home front, then and now.

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

The collection depicts African Americans, women and militiamen, including images of artifacts and official documents. One image is a political cartoon fromHarper’s Weekly magazine questioning the impact of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and pointing to continued suffering of African Americans.

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

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

About the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources

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

Looking for NC's Civil War: Headquarters at Fort Fisher

Instead of me trying to retell the story, I'll just let the marker at Fort Fisher do that. This image was taken in July 2011.

Here stood the Headquarters of Fort Fisher. The construction of the fort began in the summer of 1862 under the direction of Colonel William Lamb Commandant, who with General W.H.C. Whiting and Major James Reilly served until the fort was captured on January 15, 1865. Each of the bombardments by the Federal fleet of December 24-25, 1864, and January 13-15, 1865, was heavier than any other naval demonstration in the history of the world. In the January attack were engaged 58 warships, which landed with attendant transports an army of about 10,000 men.

Fort Fisher protected, against Federal opposition, a large and important foreign trade in war supplies necessary to the existence of the Confederacy.

Near this point stood a flag staff of Fort Fisher which was shattered by a Federal shell on December 24, 1864. A new staff was erected and Private Christopher C. Bland, of the 36th N.C. Regiment, volunteered during the heavy bombardment to replace the flag. It was again shot down, and Bland once more climbed the staff and attached the colors.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Mayo's bridge

Mayo's Bridge, across the James River on the south side of Richmond, Virginia, first opened in 1788. Numerous Confederate soldiers from North Carolina would have crossed the bridge, or other such  bridges (including pontoon bridges) during the War. The bridge, the supports of which you can see in this photograph, was destroyed in April 1865 after the last Confederate soldiers passed over from the area of Petersburg.

I took this image in December 2006.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Gaston County Courthouse.

Built in 1848/9, the Gaston County Courthouse in Dallas served the people of Gaston County until 1911 when the county seat was moved to Gastonia. Confederate soldiers mustered in and around the courthouse during the war, and then headed to Brevard Station (now Stanley) to board the train. In April 1865, Federal cavalrymen, members of George Stoneman's force, arrived in the area.  They skirmished with elements of Vaughn's Confederate cavalry in the area on April 17, 1865. On April 18, portions of the 12th Ohio Cavalry camped nearby, setting out to capture the bridge over the Catawba River at Nation's Ford. There were Federals in and around Dallas for at least the next week.

This photo was taken in September 2012.

What was wrong with the 18th?

A couple of weeks ago, I was doing some research and came across this account of a Federal POW jumping a train as it traveled from Danville to Charlotte. He left this description of part of his adventures. A small part of the 18th North Carolina came from Wilkes County, where the POW was passing through. So, what was wrong with the 18th?

"...Gorham approaches the door and raps. The door was opened by a lady about forty years of age. 'What will you have sir?' she says. 'Madam, I am hungry, I wish to procure some food, can I do it here?' 'I have nothing for you,' she replies, as she partly closes the door.

   "Seeing he was inclined to urge his request no further and was about to leave, she says 'You belong to the 18th don't you?' 'No,' he says, 'I am an escaped Yankee prisoner.' From the nature of her question and its inflection he saw that the 18th she referred to must be the 18th North Carolina, and that she had little sympathy with them, so he concluded to argue the case on its merits at one. 'Is that so?' she says 'God bless you, come in here.' from Francis J. Hosmer, Andersonville and Other Writings (1896), page 5.

On the road

Folks - I'll be at one of these fine place this week. if you are in the area, please stop by and say hi!

Wednesday, September 26 - Wilkes Community College - 1:00 pm

Thursday, September 27 - Alleghany County Public Library - 6:30 pm.

Saturday, September 29 - Gaston County Museum - 1:00 pm

Sunday, September 30 - Caldwell Heritage Museum - 2:00 pm

Monday, October 1 - Big Ivy SCV Camp - 7:00 pm.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Old Lynchburg City Cemetery

Richard Burnett lived in Franklin County where, at the age of 28, he enlisted on October 18, 1862. He was mustered in as a private in Company K, 44th North Carolina Troops. Burnett served almost a year before dying in one of the Lynchburg hospitals of "phthisis pulmonalis" on or about September 28, 1863.

I took this image in September 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Old Lynchburg City Cemetery

C. C. McKenzie was living in Sampson County when he enlisted at the age of 20 on March 27, 1862. He was mustered in as a private in Company F, 20th North Carolina Troops. He served for almost a year, being reported either present or accounted for, until he took sick and died in a hospital in Lynchburg on February 20, 1863, of "pneumonia."

I took this image in September 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Old Lynchburg City Cemetery

David W. Ferrill was 30 years old when he enlisted in Rowan County on July 4, 1862, in Company B, 57th North Carolina Troops. He was hospitalized in Richmond in November 1862 with rheumatism, but returned to duty on December 30, 1862. Corporal Ferrill died on February 28, 1863, in a hospital in Lynchburg, of laryngitis.

I took this image in September 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Old Lynchburg City Cemetery

Sorry about the slow posting as of late. I've been traveling, speaking to various groups. On one of my trips, I was speaking to the Round Table in Lynchburg, Virginia, and got to revisit the Old Lynchburg City Cemetery. Over the next few days, I'm going to try and tell a few of stories behind some of the pictures of stones that I captured.

Lynchburg became a vast hospital complex during the war. There were 31 different structures (based upon a map at the cemetery) that served as hospitals. An estimated 20,000 men were treated there, with 3,000 deaths (Confederate and a few Federal).

Many of those who died are interred at the Old City Cemetery. Their graves are marked with simple stone grave markers, carved with their initials, company and regiment. A link to those buried here can be found here: http://www.gravegarden.org/cwroster.htm

The photo above is just one of the Confederate monuments in the cemetery. This monument is dedicated to those who died of smallpox during the war.

I have visited this cemetery twice: once when I was working on the book on the 37th NCT, and again in September 2012.

On the road this week.

Folks, here is a rundown of where I'll be speaking this week:

Tuesday, 9/11/2012 - Yancey County and the Civil War - Burnsville (NC) Public Library, 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, 9/12/2012 - Lynchburg Civil War Round Table, Lynchburg, VA

Friday, 9/14/2012 - Antietam program, William YMCA, Linville, NC, 7:00 pm.

Saturday, 9/15/2012 - Old Fort Festival, Old Fort, NC

Looking for NC's Civil War: Columbus, Ohio

My travels take me many places, and I consider myself blessed. In June of 2010, I visited and spoke with the Civil War Round Table in Columbus, Ohio. While in town, I visited the Camp Chase Confederate Prison Cemetery and took photographs of as many North Carolina soldiers as I could find. This is the grave of Pvt. James K. Goldsmith of Company G, 14th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry. Company G came primarily from Henderson County, North Carolina. Records are poor, mostly limited to an undated bounty roll, except for four men: James M. Calloway, Robert B. Clayton, David H. England, and James R. Goldsmith. All four were captured on December 13, 1864, in Cooke county, Tennessee, and all four were sent to Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio. Clayton and Goldsmith would not survive. Clayton died on February 11, 1865, of pneumonia, and Goldsmith on January 28, 1865, of "general devility."(That's what is says. I imagine it was supposed to be "debility," but I've known a few folks who could have died of "devility," or could have killed other people with it.).

I took this photo in June 2010.

Looking for NC's Civil War: South Mountain

We're sitting here at the 150th Anniversary of the Maryland Campaign. In October 2003, this magnificent monument  was dedicated, honoring the North Carolina regiments involved in the battle.  Adjutant N. S. Smith of the 13th North Carolina Troops painted this picture of events for Clark's history after the war:

The Thirteenth marched across South Mountain and camped near the hamlet of Boonesboro. Soon, however, we had to retrace our steps to meet the enemy on the summit of South Mountain. On this battlefield the Thirteenth, under the command of Lieutenant -Colonel Thomas Ruffin, covered itself with glory. Garland's Brigade was all the force we had to defend the pass against a division under General Butterfield. Early in the action General Garland fell, mortally wounded, and the command of the brigade fell to Colonel Duncan K. MacRae. Brigade after brigade of the enemy assaulted our line, but each time were driven back with heavy loss. There is hardly any doubt that we killed and wounded more of the enemy than we had in our ranks. Never was there a more stubborn contest, for we were told that the lines must be held, that we had no reserves, and that every man must do his whole duty. Provisions were cooked in camp and carried up the mountain and our men fed in line of battle... There is no instance in the war where more heroic courage was exhibited than was shown by the Thirteenth North Carolina in this battle. Captain Chalmers Glenn, of Rockingham, fell in this battle and was buried by his faithful servant, Mat, the grave being dug with a bayonet. If is said that Mat died of a broken heart at the loss of his best friend, and hence the grave was never found.

Someone else likes Civil War Charlotte

There was some great news this past week concerning Civil War Charlotte: Last Capital of the Confederacy. There were two really good reviews. The first appeared in the Avery Journal-Times on Wednesday, and the second appeared in both the Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News and Observer this past Sunday. You can check them out here, here, and here.

A special thanks to writers Jamie Shell and Sam Shapiro for seeing the importance of this project and for their kind and thoughtful reviews.

It looks like with all this great press,  that Amazon is sold out and won't have more copies for a week or so. You can still get signed copies (which you cannot get from Amazon) by visiting the link to the right.

News coming soon as to my next project.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Matt Ransom bust.

As many of you know, Matt Ransom was a North Carolina native (Warren County), UNC grad, Confederate general, and United State Senator (post war). During the War, he served as colonel of the 35th North Carolina Troops. He was wounded three times during the war. Born in 1826, he died in 1904.The North Carolina Historical Commission commissioned this bust, and it resides in the rotunda of the State Capitol building in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was dedicated on January 11, 1911.

I took this photo in March 2008.

Looking for NC's Civil War: the charge of the 58th and 60th at Resaca

It had been a long winter for the men in the 58th and 60th North Carolina regiments in and around Dalton, Georgia. However, with Sherman's men poised just to their north, no one could really look forward to the spring campaigns. During the attacks on May 14 - 15, 1864, the 58th and 60th Regiments, a part of Reynolds' brigade, Stevenson's division, launched an attack across these fields, and pushed the Federals back. Sherman, however, soon moved a force further to the south, and Johnston was forced to abandon his position and fall back, keeping himself between Sherman and Atlanta.

This photo was taken in May 2008.

Looking for NC's Civil War: the 6th NCST at Bull Run

Somewhere near this photo, possibly right where I was standing, is the ground that the 6th North Carolina State Troops charged over on July 21, 1861. Bee's brigade had been rushed to the field on the cars, and, according to Capt. Neill Ray after the war, as they neared the field, "we began to meet wounded men--we saw blood--the war was a reality... We were led on, avoiding exposed places so as to keep out of sight of the enemy, until we were brought up in front of what is known as the 'Henry House,' near which a battery was posted... It was but a short time... before these guns were silenced and captured." But in those few minutes Colonel Fisher and many others had been killed. The regiment had received its baptism of blood."

I took this photo in May 2010.

Macon County

Since I am leading a discussion about the War and Macon County this afternoon (at the Hudson Library in Highlands), I thought maybe we would turn our attention to a survey about Macon County and the War.

Macon County was created in 1828, taken from Haywood County. It was named for Nathaniel Macon, a early North Carolina political leader in Washington. Franklin is the county seat.

In 1860, the population of Macon County was 6,004, including 519 slaves and 115 free persons of color. In the 1860 presidential election, local white men cast 221 votes for Breckinridge, 469 for Bell, and 13 for Douglas.

When the secession crisis came in February 1861, locals were divided. Local men cast 250 votes for the convention, and 259 votes against calling the convention. Their one delegate was Conaro D. Smith. Born in 1813 in North Carolina, Smith grew up in Tennessee, and then returned to North Carolina, clerking for the firm of Smith and McElroy in Yancey County. Soon thereafter, Smith was licensed to preach, traveling the circuit in Georgia and Tennessee, before retiring to Macon County. He would go on to serve in the General Assembly in 1862. He died in January 1894.

When the war came, Macon County sent 1,267 men to Confederate service. They served in Company K, 1st North Carolina Cavalry; Companies E and G, 6th North Carolina Cavalry; Company A, 7th North Carolina Cavalry; Company H, 16th North Carolina State Troops; Company G, 25th North Carolina Troops; Companies B and I, 39th North Carolina Troops; Company D, 62nd North Carolina Troops; and Company K, 69th North Carolina Troops. Macon County also had 22 men who served in the Union army, mostly in one of the United States Volunteer regiments. By the end of the War, 201 men had died in Confederate service.

Like many other mountain counties, Macon County's war was very personal. There were a couple of key events that did take place within the county. Thomas's Legion of Cherokee and white soldiers was created in Franklin in September 1862, and one of the last surrenders of Confederate forces in the east also took place in the town at Dixie Hall on May 12, 1865.

After the war, there was a United Confederate Veterans camp in Franklin (camp 955) and in 1909, a Confederate Monument was dedicated in the town of Franklin.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Zeb Vance Birthplace

Zebulon Baird Vance is undoubtedly one of the most important North Carolinians of all time. From Buncombe County, he was educated at UNC (there was only one at the time), was a lawyer, served in the General Assembly, the United State House of Representatives, as colonel of the 26th North Carolina Troops, as governor of North Carolina, and as a United State Senator. Vance was born on Reams Creek, near Weaverville, northeast of the Asheville. The historic site contains reproduction cabins, along with numerous outbuildings, and a visitor center with museum.

I've been to the Vance Birthplace several times. This photograph was taken in August 2012.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Flag of the 1st NC Cavalry

Flags held a special place of honor among many of the soldiers we study and write about. Many men gave their lives for these banners, and even today, are irreplaceable artifacts connected to the past. The North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh has the third largest collection of Confederate flags in existence. However, the flag of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry, pictured here, is not one of them. This flag, and a small number like it, are held in private collections.

The 1st North Carolina Cavalry was organized on August 12, 1861, in Warren County. The first colonel was Robert Ransom, and the regiment served under the command of JEB Stuart. Actions included the Seven Days, Antietam, Brandy Station, the Wilderness, Reams Station, and Appomattox.

This photograph was taken in April 2011 at the Wilkes County Heritage Museum. The flag is no longer on display.

Looking for NC's Civil War: the Rowan Artillery at Gettysburg

Back a few years ago, I found a couple of great letters from a member of the Rowan Artillery concerning the battle of Gettysburg. These letters were used in my book, North Carolina Remembers Gettysburg. Longstreet's Corps had no Tar Heel Infantry within it, only three Tar Heel batteries. Once of those batteries was the Rowan Artillery, also known as Company D, 1st North Carolina Artillery. At times, the Rowan Artillery was the far right of the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg. This battery supported Hood's attacks on July 2. During the action, one of the guns burst, and was later replaced by a captured Federal gun.

I have visited this site numerous times, and I usually have these letters and read them as I sit here, imagining what took place. This photo was taken in May 2010.

Looking for NC's Civil War: Alamance Battleground

Mention Alamance, and many people envision the pre-Revolutionary battle that pitted the Regulators against the militia of the governor (British). That in itself is a fascinating story. But the site also has a connection to our own civil war. In April 1865, as elements of Joseph E. Johnston's Army of Tennessee retreated west from Raleigh, the 3rd North Carolina Junior Reserves, under the command of Col. John Hinsdale, camped on the old battlefield.  A recent archeological dig produced artifacts from their brief stay, artifacts that are on display inside the visitor center.

Let me encourage you to visit the Alamance Battleground Historic Site. It is well worth your time.

I took this photo in August 2012.

"Two Captains From Carolina"

Bland Simpson Discusses "Two Captains from Carolina" Sept. 13
Two Captains from Carolina: Moses Grandy, John Newland Maffitt, and the Coming of the Civil War
Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012
Wilson Special Collections Library
5:30 p.m. Lecture | Pleasants Family Assembly Room
Free and open to the public
A former slave turned freight captain and a Confederate blockade runner. Author Bland Simpson brings these historical figures to life in his latest book, Two Captains from Carolina: Moses Grandy, John Newland Maffitt, and the Coming of the Civil War.
Simpson will discuss and read from his work in a free public program on Thursday, Sept. 13, in the Wilson Special Collections Library.
The 5:30 p.m. program in the Pleasants Family Assembly Room is free and open to the public.
For more information, please see:
http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/news/index.php/2012/08/bland-simpson-discusses-two-captains-from-carolina-sept-13/

On the Road this Week

This is probably the busiest week I have on the schedule for this year. I hope you can join me at one of these events.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 - Caldwell Public Library - Cemetery Iconography.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 - Salisbury Public Library - Rowan Rifles SCV - Civil War Charlotte. 6:30 pm.

Thursday, August 9, 2012 - Riverview Inn Fish Camp - Stonewall Jackson Camp SCV - Civil War Charlotte. 6:00 pm.

Saturday, August 11, 2012 - Zebulon Baird Vance Birthplace, Weaverville. - Western NC and the War. All day.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Maplewood Cemetery, Wilson

It seems that all of my posts last week have center around stones. This post will be no different. During the War, a Confederate hospital existed in Wilson, North Carolina. It was known as General Hospital No. 2. After the war was over, 101 men who had died in the hospital and were interred locally were removed to the Maplewood Cemetery. In 1902, the monument above was donated to mark their final resting spot. In 2003, two of North Carolina's Sons of Confederate Veterans Camps erected a plaque with the names of the men (mostly North Carolinians) who were interred at the site.

This image was taken in May 2008.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Gettysburg

Have you been to Gettysburg lately? The town is always packed, and the visitor center crowded. Few places capture our attention like "the 'burg." We could spend a month blogging about nothing but North Carolina at Gettysburg, (and I might at some point). Of course, we could also do that with Antietam, Chancellorsville, or Chickamauga.

For those familiar with the field, this image needs little context. It is the marker for the spot attained by the 26th North Carolina Troops on July 3, 1863.  For those really familiar with the regiment, or the battle, then you know of the debate - about how this monument is in the wrong place, and should be a little further to the right of this photo.

Regardless, the story of the 26th NCT at Gettysburg should be one remembered by every Tar Heel.

This image was taken in May 2010.

On the road this week

Folks, I'll be on the radio this morning, Thursday, August 2, 2012 (WATA 1450 AM - Boone), talking about books, history, and this weekend's High Country Festival of the Book.

Tomorrow evening, I'll be speaking to the 47th NCT Troops Camp, SCV, in Wake Forest. They meet at Forks Cafeteria. Everyone is welcome!

On Saturday, I'll be speaking on a panel at the High Country Festival of the Book with Rod Gragg, Patrick Schroeder, and Johnnie Pearson. The panel is at 11:30 am.

I hope to see you out and about!

Looking for NC's Civil War - Boone City Cemetery

The War was a seemingly "off-site" event for the residents of the town of Boone. Oh, there were the parades and drills the opening days, and there were those who came back maimed, or a few deserters or escaped prisoners who were housed in the local jail, but that was pretty much the extent of the war for its first few years. That changed on March 28, 1865, when the lead element of a Federal column under George Stoneman rode into town and got into a brawl with local home guard. A few locals were killed and wounded in the fight. Twenty-four hours later, Stoneman was gone. Unfortunately for the people in Boone, the War returned when a brigade of home Yankees rode into Boone and set up camp. They were there to protect Stoneman's line of retreat should he need to fall back through the mountain passes.

We will never know all that took place those weeks that the 2nd and 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry (US) occupied the town. We do know that three members of the 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry took sick while in Boone, died, and were buried, not within the confines of the main cemetery, but in its rear, were local slaves were interred. The Federals'  graves were eventually marked with stones from the VA. Regrettably, those stones have been moved, and now lie near the entrance to the cemetery, weathered and broken. Hopefully, they will be replaced soon with new stones, near the spot were they were once planted.

This image was captured in June 2011.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Delap Family Cemetery

620,000+... We killed 620,000+ of each other during the War. They died on battlefields, of wounds, and of disease. The last cause felled the most men. The 58th North Carolina Troops spent the winter of 1862-1863 guarding mountain passes in east Tennessee. Something made them sick. It could have been the common camp complaints, like measles. Or, something could have been in the water. Whatever the cause, scores of men from the regiment died that winter. These men were taken to a family cemetery, the Delap family Cemetery near Jacksboro, Tennessee.

Over time, the final resting place of these Confederates was forgotten to all but a few. In 2004, a friend of mine walked into the Campbell County  Historical Museum, looking for the graves. She just happened to walk in on a day when the volunteer on duty was someone who knew of the cemetery. To make a long story short, the cemetery was found and cleaned, and gravestones were installed. I had the honor to speak at the dedication service a few years ago. You can see a list of names by visiting this link: http://www.tngenweb.org/campbell/cemetery/listings/delap.html

I visit the Delap Cemetery from time to time. This photo was taken in June 2007.

Looking for NC's Civil War - Burke County Courthouse

There are not many war-time courthouses in North Carolina. Most of the county seats of government have been replaced a time or two since the war ended. One of the few remaining structures is found in Morganton, Burke County.

Burke County's courthouse was built in the 1830s. From 1847 to 1861, the North Carolina Supreme Court used the building to hold summer sessions, escaping the heat in Raleigh. According to local legend, some of Stoneman's troops rode  their horses through the building in April 1865. The building survived the war and serves as a museum today.

This photo was taken in July 2012.

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...