During the early morning of September 6, 1864, Private Dugald Hammonds was on guard duty aboard the steamboat Effie Deans. Hammonds walked up to Corporal Augell and casually said, “If I was you and a man wanted to jump overboard, I would let him, I wouldn’t say a word to him.” Before the end of… Continue reading The Court-Martial of Dugald Hammonds (part 1 of 5)
Author: Kirk
“He is hard to fool and to catch”
On May 21, 1863, Lieutenant Lemuel Keith, Company G, 61st Regiment North Carolina Troops, was put in charge of a detail to find and arrest Lieutenant John McAllister. McAllister, 51st North Carolina, Company A, was absent without leave after overstaying his sick furlough. Keith and his detail searched near McAllister’s home at Hilton in New… Continue reading “He is hard to fool and to catch”
Rounding Up Deserters in Robeson County
In early February 1863, a Mr. Swann of Lumberton wrote a letter to General Whiting in Wilmington requesting military assistance in Robeson County. Bands of deserters, hiding in the swamps, were terrorizing the county’s citizens. Local militia seemed unable to protect the residents or their property. Whiting ordered General Clingman to send an armed force… Continue reading Rounding Up Deserters in Robeson County
The “Rations Row” of November 25, 1864
On the morning of November 25, 1864, the 31st North Carolina’s commissary sergeant drew rations for his regiment’s 295 men. Each man was allowed a pound of flour and 1/3 pound of meat per day. But this particular day, the meat “was in a very filthy condition being covered with dirt and ashes.” The regiment’s… Continue reading The “Rations Row” of November 25, 1864
Snapshot: Condition of the 51st North Carolina on August 31, 1863
The Inspection On August 31, 1863, the 51st North Carolina was camped on Sullivan’s Island near Charleston. Captain W. Gordon McCabe performed a “muster inspection” of the regiment on that date. His inspection measured the Fifty-First’s readiness as a combat unit. Staff Officers On the day of McCabe’s inspection, Colonel McKethan and Lieutenant-Colonel Hobson were… Continue reading Snapshot: Condition of the 51st North Carolina on August 31, 1863
Power of Attorney for Former Members of the Railroad Guards
Cantwell’s Company, Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Guards On December 10, 1861, John L. Cantwell received a captain’s appointment from the State of North Carolina. He resigned his position as commander of the 30th North Carolina Militia and began recruiting an infantry company. The company, referred to as Catwell’s Company of Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Guards,… Continue reading Power of Attorney for Former Members of the Railroad Guards
Guarding the Wappoo: Lt. Guy Gets Arrested
After the inspection incident at the New Bridge over Wappoo Cut (described in my previous post), General Clingman sent his Adjutant General to find out what was really going on with the guard detail at the bridge. On April 19, 1863, a week after the first inspection, Major T. Brown Venable sent a report to… Continue reading Guarding the Wappoo: Lt. Guy Gets Arrested
Guarding the Wappoo: Lt. Watson Gets in Hot Water
The Wappo Cut is a waterway southwest of Charleston that connects the Ashley and Stono rivers. During the Civil War, traffic between James Island and Charleston had to cross the Cut. Two bridges spanned the waterway: the New Bridge and a pontoon bridge. During April 1863, the 51st North Carolina was tasked with guarding the… Continue reading Guarding the Wappoo: Lt. Watson Gets in Hot Water
“We Respectfully Request That He Be Released from Arrest”
In September 1863, the 51st North Carolina was camped on Sullivan’s Island, near Charleston. Life on the island was miserable for the men. Heat, wind and sand, mosquitoes and gnats, and disease and malnutrition created an almost unbearable environment for the soldiers. Worst of all was the food, especially the beef, “that a respectable Charleston… Continue reading “We Respectfully Request That He Be Released from Arrest”
How Tall Were the Men of the Cape Fear Region?
Height Data I recently gathered height measurements for 783 of the 1,431 soldiers who served in the 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops. The sample size is large enough to apply to the entire regiment. And since the regiment was drawn from across the Cape Fear region of North Carolina, it is probably representative of that… Continue reading How Tall Were the Men of the Cape Fear Region?