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”
Author: Kirk
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?
“Lend Them Brave Hearts in the Day of Battle”
James G. Martin, Adjutant General for the State of North Carolina, was responsible for the organization and training of new Tar Heel regiments at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh. Martin ensured the recruits were housed, clothed, fed, trained, and properly equipped before sending them off to war. But Martin also realized that the soldiers’ spiritual well-being… Continue reading “Lend Them Brave Hearts in the Day of Battle”
Application for Retirement to the Invalid Corps (Hall Letters #4)
Private John G. Hall, Company G, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops, was wounded at Petersburg on July 17, 1864. He was hospitalized in Richmond with a severe gunshot wound in the right shoulder. On August 5, 1864, Hall was sent home from the hospital on a medical furlough. By December, the wound was showing no… Continue reading Application for Retirement to the Invalid Corps (Hall Letters #4)
“It Would Revive Him Up” (Hall Letters #3)
Private John G. Hall, Company G, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops, was wounded at Petersburg on July 17, 1864. He was hospitalized in Richmond with a severe gunshot wound in the right shoulder. Captain Henry C. Rockwell, brigade Assistant Quartermaster, sent the following letter to Private Hall’s father. Petersburg Va July 26th 1864 Mr. W.… Continue reading “It Would Revive Him Up” (Hall Letters #3)
“One of the Most Awful Battles that Has Ever Been Fought” (Hall Letters #2)
John Green Hall enlisted as a private in Company C, 35th Regiment North Carolina Troops on September 12, 1861. He served with the Thirty-Fifth until May 31, 1864, when he transferred to Company G, 51st Regiment NCT. On the day that Private Hall wrote this letter, Union troops made an ill-advised frontal assault on dug-in… Continue reading “One of the Most Awful Battles that Has Ever Been Fought” (Hall Letters #2)
Private John G. Hall’s Account of the Fight at Drewry’s Bluff (Hall Letters #1)
John Green Hall enlisted as a private in Company C, 35th Regiment North Carolina Troops on September 12, 1861. He served with the Thirty-Fifth until May 31, 1864, when he transferred to Company G, 51st Regiment NCT. On the day that Private Hall wrote this letter, Confederate troops were pushing Benjamin Butler’s men out of… Continue reading Private John G. Hall’s Account of the Fight at Drewry’s Bluff (Hall Letters #1)
If at First You Don’t Succeed…
Private Payton P. Mathis Payton P. Mathis enlisted as a private in Company C, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops on March 28, 1862. The 22-year-old farmer stood five feet, eleven inches tall. He was fair-complected with dark hair and brown eyes. Private Mathis served with Company C until he was wounded in the hand at… Continue reading If at First You Don’t Succeed…
We Want Our Shoemaker Back!
Note: James C. Rogers is listed in North Carolina Troops and in his NARA compiled service record as J. E. Rodgers. Background James C. Rogers was a 46-year-old shoemaker living in Sampson County. He managed to avoid military service until October 16, 1864. On that date, he enlisted at the Conscript Camp in Raleigh. Upon… Continue reading We Want Our Shoemaker Back!
Equipping the New Companies
Equipment Requisitions I have located the initial equipment requisitions for seven of the 51st North Carolina’s ten companies. The documents reveal a lot about the process for equipping an infantry company. Here’s what I learned. Equipment Required by an Infantry Company There appears to have been no standard guidelines for what and how much clothing… Continue reading Equipping the New Companies