Alman T Jackson enlisted as a private in Company I of the 51st North Carolina on February 10, 1863. He fought with the regiment at Battery Wagner and New Bern. Private Jackson was captured at Drewry’s Bluff. He was imprisoned at Point Lookout for nine months before being paroled in March, 1865. In January 1905,… Continue reading Private Alman T. Jackson of Company I Remembers the War
Author: Kirk
Colonel Cantwell’s Requisition for Rifles
When the 51st North Carolina organized on April 30, 1862, the regiment was almost fully equipped. Training camps had been established the previous year, and the army had adequate supplies of food. The volunteer companies comprising the regiment brought enough clothing with them to make do until the soldiers were issued uniforms. The most critical… Continue reading Colonel Cantwell’s Requisition for Rifles
Colonel McKethan’s Dispatches from Charleston, July 1863
On July 10, 1863, Union troops seized the southern tip of Morris Island. The island was crucial to the defense of Charleston Harbor. General Beauregard, commanding the port city’s defenses, made a frantic call for reinforcements. Clingman’s Brigade was ordered to proceed to Charleston immediately. The 51st North Carolina was the first of Clingman’s regiments… Continue reading Colonel McKethan’s Dispatches from Charleston, July 1863
Chaos in Command, Part 3: The New Field Officers
In an earlier post, “Feuding in the Officers’ Ranks,” I described the squabbling among the Fifty-First’s officers that left the regiment with only one field officer for almost four months. In this three-part series I add further details gleaned from documents contained in the NARA compiled service records of some of the officers involved during… Continue reading Chaos in Command, Part 3: The New Field Officers
Chaos in Command, Part 2: Lt. Col. Allen Resigns
In an earlier post, “Feuding in the Officers’ Ranks,” I described the squabbling among the Fifty-First’s officers that left the regiment with only one field officer for almost four months. In this three-part series I add further details gleaned from documents contained in the NARA compiled service records of some of the officers involved during… Continue reading Chaos in Command, Part 2: Lt. Col. Allen Resigns
Chaos in Command, Part 1: Colonel Cantwell Resigns
In an earlier post, “Feuding in the Officers’ Ranks,” I described the squabbling among the Fifty-First’s officers that left the regiment with only one field officer for almost four months. In this three-part series I add further details gleaned from documents contained in the NARA compiled service records of some of the officers involved during… Continue reading Chaos in Command, Part 1: Colonel Cantwell Resigns
The Curious Case of Private Lewis Smith
Service Record Lewis H. Smith enlisted in the Confederate Army on January 21, 1864, at Goldsboro. When Smith signed up, the 19-year-old farmer requested assignment to Company B, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops. The new private made his way to Petersburg and reported for duty with his unit. North Carolina Troops recounts his brief military… Continue reading The Curious Case of Private Lewis Smith
Petition to Assign Reverend Colin Shaw as the Fifty-First’s Chaplain
On June 2, 1862, shortly after the 51st North Carolina organized, Reverend H. C. Brooks was appointed chaplain of the regiment. Brooks immediately fell ill. In fact, he might not have ever reported for duty. Listed as absent in every month of his assignment, Brooks finally resigned sometime before September 1, 1862. The Fifty-First was… Continue reading Petition to Assign Reverend Colin Shaw as the Fifty-First’s Chaplain
This Week’s Find: A Confederate Pay Voucher
Private William H. Adams, Company I, was not with his company when they were paid for January and February 1864. His service record does not indicate that he was detached or absent from the company, but he certainly wasn’t on hand to receive his pay. The regiment was in Petersburg when he applied for his… Continue reading This Week’s Find: A Confederate Pay Voucher
New Information from Anchram Evans’ Letters
(Updated 3/15/2023) The Letters Anchram Harris Evans served in Company G, 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops during the War Between the States. He enlisted as a sergeant in January 1862 and served with the regiment until the end of the war. Anchram and his wife, Elizabeth, wrote to each other once or twice a week… Continue reading New Information from Anchram Evans’ Letters