A few weeks ago, I visited Somerset Place State Historic Site in Creswell. It was one of North Carolina’s largest antebellum plantations, comprising over 100,000 acres of mostly swamp land. The main house and several other structures are original buildings (renovated, of course). In addition, there are several reconstructed buildings in the slave area of… Continue reading A Visit to Somerset Place
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General Clingman Sounds Off: Why the South Must Never Surrender
In March 1864, William Holden and Zebulon Vance were engaged in a hotly contested gubernatorial race. Holden wanted North Carolina to make a separate peace with the North. Vance, on the other hand, demanded that independence for the other Southern states be a condition for North Carolina reentering the Union. The election hinged mostly on… Continue reading General Clingman Sounds Off: Why the South Must Never Surrender
Has My Sweetheart Been Informed that I Have a Yankee Ball in My Unmentionables?
The William H. Grady Letters Collection in the North Carolina State Archives contains five letters written by Grady during the Civil War. The letter below, written from a Richmond hospital, was written with Grady’s typical tongue-in-cheek style, but it also recounted the tragic deaths of some of the men he knew. All five letters (transcripts… Continue reading Has My Sweetheart Been Informed that I Have a Yankee Ball in My Unmentionables?
A Soldier Complains About Clothing
For most of the war, Confederate troops were poorly equipped with arms, food, and uniforms. North Carolina did a better job equipping its soldiers than the other southern states, but Tar Heel troops still lacked for many of the items they needed. New clothing was issued periodically, but by 1864, the quality of the uniforms… Continue reading A Soldier Complains About Clothing
51st North Carolina Officers on Duty by Month
I have spent the past few weeks refining PFD (Present for Duty) data for the regiment. The results for the officers are below. My apologies for the small size, but I wanted to publish it as one page. You can open it in a new tab to get a better view of the data. I… Continue reading 51st North Carolina Officers on Duty by Month
The Officers of the 51st North Carolina
Overview Sixty-six combat officers (does not include staff officers) served with the 51st North Carolina during the three years the regiment fought for Southern independence. Almost half of the men were farmers. The rest came from a variety of professions and trades. Almost all were wealthy, or they belonged to wealthy families. All but one… Continue reading The Officers of the 51st North Carolina
Organization of a Regimental Battle Line
Research Objective I was curious to see if I could determine the approximate location of individual soldiers during the Fifty-First’s battles. I studied Hardee’s 1862 edition of Rifle and Infantry Tactics, hoping to find enough information to satisfy my goal. Unfortunately, I came up with more questions than answers. I am unable to prove that… Continue reading Organization of a Regimental Battle Line
Visiting the Goldsboro Bridge Battlefield
I visited the Goldsboro Bridge Battlefield last week. It was interesting to walk on the same ground that my great-grandfather fought on 161 years ago. The park is owned and maintained by a non-profit, the Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield Association (www.goldsboroughbridge.org). The battlefield is free, is open 24/7, is unattended, and it has no facilities (gas… Continue reading Visiting the Goldsboro Bridge Battlefield
Chaos in Command: More Information
I know, I know! I keep posting on this topic. But I found more information in the Clingman Papers about the Fifty-First’s command debacle in 1863. Summary of the Situation in January 1863 On January 6, 1863, Lieutenant Colonel William Allen, commanding the 51st North Carolina, submitted his resignation [the letter is dated January 5].… Continue reading Chaos in Command: More Information
The Difference Between 2nd and 3rd Lieutenants
Q: My ancestor received a commission as a Second Lieutenant, but he is listed as a Third Lieutenant on muster rolls. Why? A North Carolina infantry company was led by four commissioned officers: a captain and three lieutenants. Among the lieutenants were a first lieutenant, a second lieutenant, and a third lieutenant (also referred to… Continue reading The Difference Between 2nd and 3rd Lieutenants