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
Category: 51st North Carolina
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
The John J. Wilson Letters: A Summary
The Letters Private John James Wilson enlisted in Company B of the Fifty-First North Carolina on April 19, 1862. The 19-year-old Duplin County native listed his occupation as a farmer when he signed up for the war. Over the next year, Private Wilson regularly wrote to his mother, Amanda. Twenty of his letters survived; they… Continue reading The John J. Wilson Letters: A Summary
Walter Bell: Farmer, Merchant, Teacher, and Soldier
While perusing the John J. Wilson letters last week at UNCW, I came across a list of students who attended the “school taught by W. R. Bell in district No. 30 from July 13th 1857 to March 17th 1858.” (District 30 was located near Magnolia.) This list was the first time I had seen any… Continue reading Walter Bell: Farmer, Merchant, Teacher, and Soldier
Boys in Battle: The 51st North Carolina’s Youngest Soldiers
Before reading this post, think of a 14-year-old boy you know. Then imagine him as a Confederate soldier, facing the Union onslaught at Battery Wagner or fighting for his life at Cold Harbor. Confederate Army regulations established the minimum age for soldiers as eighteen years old. However, regiments often ignored this rule and enlisted any… Continue reading Boys in Battle: The 51st North Carolina’s Youngest Soldiers
Family Ties: John Kelly’s Many Siblings
Background Reverend John R. Kelly, a recent graduate of Wake Forest, was living in Columbus County when the war began. On March 7, 1862, the 24-year-old minister joined the Columbus Light Infantry, which was forming in response to Raleigh’s call for more troops. Ten days after enlisting, Kelly was elected captain of the company. A… Continue reading Family Ties: John Kelly’s Many Siblings
Dr. James Wellons, Soldier and Doctor
James David Thomas Wellons grew up on his father’s farm in Johnston County. As a young man, he left the family farm and moved to faraway Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a degree in medicine. On July 5, 1862, Doctor Wellons enlisted as a private in Company K of… Continue reading Dr. James Wellons, Soldier and Doctor