A soldier’s life was a hard one. The daily routine of drill and manual labor ensured that a fighting man was given little opportunity to relax and enjoy the serenity of camp. And sometimes, he was called upon to perform some extremely unpleasant duty. This excerpt from John McGeachy’s letter of May 15, 1862 (written… Continue reading The Scotch Tigers’ “Crappy” New Camp
Tag: 51st NCT Company D
Ode to an Ironclad Battery: Poetry from the 51st North Carolina
Shortly after the 51st North Carolina organized, Company D was sent down the Cape Fear to construct an ironclad battery. The battery was close to Wilmington’s Lazaretto. Eventually, the fortification would be named Fort Strong. Private John D. McGeachy, an aspiring poet, composed the verse below while he was laboring on the battery: [May 18,… Continue reading Ode to an Ironclad Battery: Poetry from the 51st North Carolina
Private John David McGeachy Remembers the War
John David McGeachy, a Robeson County farmer, enlisted in Company D of the 51st North Carolina on April 26, 1862. He served with the regiment until April 1865, when the company disbanded and went home. Among his papers in the David Rubenstein Library at Duke University, are three journals. One, a pocket-sized notebook, contains the… Continue reading Private John David McGeachy Remembers the War