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”
Tag: Caleb Hobson
Lieutenant-colonel of the 51st North Carolina
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
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
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 from July 13th 1857 to March 17th 1858.” This list was the first time I had seen any indication that Walter Raleigh Bell had been a schoolteacher. Intrigued,… Continue reading Walter Bell: Farmer, Merchant, Teacher, and Soldier
Feuding in the Officers’ Ranks
Background When the 51st Regiment North Carolina Troops organized on April 30, 1862, John L. Cantwell was elected as commander of the regiment. Along with Colonel Cantwell, the company officers elected William Allen as Lieutenant Colonel and Hector McKethan as Major. Colonel Cantwell only commanded the regiment a few months. On October 10, 1862, while… Continue reading Feuding in the Officers’ Ranks