After the inspection incident at the New Bridge over Wappoo Cut (described in my previous post), General Clingman sent his Adjutant General to find out what was really going on with the guard detail at the bridge. On April 19, 1863, a week after the first inspection, Major T. Brown Venable sent a report to… Continue reading Guarding the Wappoo: Lt. Guy Gets Arrested
Tag: Hector McKethan
Major then colonel of the 51st North Carolina
Guarding the Wappoo: Lt. Watson Gets in Hot Water
The Wappo Cut is a waterway southwest of Charleston that connects the Ashley and Stono rivers. During the Civil War, traffic between James Island and Charleston had to cross the Cut. Two bridges spanned the waterway: the New Bridge and a pontoon bridge. During April 1863, the 51st North Carolina was tasked with guarding the… Continue reading Guarding the Wappoo: Lt. Watson Gets in Hot Water
What’s for Dinner? Feeding a Regiment
In late June 1862, the 51st North Carolina moved to Fort Johnston, near Southport. Conditions at the fort were much better than those at the camps the regiment had previously occupied. The men were housed in barracks. They had a ready supply of good drinking water. All the regiment needed to do was feed the… Continue reading What’s for Dinner? Feeding a Regiment
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
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 Turnips Were Not a Peace Offering
Gage’s Letter to McKethan Recently, I came across an interesting letter on UNC-Chapel Hill’s “The Civil War Day to Day” website. The letter was from Brigade Commissary R. S. Gage to Colonel Hector McKethan, commanding Clingman’s Brigade. Gage informs McKethan that the turnips and cabbage he recently issued to the brigade’s soldiers were not in… Continue reading The Turnips Were Not a Peace Offering
Miss Mary Ann Buie, The Soldier’s Friend
Miss Mary Ann Buie was one of the North Carolina troops’ most tireless supporters. She energetically solicited donations of cash, clothing, medicine, and other goods from local citizens and businesses for support of the state’s soldiers. Most of her donations went to military hospitals in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, but at times she… Continue reading Miss Mary Ann Buie, The Soldier’s Friend
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