From the December 12, 2012, Jackson (Ms) Free Press "Rebel Land: a Racial History of Oxford and Ole Miss" by R.L. Nave.
The Lyceum is University of Mississippi's main administration building and was built in 1848. During the Civil War it was a Confederate hospital.
The controversial Colonel Reb mascot was dropped in 2003.
And, I'm Still Not Happy. --Old Secesh
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
North Carolina's Civil War Monuments
From the May 26, 2013, Jefferson Post.
Author and photographer Douglas J. Butler of Crumpler has published "North Carolina Civil War Mounuments: An Illustrated History." It has 272 pages and is paperback. Butler says it took him two years and 15,000 miles through the state to make the book which has the histories of dozens of the 109 monuments as well as 137 photographs.
Two monuments I am especially interested in are the one at Wilmington's Oakdale Cemetery for 367 Confederate dead buried there. Goldsboro's Willowdale has a mass grave for 800 dead.
Of Great Interest to Me. --Old Secesh
Author and photographer Douglas J. Butler of Crumpler has published "North Carolina Civil War Mounuments: An Illustrated History." It has 272 pages and is paperback. Butler says it took him two years and 15,000 miles through the state to make the book which has the histories of dozens of the 109 monuments as well as 137 photographs.
Two monuments I am especially interested in are the one at Wilmington's Oakdale Cemetery for 367 Confederate dead buried there. Goldsboro's Willowdale has a mass grave for 800 dead.
Of Great Interest to Me. --Old Secesh
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Goldsboro's Sacrifice at Battle of Antietam-- Part 6
The battle effectively convinced both sides that a peaceful solution to the war was not possible.
Photgraphers were at the battle and for the first time, the folks back home in the North got a first-hand look at the horrors of the war. Exhibits of masses of dead soldiers were shown all over the country.
Then, Lincoln used the Battle of Antietam, although not a complete victory, as the enabler to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in the Confederacy.
Coffman compared the news coverage of the Vietnam War with that of the Civil War, which helped sway public opinion at home about the reasons for fighting.
A bus trip was planned to the Antietam Battlefield for October 19-21 for $100, with attendees paying for their own room and meals.
I was able to visit the battlefield this past November, just two months after the battle's 150th anniversary and was impressed with it. However, if you're thinking of finding all the Civil War-related stores, musems, etc., in Sharpsburg, that's not going to happen. This town has gone through great lengths not to allow the Gettsburgation of it. I could not easily find a place to eat breakfast the morning I was there.
Old Secesh
Photgraphers were at the battle and for the first time, the folks back home in the North got a first-hand look at the horrors of the war. Exhibits of masses of dead soldiers were shown all over the country.
Then, Lincoln used the Battle of Antietam, although not a complete victory, as the enabler to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in the Confederacy.
Coffman compared the news coverage of the Vietnam War with that of the Civil War, which helped sway public opinion at home about the reasons for fighting.
A bus trip was planned to the Antietam Battlefield for October 19-21 for $100, with attendees paying for their own room and meals.
I was able to visit the battlefield this past November, just two months after the battle's 150th anniversary and was impressed with it. However, if you're thinking of finding all the Civil War-related stores, musems, etc., in Sharpsburg, that's not going to happen. This town has gone through great lengths not to allow the Gettsburgation of it. I could not easily find a place to eat breakfast the morning I was there.
Old Secesh
Goldsboro's Sacrifice at Battle of Antietam-- Part 5
That little bridge was defended by a small group of Georgia troops and it took until late in the afternoon for Union troops to get across it. Once they did, they were in a position to flank the Confederate Army and turn the battle into a fiasco for Lee. General Burnside commanded the Union troops at the bridge and his name is forever attached to it. Lincoln elevated him to command of the Army of the Potomac after the battle which led to the disasterous Battle of Fredericksburg in December.
Very fortunately, the troops of Confederate General A.P. Hill arrived from Harper's Ferry after a 17-mile march and they smashed into the Union troops, forcing them back and ending the fighting.
Lee waited a day, expecting McClellan to continue the attack, but when that didn't happen, he retreated back to Virginia and McClellan did not follow. This angered Lincoln so much that he once again fired his general.
More than 23,000 troops on both sides were killed or wounded during the battle and since it was Americans on both sides, it is the single bloodiest day in American history.
Lees Escaped a Big One. --Old Secesh
Very fortunately, the troops of Confederate General A.P. Hill arrived from Harper's Ferry after a 17-mile march and they smashed into the Union troops, forcing them back and ending the fighting.
Lee waited a day, expecting McClellan to continue the attack, but when that didn't happen, he retreated back to Virginia and McClellan did not follow. This angered Lincoln so much that he once again fired his general.
More than 23,000 troops on both sides were killed or wounded during the battle and since it was Americans on both sides, it is the single bloodiest day in American history.
Lees Escaped a Big One. --Old Secesh
Friday, June 14, 2013
Goldsboro's Sacrifice At Battle of Antietam-- Part 4: The 27th Does Battle
The battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17, 1862, with a Union attack on the Confederate left. After hours of horrendous fighting and casualties, the two sides were essentially where they had started.
The next phase of the battle involved a sunken farm road, later named Bloody Lane after all the casualties which were so heavy that Confederate bodies lay stacked when Union forces finally occupied it, and that was not counting all the blue clad bodies in front of the wall. Many of the men killed here were from North Carolina units, but not the 27th.
"The 27th's moment of glory came when they were positioned just to the left of the lane. After withstanding a Union assault, they charged deep into the Union line but were eventually repulsed and took heavy casualties as they retreated. Still they held their place in the line for hours without ammunition until they were relieved."
One neat thing about the Antietam Battlefield is that you can see all of the first two actions, including where the 27th was, from the vistors center as it slopes down from it. You can't, however, see Burnside Bridge from there.
The final part of the battle took place on the Confederate right, where Union troops tried to cross Antietam Creek using a small bridge now called Burnside Bridge.
More to Come. --Old Secesh
The next phase of the battle involved a sunken farm road, later named Bloody Lane after all the casualties which were so heavy that Confederate bodies lay stacked when Union forces finally occupied it, and that was not counting all the blue clad bodies in front of the wall. Many of the men killed here were from North Carolina units, but not the 27th.
"The 27th's moment of glory came when they were positioned just to the left of the lane. After withstanding a Union assault, they charged deep into the Union line but were eventually repulsed and took heavy casualties as they retreated. Still they held their place in the line for hours without ammunition until they were relieved."
One neat thing about the Antietam Battlefield is that you can see all of the first two actions, including where the 27th was, from the vistors center as it slopes down from it. You can't, however, see Burnside Bridge from there.
The final part of the battle took place on the Confederate right, where Union troops tried to cross Antietam Creek using a small bridge now called Burnside Bridge.
More to Come. --Old Secesh
Goldsboro's Sacrifice at Battle of Antietam-- Part 3
Unfortunately for Robert E. Lee, Maryland's people did not flock to the colors. Compounding the matter was that Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was steadily shrinking as troops, believing the war was in defense of their homeland disagreed with the decision to cross over into the Union.
Estimates have Lee's force as having dwindled to 40,000 by the time it had reached Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. (I'm wondering if the 40,000 number reflected the fact that A.P. Hill's men were at Harper's Ferry?)
Lee was opposed by his old adversary from the Peninsula Campaign, Union General George McClellan, who had been fired by Lincoln after that and reinstated after General Pope's defeat at the Second Battle of Manassas. McClellan had about 80,000 troops, but wasn't moving fast as he thought Lee had 120,000 men. As Lincoln said about McClellan, he had a case of the "slows."
Lees situation became even worse when a copy of his orders was discovered by an Indiana corporal (something about three cigars). The orders contained Lee's battle plans which involved dividing his force into three columns. Ever suffering from the "slows," McClellan didn't move on the fortunate find for 18 hours enabling Lee to bring his army together at Antietam Creek, where the two armies camped the night of September 16th.
Big Battle A-Brewing. --Old Secesh
Estimates have Lee's force as having dwindled to 40,000 by the time it had reached Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. (I'm wondering if the 40,000 number reflected the fact that A.P. Hill's men were at Harper's Ferry?)
Lee was opposed by his old adversary from the Peninsula Campaign, Union General George McClellan, who had been fired by Lincoln after that and reinstated after General Pope's defeat at the Second Battle of Manassas. McClellan had about 80,000 troops, but wasn't moving fast as he thought Lee had 120,000 men. As Lincoln said about McClellan, he had a case of the "slows."
Lees situation became even worse when a copy of his orders was discovered by an Indiana corporal (something about three cigars). The orders contained Lee's battle plans which involved dividing his force into three columns. Ever suffering from the "slows," McClellan didn't move on the fortunate find for 18 hours enabling Lee to bring his army together at Antietam Creek, where the two armies camped the night of September 16th.
Big Battle A-Brewing. --Old Secesh
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Goldsboro's Sacrifice at Battle of Antietam-- Part 2
This information is taken from a lecture by Pete Coffman given at Wayne Community College September 18th, the latest in a series of lectures on key Civil War battles sponsored by the Foundation of Wayne Community College and the North Carolina Military History Roundtable.
Two more lectures remain in the series, one on the Battle of Goldsborough (Goldsboro) Bridge and one on the Battle of Fredericksburg.
The Battle of Antietam, or Battle of Sharpsburg as it was called in the Confederacy, was a pivotal moment in the war, even though it is usually considered to have ended in a draw. President Lincoln counted it as a victory and used it to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederate states (but not border states) and making the war a slavery issue.
Lee chose to invade Maryland to put pressure on Washington, D.C. and hopefully convince England and France to recognize the Confederacy (sort of a Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution). he also hoped Confederate sympathizers in Maryland would flock to the colors. The Army of Northern Virginia was under strict orders not to plunder any farms in the state to show that the Southern cause was just.
They Didn't, However. --Old Secesh
Two more lectures remain in the series, one on the Battle of Goldsborough (Goldsboro) Bridge and one on the Battle of Fredericksburg.
The Battle of Antietam, or Battle of Sharpsburg as it was called in the Confederacy, was a pivotal moment in the war, even though it is usually considered to have ended in a draw. President Lincoln counted it as a victory and used it to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederate states (but not border states) and making the war a slavery issue.
Lee chose to invade Maryland to put pressure on Washington, D.C. and hopefully convince England and France to recognize the Confederacy (sort of a Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution). he also hoped Confederate sympathizers in Maryland would flock to the colors. The Army of Northern Virginia was under strict orders not to plunder any farms in the state to show that the Southern cause was just.
They Didn't, However. --Old Secesh
Goldsboro's Sacrifice at Battle of Antietam-- Part 1
From the september 19, 2012, Goldsboro (NC) News-Argus "Historian tells of Goldsboro's sacrifice at Battle of Antietam" by Dennis Hill.
"Regiment that included the Goldsboro Rifles suffered third-highest casualty rate of the Confederate Army: On the bloodiest day in American history (even worse than D-Day) the regiment that included the Goldsboro Rifles suffered the third-highest casualty rate in the Confederate Army.
At the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, the 27th North Carolina Infantry regiment lost 61 percent of its men killed and wounded. Out of 325 men who entered the battle, 31 were killed and 168 wounded."
The reiment penetrated deepest into Union lines and was the only one mentioned specifically in General Robert E. Lee's official report of the battle. The regiment wa smade up of men from Wayne, Lenoir, Pitt, Guilford, Orange, Jones and Perquimans counties. Lee reported them "standing boldly in line without a cartridge" after they ran out of ammunition, holding the center of the rebel line.
The Brave and the Courageous, the 27th NC. --Old Secesh
"Regiment that included the Goldsboro Rifles suffered third-highest casualty rate of the Confederate Army: On the bloodiest day in American history (even worse than D-Day) the regiment that included the Goldsboro Rifles suffered the third-highest casualty rate in the Confederate Army.
At the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, the 27th North Carolina Infantry regiment lost 61 percent of its men killed and wounded. Out of 325 men who entered the battle, 31 were killed and 168 wounded."
The reiment penetrated deepest into Union lines and was the only one mentioned specifically in General Robert E. Lee's official report of the battle. The regiment wa smade up of men from Wayne, Lenoir, Pitt, Guilford, Orange, Jones and Perquimans counties. Lee reported them "standing boldly in line without a cartridge" after they ran out of ammunition, holding the center of the rebel line.
The Brave and the Courageous, the 27th NC. --Old Secesh
Monday, June 10, 2013
Heritage Attacks
3-5-13: In Palestine, Texas, the Dogwood Trails Festival denied the John H. Reagan Camp of the SCV from having a booth at it, saying it was "politically divisive." The camp, however, not to be denied, will set up a booth two blocks away on their land where they are building a memorial plaza to the the Confederacy which they plan on dedicating in April.
3-5-13: In Memphis, Tennessee, city workers removed signs with the names from the city's Confederate parks. This was done before a proposed law forbidding the renaming of parks passed in the state.
2-24-13: Sutton High School in Ontario, Canada, barred students from wearing depictions of Confederate flags because of "racial symbolism."
It seems that there are some big problems in Canada these days.
And, It Keeps Right On Attacking. --Old Secesh
3-5-13: In Memphis, Tennessee, city workers removed signs with the names from the city's Confederate parks. This was done before a proposed law forbidding the renaming of parks passed in the state.
2-24-13: Sutton High School in Ontario, Canada, barred students from wearing depictions of Confederate flags because of "racial symbolism."
It seems that there are some big problems in Canada these days.
And, It Keeps Right On Attacking. --Old Secesh
Heritage Attacks
It just continues, but first, some reasonable news in this area.
** March 9, 2013 Charleston, SC, Post and Courier reported that a Civil War re-enactment was held at Whiteville Elementary School and that there were Confederate flags and re-enactors present. Third grade teacher Viola Alford, who is black, however, said that their presence played into the learning process and that the past is not always neat and tidy. "It's all part of our history. It is best to know how it resulted in a war."
Parents were told of it and if offended, their kids could skip the event.
** February 19, 2013. Rockingham Board in North Carolina passed a resolution to rebuild a Confederate statue honoring veterans which had stood in the center of a traffic circle in Reidsville since 1910.
** March 6, 2013-- Hamilton, Ontario. A Canadian barbecue restaurant named Hillbilly Heaven had a Confederate flag painted on its exterior was vandalized because of it. The owner said he wasn't racist.
Canada Too?? --Old Secesh
** March 9, 2013 Charleston, SC, Post and Courier reported that a Civil War re-enactment was held at Whiteville Elementary School and that there were Confederate flags and re-enactors present. Third grade teacher Viola Alford, who is black, however, said that their presence played into the learning process and that the past is not always neat and tidy. "It's all part of our history. It is best to know how it resulted in a war."
Parents were told of it and if offended, their kids could skip the event.
** February 19, 2013. Rockingham Board in North Carolina passed a resolution to rebuild a Confederate statue honoring veterans which had stood in the center of a traffic circle in Reidsville since 1910.
** March 6, 2013-- Hamilton, Ontario. A Canadian barbecue restaurant named Hillbilly Heaven had a Confederate flag painted on its exterior was vandalized because of it. The owner said he wasn't racist.
Canada Too?? --Old Secesh
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Battle of Swan's Quarter
From the Encyclopedia of North Carolina.
Now we're talking about a battle I have never heard of before, but an indication of activity taking place along the coastal areas of the state.
The battle took place March 3, 1863, just over 150 years ago. Union troops from Company G of the 1st North Carolina Infantry (that's right, a Union regiment, accompanied by the gunboat North State under the command of Captain Colin Richardson set forth from New Bern aboard the steamer Escort on a foraging expedition.
On March 3rd, the Union troops (consisting of about 250 men) ran into an ambush from about 80 Confederate troops. Despite their numerical superiority, the Union troops were thrown into confusion by the sudden gunfire.
Once rallied and with support of howitzers, the Federals began driving the Confederates back towards Swan's Quarter. Richardson received word that there were some 200 more enemy troops approaching, Richardson ordered a withdrawal to New Bern.
Richardson reported the loss of 4 men dead and 15 wounded.
Not That Big of An Action. --Old Secesh
Now we're talking about a battle I have never heard of before, but an indication of activity taking place along the coastal areas of the state.
The battle took place March 3, 1863, just over 150 years ago. Union troops from Company G of the 1st North Carolina Infantry (that's right, a Union regiment, accompanied by the gunboat North State under the command of Captain Colin Richardson set forth from New Bern aboard the steamer Escort on a foraging expedition.
On March 3rd, the Union troops (consisting of about 250 men) ran into an ambush from about 80 Confederate troops. Despite their numerical superiority, the Union troops were thrown into confusion by the sudden gunfire.
Once rallied and with support of howitzers, the Federals began driving the Confederates back towards Swan's Quarter. Richardson received word that there were some 200 more enemy troops approaching, Richardson ordered a withdrawal to New Bern.
Richardson reported the loss of 4 men dead and 15 wounded.
Not That Big of An Action. --Old Secesh
Friday, June 7, 2013
Wayne County, NC, Confederate Camps
From the Encyclopedia of North Carolina.
CAMP COLLIER-- Near Goldsboro (Wayne County): Confederate camp temporarily used by the 61st NC Regt. en route to Kinston from the Wilmington area, October 1862.
CAMP McLEAN-- Near Goldsboro (Wayne County): Temporary base of many Confederate units, including the 72nd NC Regt. (3rd Junior reserves), guarding rail and river approaches to Goldsboro. Likely named for Gen. A. D. McLean of Cumberland County.
CAMP VANCE Near Goldsboro (Wayne County--there was another Camp Vance in Burke County): Temprary base of many Confederate units guarding rail and river approaches to Goldsboro.
It would sure be interesting to find the sites of these camps and do some investigating. Wonder if someone knows where they exactly were?
Old Secesh
CAMP COLLIER-- Near Goldsboro (Wayne County): Confederate camp temporarily used by the 61st NC Regt. en route to Kinston from the Wilmington area, October 1862.
CAMP McLEAN-- Near Goldsboro (Wayne County): Temporary base of many Confederate units, including the 72nd NC Regt. (3rd Junior reserves), guarding rail and river approaches to Goldsboro. Likely named for Gen. A. D. McLean of Cumberland County.
CAMP VANCE Near Goldsboro (Wayne County--there was another Camp Vance in Burke County): Temprary base of many Confederate units guarding rail and river approaches to Goldsboro.
It would sure be interesting to find the sites of these camps and do some investigating. Wonder if someone knows where they exactly were?
Old Secesh
Thursday, June 6, 2013
"Hey George, What Happened to Your Eyebrows?": Last NC Signal Message in the War
From the Encyclopedia of North Carolina.
Not one of your really big stories of the war, but one that I find of great interest.
Lt. George C. Round of the U.S. Signal Corps sent the last signal message of the war in North Carolina from Raleigh. He was one of the first federal occupation troops to arrive in the state capital on April 13, 1865, and he established his signal station atop the state capitol building.
When he received news of Confederate General Johnston's surrender to General Sherman at the Bennett House in Durham on April 26th, he received permission to proclaim the news using signal rockets. He had spelled out the word "PEACE" and then lit a rocket indicationg the end of the word.
When it failed to go off, Round went back to relight it and when he bent over, it went off in his face and singed his eyebrows and eyelashes off. After an extended pause, he continued with his message which finally read, "Peace on Earth, goodwill to men."
Just One of Those Little Stories. --Old Secesh
Not one of your really big stories of the war, but one that I find of great interest.
Lt. George C. Round of the U.S. Signal Corps sent the last signal message of the war in North Carolina from Raleigh. He was one of the first federal occupation troops to arrive in the state capital on April 13, 1865, and he established his signal station atop the state capitol building.
When he received news of Confederate General Johnston's surrender to General Sherman at the Bennett House in Durham on April 26th, he received permission to proclaim the news using signal rockets. He had spelled out the word "PEACE" and then lit a rocket indicationg the end of the word.
When it failed to go off, Round went back to relight it and when he bent over, it went off in his face and singed his eyebrows and eyelashes off. After an extended pause, he continued with his message which finally read, "Peace on Earth, goodwill to men."
Just One of Those Little Stories. --Old Secesh
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Confederate Prison in Georgia Yields Hundreds of Artifacts-- Part 2
Other artifacts found on the site include a tobacco pipe with teeth marks in the stem (used for wound or amputation?) and a picture frame folded and kept after the daguerreotype (photo) was lost.
Once the artifacts are cleaned and preserved, they will go on exhibit at a museum the Department of Natural Resources is building at Magnolia Springs State Park (located by Camp Lawton). It is expected that the museum should be open by late summer or early fall..
Students from Georgia Southern, located in Statesboro, will begin digging more into camp's site, especially into the areas where the Union prisoners were quartered as it is believed that they abandoned most of their belongings when the camp was evacuated.
Plans are also to search for the sites of the former Confederate barracks, officer quarters, hospitals and other structures which would have been built outside the compound.
Lance Greene, anthropology professor from the school says, "There's a lifetime's worth of work here. I can see that I would retire still working there because it's such an incredible site and so well preserved."
Glad They're Doing This. --Old Secesh
Once the artifacts are cleaned and preserved, they will go on exhibit at a museum the Department of Natural Resources is building at Magnolia Springs State Park (located by Camp Lawton). It is expected that the museum should be open by late summer or early fall..
Students from Georgia Southern, located in Statesboro, will begin digging more into camp's site, especially into the areas where the Union prisoners were quartered as it is believed that they abandoned most of their belongings when the camp was evacuated.
Plans are also to search for the sites of the former Confederate barracks, officer quarters, hospitals and other structures which would have been built outside the compound.
Lance Greene, anthropology professor from the school says, "There's a lifetime's worth of work here. I can see that I would retire still working there because it's such an incredible site and so well preserved."
Glad They're Doing This. --Old Secesh
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Confederate Prison in Georgia Yields Hundreds of Artifacts-- Part 1
From the June 4, 2013, Goldsboro (NC) News-Argus "Ga. Civil War Camp turns up hundreds of artifacts," AP.
It's been just three years since Cap Lawton, near Millen, Georgia, was discovered and already more than 600 artifacts have been discovered at the former Confederate prison. Some are suspender buttons, a bronze buckle used to fashion tourniquets during amputations, all the way to railroad spikes.
The camp was opened in October 1864, about 50 miles south of Augusta, to replace the overcrowded Camp Sumter, better known as Andersonville. Camp Lawton covered over 42 acres with one quarter mile walls on all sides and held more than 10,000 Union prisoners.
Not much is known of the place as it operated just some six weeks before Confederates abandoned it to avoid the advancing troops of Union General William T. Sherman's Army.
The general location of the camp has always been known, but it wasn't until 2010, when a Georgia Southern graduate student found remnants of the stockade wall.
Old Secesh
It's been just three years since Cap Lawton, near Millen, Georgia, was discovered and already more than 600 artifacts have been discovered at the former Confederate prison. Some are suspender buttons, a bronze buckle used to fashion tourniquets during amputations, all the way to railroad spikes.
The camp was opened in October 1864, about 50 miles south of Augusta, to replace the overcrowded Camp Sumter, better known as Andersonville. Camp Lawton covered over 42 acres with one quarter mile walls on all sides and held more than 10,000 Union prisoners.
Not much is known of the place as it operated just some six weeks before Confederates abandoned it to avoid the advancing troops of Union General William T. Sherman's Army.
The general location of the camp has always been known, but it wasn't until 2010, when a Georgia Southern graduate student found remnants of the stockade wall.
Old Secesh
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