Battle of White Hall, NC

The June 12th Mount Olive Tribune reported on the 8th annual reenactment of the 1862 Battle of White Hall which was hampered by temperatures in the 100s. That made it especially hard for the reenactors in their wool uniforms.

Perhaps, they would have been better off having it the actual date of the engagement, a few days before Christmas.


THE ACTUAL BATTLE

By John Cate, staff writer

The actual battle was little more than a skirmish when compared to the bigger battles. But,it was part of a Union effort to disrupt Lee's major supply line, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad which had a major impact on operations of the eastern theatre of the war.

The city of Goldsborough,(as it was spelled back then, now Goldsboro), NC, was a major supply depot along the railroad and it was to this place that Union forces turned their attention.

On December 12, 1862, a Union force of 4,500 under command of Brigadier General John H. Foster left Union-held New Bern heading for Goldsborough.

On December 14th, they easily defeated a smaller Confederate force under Brigadier General Nathan Evans near Kinston causing them to fall back to the Neuse River.


BATTLE OF WHITE HALL

Two days later, the forces encountered again at White Hall where Foster used part of his force to tie down Evans and marched with the rest to attack the railroad bridge at Goldsborough.

By Confederate accounts, the Battle of White Hall was a victory with 125 Union dead as opposed to Confederate losses of ten dead and 42 wounded out of 1,500 engaged.


BATTLE AT GOLDSBOROUGH BRIDGE

Meanwhile, on the 17th, Foster attacked the bridge and defeatred the Confederates under brigadier General Thomas Clingman and captured it. They destroyed it as well as track, but Foster did not believe he was strong enough to capture Goldsborough so fell back to New Bern.

The railroad tracks and bridge were soon repaired and supplies again reaching Lee's army. Several other attempts were made at Goldsborough, but it remained in Confederate hands until March 23, 1865, when it surrenderedto Sherman's army on its march from South Carolina.

Mighty Hot in Them Wool Uniforms. --Old B-R'er

Kilpatrick's Shirttail Skedaddle, the Battle of Monroe's Crossroads Part 2

From Wikipedia. I decided to find out some more about this battle.

It is also known as the Battle of Fayetteville Road, and in the north, sometimes Kilpatrick's Shirttail Skedaddle. You have to like a battle with a name like that.

It resulted in a minor Confederate victory, one of the last in the war. It pitted mounted Confederates against dismounted Union cavalry.

Confederate cavalry, numbering 5,800, under Wade Hampton and Joseph Wheeler surprised the 4,438 man Union encampment. One of the goals was the capture of much-hated Union General Judson Kilpatrick and they almost did. The good Union general was in the embrace of his mistress in a small cabin near Charles Monroe's farmhouse when the Confeds came a-calling. He managed to escape out the back door in his nightshirt and hid in the woods until he recovered and rallied his troops. They drove the Confederates off.

Losses were 400-500 Union and 100 Confederate. The graves of some of the unidentified Union soldiers can still be seen on the grounds of Fort Bragg.

The battle enabled retreating Confederate forces to cross the Cape Fear River and burn the bridge behind them.

Get a Move On, General. --B-Runner

Battle of Monroe's Crossroads

This is not a battle I've ever heard of before, but the April 6th Faytetteville Observer had an article about the March 29th observation of the Battle of Monroe's Crossroads, North Carolina.

The Thomas H. Ruger Camp Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Robeson Rifles Guard Camp Sons of Confederate Veterans held a joint remembrance ceremony to honor the Union and Confederate cavalry killed at this battle fought March 10, 1865, on the grounds of present-day Fort Bragg.

Confederate cavalry under Gen. Wade Hampton attacked a Union cavalry under Gen. Hugh Kilpatrick and captured it. However, the Union troops rallied an recaptured it after a three hour fight. The Confederates withdrew with 200 dead and dying and it did delay the Union capture of Fayetteville by a day.

A Lot of Dead to Get an Extra Day. --The Old B-R'er

Top Ten Civil War Visitors Sites

Eric Wittenberg in his Rantings of a Civil War Historian blog listed HIS Top Ten Civil War visitors centers. Three of them are in my home state of North Carolina.

#4. Fort Fisher-- best fiber optic troop movement map he's ever seen. State Park.

#6. Bentonville-- another great fiber optic map done by Mark Moore, who also did the one in Fort Fisher. State Park.

#7. Averasboro-- Nice museum and gift shop. Most impressive-- "model for how to preserve, mark, and interpret a battlefield with private dollars."

Thanks for the recognition, Eric.

And That Mark Can Sure Make a Map. --Old B-Runner

Confederate Monument Rededicated in Kinston, NC

The Dec. 16, 2007, Kinston Free Press reported that the 1924 Confederate monument that was presented by the United Daughters of the Confederacy was rededicated Dec. 15th on the hill at the Kinston-Lenoir County Visitors and Information Center.

Said Charles Broadway of Kinston, "It is nice to see the Confederate soldier once again recognized. We are here to honor the soldier for what he fought for." His great-great-grandfather fought at the Battle of Wyse Fork which ended March 10, 1865 after 4 days of fighting. Jesse Broadway was a private in the 67th NC.

Worth Mason of Beaufort said his ancestors were in the 10th NC, 1st F & G at both the First and Second Battles of Kinston.

The monument now stands about 400 yards north of Confederate defensive works which are still visible. Originally, it was on Queen Street, then in the late 1930s, it was moved to Queen Street and Highland Avenue. In the mid 70s, it was moved to the CSS Neuse Memorial Park at Vernon Avenue. This past July, the much-traveled monument was moved to its current site at US-70 E and US-258 S.

Hopefully, This Will Be the Last Time it is Moved. --Old B-Runner.

Battle of Tranter's Creek-- Part 3

I looked up Tranter's Creek in John G. Barrett's "The Civil War in North Carolina" and found information on pages 125-126.

In it, Barrett says it was somewhat larger than a skirmish. When Union commander Colonel E. E. Potter at Washington, NC, received word in late May that Col. Singletary and the 44th NC had taken position at Pactolus, 12 miles away, he became fearful that an attack would be made on Washington because the Confederate officer "was a reckless man who would not likely be restrained by prudential considerations." What he meant by this is anybody's guess.

He sent the 24th Massachusetts under Lt. Col. F. A. Osborn to confront the Confederates. After a march in hot conditions on June 5th, the Union forces arrived at "Myers or Crime's Mill" over Tranter's Creek. The mill consisted of three buildings, about thirty feet apart. The bridge ran through these buildings.

A barricade had been built on the opposite side and Col. Singletary and his 400 men poured a steady fire into the Federals. Unable to force the bridge, Col. Osborn called up his artillery, shelling the Carolinians and killing Singletary. After his death, the Confederates withdrew. The Union forces loaded their dead and returned to Washington.

Barrett included a picture of the battle from Harper's Weekly.

Definitely More Than I Ever Thought I'd Know About this Battle. Da Ol' Coot

Battle of Tranter's Creek, NC-- June 5, 1862

The article didn't have much on the battle so I went to Wikipedia and found the folowing information:

On June 5th, the Union commander at Washinton, NC, ordered a reconnaissance in force. The 24th Massachusetts advanced to a bridge over Tranter's Creek where they were met by the 44th NC under Lt. Col. Singletary.

They were unable to cross it and commenced firing artillery at the mill buildings. After Singletary was killed, his forces retreated, but the Union forces returned to Washington.

Casualties on both sides were estimated at 40. About 1500 soldiers were involved on both sides.

Not a Really Big Battle, but of Interest to Tarheels Like Me. --Old B'R'er

Battle of Tranter's Creek, NC

The Dec. 19, 2007, Greenville Daily Reflector had an article about the placement of a historical marker for the June 5, 1862 Battle of Tranter's Creek.

Mickey Harns, the president of the Pitt County Civil War Trails Council said it was one of the most significant battles in the state and part of General Burnside's expedition.

The 1500 soldiers involved was by far the largest fight in Pitt and Beaufort counties.

Lt. Col. George B. Singletory, a lawyer from Pitt County was killed.

The marker is placed just inside the Beaufort County line on US-264 near the Shutter Factory and Paint Productions, Inc. and cost $1500. The cost was shared by the Pitt County Civil War Trails Council and the Washington, NC, Visitors Bureau.

There are four Civil War markers in Beaufort County, with the other three being in Washington, NC.

There are also four in Pitt County at Black Jack, Grifton, Falkland, and Greenville.

All of these have been paid for by private donations.

The Civil war Trails Program began in Richmond, Va., 13 years ago and has expanded to NC, W. Va, and Maryland. So far, 750 sites have been marked with 200 in NC.

www.civilwartrails.org

Let the Folks Know with History ion a Stick. --RoadDog