Tag Archives: letters

“…old Sherman lit up with a sad disappointment…”

Posted on March 19, 2015 by WilliamH

By the middle of March 1865, the Confederate forces in the Eastern North Carolina found themselves within a slowly closing vise of three major Union military advances. Union Major General John G. Schofield was moving his “Army of the Ohio” … Continue reading →

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The Battle of Averasboro and its aftermath as seen through civilian eyes.

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Chris

March 16th, 1865 near the county line between Harnett and Cumberland County, North Carolina, Lt. Gen. William Hardee’s corps of the Confederate army fought a delaying action against the left wing of General William Sherman’s army. Sherman’s army was marching … Continue reading →

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First Wednesdays – “…keep my luck for I have lost everything…

Posted on February 4, 2015 by WilliamH

The hurrahs over the initial defense of Fort Fisher soon came to an end with the arrival of a new Union task force to take the fort and close off the Cape Fear River to the Confederacy. This new expedition … Continue reading →

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“…you promise forgiveness to all who will repent…”

Posted on August 29, 2014 by WilliamH

By late August and early September 1864, the Confederate field armies were slowly losing their ability to counter the Union offensives in both eastern and western theaters. The push to quickly end the war in 1862/1863 bled the Confederacy down … Continue reading →

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Treasures of the Archives: “Tar Heel fight”

Posted on August 28, 2014 by WilliamH

[This blog post was written by Debbi Blake, Collection Services Section Manager for the State Archives of North Carolina.] On August 28, 1864, Major Joseph A. Engelhard wrote a letter to “Friend Ruf” in which he described the successful Battle … Continue reading →

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First Wednesdays – “I think it is not honorable war fare.”

Posted on August 6, 2014 by WilliamH

During the fifty-second month of the American Civil War, both sides of the conflict were becoming exhausted through the constant combat experienced during summer of 1864. In the past years of the war, engagements were fought, and both armies were … Continue reading →

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July 1864 home front concerns and election

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Chris

The Confederate victory at Plymouth, N.C. in April 1864 opened the entire Washington, Tyrrell and Hyde County peninsula area of eastern North Carolina to Confederate control.  Under nominal United States control – especially where US troops were garrisoned – since … Continue reading →

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First Wednesdays – A North Carolinian’s Experience During the Overland Campaign

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Mark

Grant and Lee’s Overland Campaign (the name typically given by scholars to describe the series of battles from the Wilderness until Grant’s crossing of the James River, May-June, 1864) was arguably the hardest-fought campaign of the entire war.  The fighting … Continue reading →

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First Wednesdays: The Reasons William W. Holden Ran for Governor, 1864

Posted on March 5, 2014 by tiffmaz

In the spring of 1864, the American Civil War has been going on for three years, and the people of North Carolina were tired of the war and the ravages, it brought with it. Many were talking about peace and … Continue reading →

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Love and War

Posted on February 5, 2014 by tiffmaz

It is not often that we highlight fun and possibly frivolous letters on this blog, but with Valentines Day being right around the corner, we figured it would be appropriate to highlight a couple of letters William Henry Grady wrote … Continue reading →

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