North Carolina in the Civil War
By Chasen Hunt
Secession
- After Lincoln's election in 1860, secessionists called for North Carolina to secede from the Union.
- When put up for a vote, unionists narrowly beat the secessionists. Adopted "Watch and Wait" policy to see if Lincoln could peacefully resolve the rebellion
- After the opening shots at Fort Sumter, Lincoln called for every state to send volunteers to "put down the rebellion".
- North Carolina refused to take up arms against the South.
- North Carolina was one of the last states to secede on May 20, 1861.
Soldiers from North Carolina
- North Carolina provided 133,905 soldiers for the Confederate Army, more than any other state.
- About 8000 North Carolinians joined the war for the Union. Of those, about 5000 of them were black.
Gen. Braxton Bragg
- Commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee
- Born in Warrenton, NC
- Graduated from West Point in 1837 and served in the Mexican War.
- Fort Bragg in North Carolina is named in his honor.
Daniel H. Hill
- Graduated from West Point in 1842
- Served as Mathamatics Professor at Washington University.
- Critic of General Robert E. Lee and Braxton Bragg
- Led to Hill being expelled from the Army of Northern Virginia.
William Dorsey Pender
- At 29, he was the youngest Major General in the Confederate Army.
- Born in Edgecombe County, NC
- Saw action in the Battles of Fredericksburg, Second Bull Run, and Gettysburg, among others.
Civil War Battles in North Carolina
Battle of Bentonville
- March 19-21, 1865
- Largest battle in North Carolina, final major offensive by the Confederates.
- After his March to the Sea, Union General Sherman planned to march through the Carolinas to meet up with Grant.
- Confederate General Joseph Johnston assembled 17,000 to drive Sherman's 60,000 men back.
- While initially surprised by the attack, Sherman's 3:1 advantage on Johnston eventually forced Johnston to withdraw.
- Union suffered about 1500 casualties, Confederates 3400.
Second Battle of Fort Fisher
- January 13-15, 1865
- Union had already tried in December 1864 to capture Fort Fisher but failed.
- Maj. Gen. Alfred Terry is placed in command of "Provisional Corps" and 60 naval vessels.
- Confederate garrison surrenders, eventually leads Union taking Wilmington, the Confederate's last seaport to the Atlantic.
Civil War Generals from North Carolina
Works Cited
"Battle of Bentonville: Overview." NC Historic Sites. North Carolina Depratment of Cultural Resources, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
Battle of Bentonville Overview. N.d. Civil War Trust. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
Braxton Bragg. 1861. Library of Congress. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
"Braxton Bragg." Civil War Trust. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Capture of Fort Fisher. 1890. Library of Congress. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
"Civil War." North Carolina History Project :. John Locke Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
Daniel Harvey Hill. N.d. North Carolina History Project. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
"Daniel Harvey Hill." North Carolina History Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
History.com. "Battle of Bentonville." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
Pippen, Craig. "William Dorsey Pender." North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
"Road to Secession." The North Carolina Civil War Experience. North Carolina Historic Sites, 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
"Second Battle of Fort Fisher." Civil War Trust. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
William Dorsey Pender. N.d. North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.