Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Historical Resources

 

The 26th Regiment North Carolina Troops
A History by David McGee

 

CHAPTER I "CALLED TO ARMS"

On Monday, September 2, 1861, approximately 1,000 men of the 26th Regiment North Carolina Troops boarded a train of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad in Raleigh. Like thousands of others, these soldiers had responded to their state's call to arms during the first months of the Civil War. Despite varying backgrounds, social status, or political beliefs, these men united in their various communities to form companies. After the units organized they traveled to Raleigh, where on August 27, they combined to create the 26th North Carolina.

 

Like most Confederate regiments, the 26th North Carolina consisted of ten companies. The men who formed these companies represented a broad geographical section of North Carolina. Most came from eight counties stretching across the central piedmont to the mountain regions of the state. From the piedmont, Anson, Chatham, Moore, Union and Wake provided six of the companies. The other four originated in Ashe, Caldwell, and Wilkes counties in the Appalachian foothills and mountains.

 

Similar to most of North Carolina, all of these counties had a predominantly rural, agrarian character. Of the eight, only Wake--containing the state capital of Raleigh--had a town of more than 300 persons. Manufacturing played a small part in the economy of these counties. Although they had 305 manufacturing establishments among them, only 977 persons (out of a total population of 114,223 in the eight counties) worked in these businesses in 1860. The vast majority of the people farmed the land.

 

The occupations of the men in the 26th North Carolina reflected their rural origins and the predominantly agrarian nature of the state's antebellum economy. Surviving muster rolls do not provide the livelihoods of most soldiers, but an examination of both the 1860 Federal census and muster rolls reveals the vocations of 354 men. Almost seventy-three percent (258) of the men either farmed or worked as farm laborers. Another eighty-five who lived with their parents also came from farm families.

 

Of the men who enlisted in the 26th North Carolina initially, 259 were identified in the 1860 census as farmers (or members of a farm family). They came from holdings that ranged from having no listed value to plantations worth $100,000 or more. Nearly thirty-three percent of these men possessed no real property of value. Another thirty-one percent owned between $1 and $1,000 worth of real property. The remaining thirty-six percent held more than $1,000 worth of realty.

 

While the majority of the soldiers who farmed came from farms valued at $1,000 or less, the leaders of the companies (officers and sergeants) tended to represent the upper class landholders. Only three officers and one sergeant held less than $1,000 worth of realty. The remaining eleven officers and eleven sergeants came from estates of $1,000 value or more.

 

Although farming was the principal occupation among the men of the regiment, many other vocations were represented as well. The following list (taken from the 1860 census sample and muster rolls) demonstrates the assortment of livelihoods represented in the 26th North Carolina.

 

 

The men of the 26th North Carolina also represented a wide range of ages. The average (mean) age of its members was twenty-three years and eleven months old, but the muster rolls reveal ages ranging from fifteen to fifty-five. Of the 1031 men who enlisted in the regiment by the time of its organization (and whose ages were recorded in the company rolls), approximately seventy-eight percent (765) were between eighteen and twenty-nine years old. Another fifteen percent (146) fell between the ages of thirty and forty-five. Of the remainder, one percent (8) were older than forty-five and five percent (56) were younger than eighteen. Joel Helton, a farmer from Caldwell County, held the distinction of being the oldest at age fifty-five. At the other end, three recruits enlisted at the age of fifteen.

 

The majority of men in the 26th North Carolina came from counties where Unionist sentiment remained strong during the secession crisis. In February, 1861, North Carolinians conducted a referendum on whether to hold a convention to discuss secession. By a narrow margin, voters rejected the idea of a convention. Of the eight counties which supplied most of the men to the 26th North Carolina, all but three (Anson, Union, and Wake) overwhelmingly rejected the convention. Even in Anson and Wake, sentiment for the Union remained strong as the voters chose Unionist delegates to the convention. In Wilkes and Moore counties voting ran overwhelmingly (ninety-seven and ninety percent of the votes, respectively) against the convention.

 

Not until the first guns opened fire at Fort Sumter and President Lincoln called for troops (including two regiments from North Carolina) to put down the "insurrection" did secessionists gain the upper hand in the state. Congressman Zebulon Vance (who later served as the first colonel of the 26th North Carolina) gave some indication of how the news from Charleston and Washington swayed people from one side to the other. Giving a speech in support of the Union, he had his "hand extended upward in pleading for peace and the Union" when the news of Fort Sumter and Lincoln's call for troops was announced. According to Vance, as his hand came down, "it fell slowly and sadly by the side of a Secessionist." He then urged his listeners to fight for the South.

 

Once the state decided to secede, efforts began to recruit the 30,000 soldiers called for by North Carolina Adjutant General John Hoke. The method of recruiting troops varied from one county to another. In Wake and Anson counties, local newspapers aided the process by publishing recruiting advertisements and news stories describing the activities of various units. In areas with little or no newspaper coverage, recruiters relied primarily on printed broadsides and word-of-mouth. Frequently, prominent members of the community lent not only their support and social status to the recruiting efforts, but actively engaged in raising a company themselves.

 

The next step was to muster the newly formed company into state service. Before it could be mustered, regulations stated that it must number at least sixty-four privates and an appropriate number of non-commissioned officers. (The company usually attempted to enlist more men to reach the suggested number of 100 men per company.) To assist in recruitment, the North Carolina legislature authorized a bounty of $10 for each man when a company was sworn into state service.

 

After the required number of men enlisted, members of a company could select their own officers. Usually, but not always, men who had worked to raise the company were elected as officers. After organizing, the captain of the company reported to the state Adjutant General's office, which sent an officer to muster the company into state service. Once formed, a company would then be ordered to one of several central locations across North Carolina, where it combined with other companies to form a regiment.

 

Like most Confederate companies, each company in the 26th North Carolina drew most of its members from a single county. Very often a company recruited either in a single community, or if the population eligible for military service was too small, in several communities close together. This local character became apparent in the "Wake Guards" and the "Jefferson Davis Mountaineers" which recruited in one and two districts, respectively. It also showed in the community names which became part of the unit names, such as the "Waxhaw Jackson Guards" and the "Hibriten Guards."

 

The first company that became part of the 26th North Carolina began forming in Moore County in May, 1861. As volunteers enlisted, they received large badges of red, white, and blue ribbon to wear until local tailors completed their uniforms. By May 13, the unit had officially organized and adopted the name of the "Moore Independents." From company headquarters at Carthage, the officers informed the North Carolina Adjutant General's office that the "Independents" stood ready to defend the state. On June 3, the unit mustered into service. The state then supplied the company with muskets and other equipment. On July 18, the troops received orders to proceed to the camp of instruction at Garysburg (in the northeastern part of the state). After two weeks of training, the Moore County men moved to Weldon. Ten days later, they received orders to march to Camp Carolina, located on Crabtree Creek several miles north of Raleigh.

 

In Wake County, about ten miles southwest of Raleigh, the Holly Springs community supplied most of the men for another company. On May 28, the "Wake Guards" formed with the enlistment of sixty men. Although North Carolina had seceded only eight days earlier, the "Wake Guards" became the fifth company to volunteer from that county. The unit remained at Holly Springs until July 16, adding thirty more recruits during the wait. The men of the company then marched the ten miles to Raleigh through drenching rain on a "powerful muddy" road. There they found shelter from the elements in a Baptist Church. The next day, the soldiers continued on to the camp of instruction at Crabtree.

 

Chatham County, adjoining Wake to the west, provided additional troops to the 26th North Carolina. On May 28, the "Chatham Independent Guards," organized when eighty-four men enlisted at the Cartersville community in the western part of the county. For the next several weeks, the men drilled regularly at Cartersville while they waited for their uniforms to be made. The company also continued to recruit, and by June 4 contained 101 "strong able bodied men."

 

In the mountains of the northwest corner of the state, men from the Town and Southeastern districts of Ashe County formed another company. Organizing on May 17 at Jefferson, the recruits demonstrated their patriotic fervor by naming the company the "Jeff Davis Mountaineers" (also known as the "Jeff Davis Mountain Rifles") after the president of the Confederacy. The Ashe County men remained at home several weeks drilling and recruiting. While they were still at home, nineteen-year-old Henry K. Burgwyn, member of a wealthy eastern North Carolina planter family and recent graduate of Virginia Military Institute, came to Ashe County on a recruiting mission of his own. His efforts met with an unqualified lack of success (he only had two uncertain recruits after one week). However, he remained in Ashe and assisted the "Jeff Davis Mountaineers" in their training. Later, the men of the company publicly expressed their gratitude for "the efficient lessons" Burgwyn provided.

 

On June 13, the "Jeff Davis Mountaineers" left their homes and travelled to the state capitol, arriving five days later. Despite the warm welcome they received in Raleigh, news from home dampened their spirits. As they left Ashe County, one of their number, Allen Porter, became ill and remained behind. The company learned of his death when they reached Raleigh. Porter became the first of 670 men from the 26th North Carolina who would die in service. In the small mountain communities, each death would be noticed and felt.

 

In the foothills south of Ashe, the men of Caldwell County worked to recruit troops destined for the 26th North Carolina. Although the sparsely populated county had already provided one company, by early June, efforts to raise another unit had begun. The recruiters, who included such prominent local citizens as Samuel F. Patterson (a wealthy planter, merchant and state legislator), travelled around the county to lend their voices to the enlistment effort. On July 15, the recruiting efforts paid off as the "Hibriten Guards" organized at Lenoir.

 

Before leaving home, the "Hibriten Guards" received a company flag from their community. Miss Laura Norwood (accompanied by twelve young girls) made the presentation in a formal ceremony in Lenoir. The flag had the North Carolina coat of arms painted on a blue field. The material came from a dress belonging to Annie Rankin, Capt. Nathaniel Rankin's youngest sister, with the coat of arms painted by another sister. The "Guards" left Lenoir on July 31, and marched to Newton where they boarded a train for Raleigh.

 

Like the men from Caldwell County, the "Waxhaw Jackson Guards" also received a company flag. On June 5, the Union County unit formed in Monroe. At a July 4 celebration, an estimated 1,000-1,200 citizens gathered at "Wilson's Store" to witness the presentation of the flag. Anna Cureton made the presentation, echoing the words of the Spartan mothers long ago when she told the soldiers to return victorious with the flag flying when the battle was done, or come home dead "on the flag" from the battlefield. Lieutenant William Wilson accepted for the company. His remarks and the "military bearing" of the troops assured the assembly that the flag was in "safe hands". Three days later, the company departed for Raleigh.

 

Due east of Union, in the state's "cotton belt" along the South Carolina border, the "Pee Dee Wild Cats" from Anson County had two advantages over many units. First, the company already existed during the antebellum period as a local militia unit; secondly, Wadesboro's newspaper, the North Carolina Argus, printed several articles describing the activities of the unit and urging men of the county to enlist. Even with these advantages, the earlier creation of two other companies in the county meant that recruiting for the "Pee Dee Wild Cats" progressed slowly. Enlistment began in late May, but not until July 1 did the company officially organize.

 

After enlisting, its men traveled about Anson County practicing their military drill while efforts continued to recruit additional soldiers. One notable event in which the "Wild Cats" participated came on July 3 at Gould's Fork Academy. At the invitation of the ladies of the community, the company practiced its maneuvers for about an hour before an estimated crowd of 500 spectators. After the drill, the townspeople, including "the beauty of Anson," treated the new soldiers to lunch at a "long table, fairly burdened with the weight of good things." After lunch, the assembled crowd heard several speeches and a performance by the local children's bell choir. The company dispersed around 5 o'clock in the evening, after receiving not only the adoration of the community but also new volunteers.

 

The "Pee Dee Wild Cats" remained in Anson County for six more weeks seeking additional recruits. But even as the company departed for Raleigh, its ranks remained unfilled. The North Carolina Argus pled for volunteers: "Young men, what are you thinking about? Do you expect a better opportunity?" The newspaper apparently had little affect, because only five new members joined the company between the time it organized and its departure for Raleigh.

 

The "Caldwell Guards" faced the same problems of recruiting as the "Pee Dee Wildcats," without the Anson unit's advantages. The third company raised in a county with the lowest population of white males of any county represented in the 26th North Carolina, the unit had enlisted only sixty-three men by the time it left Lenoir. The low number of enlistments continued to plague the company. From Camp Carolina, Lieutenant J. T. Jones confided his fears to his father, stating that the "Caldwell Guards" may be left out of the regiment if they did not get more recruits. Even when the regiment left Raleigh in September, no more than sixty-nine soldiers had joined the company.

 

The recruiting problems faced by the "Pee Dee Wildcats" and the "Caldwell Guards" occurred in other companies as well. If a company had not filled its ranks at the time it organized, it often became difficult to do so later. While four enlisted more than twenty men each between the time they organized and their departure for Raleigh, the other six raised only thirty men combined during the same time period.

 

Regardless of the number of recruits, once a company formed, a key concern became how to equip the troops. The North Carolina Adjutant General's office issued a notice listing the types and quantity of gear each company and man should bring with them. However, with massive recruiting taking place across North Carolina in the summer of 1861, the state government proved unable to provide gear for many companies. Therefore, the task of supplying clothing and accoutrements to recruits fell to the communities which raised the troops.

 

In Caldwell County, the citizens quickly rose to the task of supplying the troops. Before the two companies left Lenoir, the women of the town prepared clothing and accoutrements for the departing soldiers. Among the items supplied were the following: "Hibriten Guards" "Caldwell Guards" 10 prs pants 20 prs pants. 12 prs. 100 knapsacks and straps made by Valley Ladies 100 haversacks and straps 90 fatigue jackets Quantity of lint and 80 haversacks, with roller bandages straps for do. Flag, and three days 12 matresses provisions Flag and three days This Company furnished provisions with pants Lint, and some testaments This company also had fifty blankets given them.

 

Whatever their state of equipage, the companies made their way to Raleigh and reported to the camp of instruction at Camp Carolina (also known as Camp Crabtree). This camp was located at the "Crabtree" plantation of Kimbrough Jones, two miles north of Raleigh, near the junction of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad and Crabtree Creek. The state Adjutant General's Office established Camp Carolina to relieve crowded conditions at other camps of instruction, and by July 5 had it ready to receive new soldiers.

 

When Henry K. Burgwyn, formerly a captain in the 4th North Carolina, learned that W. W. Kirkland had stepped down as commander of the Raleigh camp of instruction, he requested that he be placed in charge of the camp. Burgwyn not only received the appointment from the state, he also obtained a promotion to the rank of Major. Trained at V. M. I., Burgwyn was experienced in military drill. The "Lafayette Light Infantry" company of the 1st North Carolina Volunteers had earlier passed a resolution praising him for the "very excellent lessons in drill" he gave them at Camp Ellis. After his arrival at Camp Carolina on July 10, Burgwyn wasted no time moving troops into camp and beginning their training.

 

For the new recruits, life at Camp Carolina proved to be a radical change from their civilian lives. Like many Civil War soldiers, their enlistment in the army meant they were away from home for the first time. The community orientation of the companies may have helped alleviate their sense of dislocation, but the problems of adjusting soon became evident.

 

The first thing many men noticed was the large number of troops gathered in one place. A soldier from Caldwell County noted that as many as 1,800 troops were at the camp when his company arrived. Considering that Caldwell County had a population density of only 30.8 persons per square mile in 1860, the sight of so many strangers crowded into the relatively confined area of the camp must have disconcerted many men.

 

The number of troops gathered at the camp did not provide the only turmoil. The various methods soldiers used to entertain themselves offended the sensibilities of some. A few weeks after arriving at the camp of instruction, T. W. Setser described to his parents some of the sinful activities taking place around him. "i hav bin in and at meny plases, but this is the god dams plase that i ever Seen . . . Som Sings, Som gits drunk, Som curses, Som plays cards and all Sorts of devilment that white men couda think of."

 

Setser probably did not exaggerate. On the night of August 4, William T. Baker of the "Waxhaw Jackson Guards" got drunk and attempted to force his way into a house occupied by two women. A neighbor responded to the women's request for help and shot Baker in the abdomen when he threatened the neighbor with a bowie knife.

 

The men at Camp Carolina also had to adjust to military routine. Because of the complex system of movements common to nineteenth century army maneuvers, a major purpose of a camp of instruction was teaching the soldiers (and very often the officers) the fundamentals of drill. As a result, drill exercises often consumed the greater portion of a recruit's day. While some soldiers complained about the amount of time spent on drill, others felt that their commanders were not competent and did not spend enough time on drill.

 

Learning the proper military protocol caused problems as well. On the first day the "Chatham Boys" spent in camp, Major Burgwyn demanded to know why Captain William McLean had failed to report the roll call of the company. Before the Captain could reply, another message came ordering one corporal and two privates from the company to report to the Major's headquarters immediately. McLean selected Corporal John R. Lane and Privates S. S. Carter and W. G. Carter. The three nervous men went to Burgwyn's headquarters, "wondering if they were going to be promoted, hanged or shot." To their surprise, the Major told Lane, "Corporal, take these men and thoroughly police this Camp; don't leave a watermelon rind or anything filthy in Camp." This order "completely knocked the starch" out of the men, who finally realized they were truly in the army.

 

Being separated from their families proved to be the biggest adjustment many of the soldiers had to make. Of 349 men from the 26th North Carolina located in the 1860 census, 200 still lived with their parents. As a result, the soldiers placed a great deal of importance on the letters they wrote and received from their families. Not hearing from home often enough became one of the soldiers' biggest complaints, at this time and later in the war.

 

Sometimes the soldiers' wives, families, and friends echoed that complaint. After Joseph White protested to his wife that he had not received any letters from home, his wife and sister replied that they wanted to hear from him as well. In one instance, a female friend of "dear young" John T. Jones told his father that she had not received any letters from John.

 

On August 27, the 26th Regiment North Carolina Troops mustered in for twelve months service. That same day, the men chose their regimental field officers. Although former Congressman Zebulon Baird Vance (at the time the captain of Company F, 14th North Carolina Regiment) was favored for the position of Colonel, he did not run unopposed. On August 24, the Raleigh Register printed a letter to the editor from "An Officer" who urged his "brother officers" of the 26th North Carolina to select the Reverend Cameron F. McRae as colonel of the regiment. This person stated that McRae was a West Point graduate and a "high toned gentleman . . . perfectly matured, and in his prime." Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr., McRae's brother-in-law, most likely wrote the letter.

 

Despite the nomination of McRae, the men of the 26th North Carolina elected Vance to serve as their commanding officer. He remained in this position until his August, 1862 election as governor of North Carolina. As Vance's second in command, the commander of Camp Carolina, Major Henry K. Burgwyn, Jr., was elected lieutenant colonel. Captain Abner B. Carmichael, commanding the "Wilkes Volunteers", secured the vote as major.

 

        Once the regiment organized, each company received a letter designation that it retained for the duration of the war. The companies and their captains were:

 

   The men of the 26th North Carolina had little time to drill together as a unit before leaving Raleigh. On August 30, news reached the state capital at Raleigh of Union troop landings at Cape Hatteras on the North Carolina coast. With the fall of the forts at Hatteras, defending Fort Macon on Bogue Island became vital. Despite its lack of training, the unit received orders to proceed to Bogue Island immediately. During the next two days, officers and men scrambled to complete preparations for leaving. Those soldiers who did not yet have weapons, equipment, or uniforms received them. By nightfall on September 1, the regiment stood ready to depart Raleigh.

 

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Historical Resources