Let us be up and doing and work with might

And though late in the day commemorate the right.

CONTENTS.

[CHAPTER I.]
Causes Leading up to the Civil War.
Origin of the War[ 9]
Party Lines[ 10]
States Secede [ 11]
[CHAPTER II.]
Beginning of Hostilities.
The War Begins[ 11]
Young Men Volunteer[ 12]
Parting Scenes[ 13]
Recusant Conscripts and Deserters[ 14]
Loss of Loved Ones[ 15]
Roll Call of the Dead[ 15]
[CHAPTER III.]
Condition of People Left at Home.
Affairs at Home[ 17]
Civil Officers at Home[ 18]
Money in Circulation[ 18]
Farming Interests[ 19]
Women of the War[ 20]
Cotton King[ 21]
Soldiers on Furlough[ 21]
Homespun Dresses[ 21]
[CHAPTER IV.]
Peace Demonstration Among the People.
Peace Movement[ 22]
Young Man Pilot[ 23]
Soldiers Break Up Meeting[ 23]
Leader of Movement[ 23]
Old Men Released[ 24]
Peace Sentiment not Suppressed[ 25]
[CHAPTER V.]
Bill of Fare in the Southern Army.
Soldiers Rations[ 25]
Rations Supplemented[ 26]
Extra Rations Found[ 26]
Coons and Foxes[ 27]
Unripe Persimmons[ 27]
The Army not Starving[ 28]
Rations of Whiskey[ 28]
Short Rations[ 29]
Soldiers Forage[ 29]
Questionable Methods[ 30]
Detail to Cook[ 30]
Reproof of Conscience[ 32]
Mince Pie[ 32]
Chaplain’s Lecture[ 33]
[CHAPTER VI.]
Surroundings of Soldiers and Soldier Life.
Phases of Soldier Life[ 33]
Southern Soldiers[ 34]
Many Surprises[ 35]
Appearances Deceptive[ 35]
Soldiers in Camp[ 35]
Congenial Companions[ 36]
Disputes and Quarrels[ 37]
Winter Quarters[ 37]
Demoralizing Influences[ 38]
Religious Worship[ 38]
[CHAPTER VII.]
Characteristics of Soldiers.
Difference of Soldiers[ 39]
The Homesick Soldier[ 40]
Strenuous Soldiers[ 41]
Conservative Soldiers[ 41]
[CHAPTER VIII.]
Citizens Visiting in Camp and the Sick Soldier.
The Sick Soldier[ 42]
Surgeon’s Call[ 42]
Simple Minded Sick Soldier[ 43]
Despondent Sick Soldier[ 43]
Visiting[ 45]
Portly Gentleman[ 45]
Lady Visitors[ 46]
[CHAPTER IX.]
Incidents of Camp and Prison Life.
Soldiers in Prison[ 46]
Exchange of Prisoners[ 47]
Punishment[ 48]
Rations[ 48]
Camp Life[ 49]
Soldier on Inspection[ 50]
Recruit on Guard[ 51]
An Economical Soldier[ 53]
A Soldier’s Retort[ 53]
A Boisterous Soldier[ 54]
Recruit Detailed[ 56]
[CHAPTER X.]
Picket Lines, Battles and Battlefields.
Picket Line[ 57]
Picket or Scout[ 57]
On the Picket Line[ 58]
Exchange of Courtesies[ 59]
Fearful Experience[ 60]
Burned Bodies of the Dead[ 61]
Test of Valor[ 61]
Escape to the Enemy[ 62]
Welcome Peace[ 62]
On the War Path[ 62]
Unreliable Soldiers[ 63]
Music in Battle[ 63]
Battles[ 64]
Battlefields[ 65]
After the Battle[ 67]
[CHAPTER XI.]
Fourteenth Regiment N. C. Infantry and General
Officers of the Army of Northern Va.
Fourteenth N. C. Regiments[ 67]
Officers[ 68]
Unique Characters[ 69]
A Brave Soldier[ 70]
Color Bearer[ 70]
Amusing Scenes[ 70]
On the Campaign[ 71]
Distressing Scenes[ 72]
Battles Engaged in[ 73]
Victory and Defeat[ 73]
Decisive Battle[ 75]
The Enemy Surprised[ 75]
Battle of Chancellorsville[ 75]
At Apomattox[ 76]
General Officers[ 77]
General Cox[ 77]
General Grimes[ 78]
General Ramseur[ 78]
General Rodes[ 79]
General D. H. Hill[ 79]
General A. P. Hill[ 80]
General Ewell[ 80]
General Early[ 81]
General Stuart[ 81]
General Longstreet[ 82]
General Breckenridge[ 82]
General Gordon[ 82]
General Wheeler[ 82]
General Jackson[ 83]
General Robert E. Lee[ 84]
Recapitulation[ 85]
[CHAPTER XII.]
Reconstruction Period.
Surrender of Lee[ 86]
Right to Secede[ 87]
Sherman’s March to the Sea[ 87]
Home Coming of Soldiers[ 88]
Assassination of Lincoln[ 89]
Federal Officers[ 90]
Conduct of Yankee Soldiers[ 90]
Looters Follow Yankee Army[ 91]
Provisional Government[ 91]
The Negro Enfranchised[ 91]
Carpetbaggers[ 92]
The Negro Politician[ 92]
Election a Farce[ 93]
Legislature[ 93]
County Officers[ 94]
Crimes Committed[ 96]
Negroes Offensive[ 96]
Ku Klux Klan[ 97]
Holden and Kirk[ 97]
Judiciary Exhausted[ 98]
Judge Brooks[ 99]
Negro Problem[ 99]
The Oldtime Darkey[ 100]
The Emancipated Negro[ 101]
The Coming South[ 103]

Reminiscences of the Civil War, 1861-1865.

CHAPTER I.
CAUSES LEADING UP TO THE CIVIL WAR.

Origin of the War.—At this time, more than forty years removed from the date of the exciting scenes enacted in the sixties, I desire for the benefit and edification of my relatives, soldier friends and other special friends, in a plain unvarnished style to record a few of the incidents and doings of the people, who were active participants in the drama of those strenuous times. I shall not confine myself to dates or specially comment on the personal history of anyone, but merely wish to rescue from oblivion such items of information as occur to me, quoting entirely from memory, not having any notes taken at the time to refer to. I propose to deal in facts, and any reference I may make will reflect my views from the stand point of a young man of that period. For a few years prior to the beginning of the war, I by reading the current literature or newspaper productions of the country, and listening to discussions of leading men of the times, had kept myself fairly well posted. The signs of the times were ominous and indications pointed to a disruption. Dark, threatening clouds of war seemed to hover over our fair land that had so long enjoyed the blessings of peace and prosperity. Perhaps we did not appreciate or failed to realize it, we were really living in a land that flowed with milk and honey.

Party Lines.—Like every other great revolution the awful calamity was preceded by a political revolution. Party lines were broken and sectional issues caused an alignment of parties North and South. The burning questions of Slavery and State Rights were brought prominently to the front. Incendiary speeches were made and incendiary literature scattered broadcast over the land. The National Democratic Party assembled in convention, disagreed upon a platform, and the result was a division of the delegates and the placing of two candidates in the field for president viz.: Douglas and Breckenridge. The old Whig Party was defunct and its scattered forces rallied with Bell for its standard bearer, assuming the name of Knownothing, or American Party. North of Mason and Dixon’s line a strong sectional party had been organized known as the Republican Party, with Abraham Lincoln for its candidate for the presidency. The campaign was fierce and bitter to the extreme. The leaders advocating the claims of their respective candidates were aggressive and abusive, and the people wrought up to a high pitch of excitement. The canvassing and comparing: the votes in the Electoral College gave Lincoln the requisite number, and he was declared elected. On the fourth day of March 1861 he became president of the United States. The fanatics of the North and fire eaters of the South at once got busy, and by their officious activity precipitated the war.

States Secede.—The Cotton States seceded and set up a government of their own. Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Southern Confederacy. North Carolina with other border States waited for some overt act of Lincoln before passing the Ordinance of Secession. A convention was called, delegates elected and assembled. The convention was composed of delegates, a majority of whom were elected as union delegates, and of course the delegates were backed by a constituency of the same sentiment. The people of the old North State clung to the Union as long as there was a vestige of hope of its preservation.