Mr. Lincoln's "call" for troops excited indignation and alarm
throughout the South; and "law-abiding" North Carolina had now to
decide what it was her duty to do.
On the 17th of April, Gov. Ellis issued a proclamation convening the
General Assembly to meet in special session on the first day of May.
On the evening of the day of the issuing of the proclamation, Capt.
John Sloan, commanding the Grays, received orders from Gov. Ellis, "to
report with his company, with three days' rations, at Goldsboro, N.C."
This order was countermanded on the following morning, "to report to
Col. C. C. Tew, commanding the garrison at Fort Macon."
In obedience to this order the Guilford Grays, on Friday night, April
18th, 1861, left Greensboro for Fort Macon. Thus the Rubicon was
crossed; thus did North Carolina find herself in armed conflict with
the United States; and thus were the Guilford Grays precipitated in
the contest in which they were to suffer and endure for four long
years.
Our departure was the occasion of different and conflicting emotions.
The Grays, young, ardent, and full of enthusiasm, were the most
light-hearted and happy of all, and marched with as little thought of
coming trouble, as if on the way to some festive entertainment. Not so
with mothers, sisters, and sweethearts--for except our captain, none of
as were married--nature seemed to have granted to these a vision of the
future, which was denied to us, and while they cheered us on with
encouraging words, there was manifest in their expression a deep but
silent under-current of sad forebodings, not unaccompanied with tears.
We marched to the depot with drums beating, and with _that_ flag
flying, which but twelve months before the girls had given us as a
"banner of peace."
Previous to our departure on Friday night the company assembled in the
court-house, when Lieut. John A. Pritchett and Orderly Sergeant W. H.
Bourne, resigned their offices. John A. Gilmer, Jr., was elected to
fill the vacancy of lieutenant, and Wm. P. Wilson that of orderly
sergeant.
The following is the roll of members who left for Fort Macon on the
night mentioned:
John Sloan, Captain; William Adams, 1st Lieutenant; James T. Morehead,
Jr., 2d Lieutenant; John A. Gilmer, Jr., 3d Lieutenant; John E. Logan,
M. D., Surgeon; Henry C. Gorrell, Ensign; William P. Wilson, Orderly
Sergeant; John A. Sloan, 2d Sergeant; Geo. W. Howlett, 3d Sergeant;
Samuel B. Jordan, 4th Sergeant; Thos. J. Sloan, Corporal; Benjamin G.
Graham, 2d Corporal; Edward M. Crowson, 3d Corporal; J. Harper
Lindsay, Jr., 4th Corporal. Privates: Hardy Ayres, James Ayers,
William L. Bryan, Peter M. Brown, John D. Collins, Allison C. Cheely,
Chas. A. Campbell, H. Rufus Forbis, Rufus B. Gibson, Walter Green,
Frank A. Hanner, Alfred W. Klutts, Andrew D. Lindsay, John H.
McKnight, J. W. McDowell, James R. Pearce, Chas. E. Porter, William U.
Steiner, Edw. G. Sterling, John E. Wharton, Richard B. Worrell, Robert
D. Weatherly, Samuel P. Weir, A. Lafayette Orrell, James Gray, Samuel
Robinson, J. Frank Erwin, Joseph E. Brown, Edward Switz, Thos. D.
Brooks, W. G. Duvall.
A few days after our departure, the ladies of Greensboro organized a
committee, consisting of Mrs. D. P. Weir, Mrs. R. G. Sterling, Mrs. T.
M. Jones, Mrs. A. P. Eckel, and Mrs. J. A. Gilmer, to see that we were
supplied with provisions and such clothing as was needful, and nobly
did these blessed ladies--three of whom have since "crossed the River;
resting under the shade on the other side"--perform their work of
love. We were constantly receiving boxes, containing, not only every
comfort, but luxuries and dainties, from this committee, in addition
to those sent us by the dear ones in our private homes.
In the meanwhile our newspapers and politicians were urging immediate
action upon the part of our State. The following quotation from _The
Patriot_ of May 2d, 1861, will serve to show the state of public
opinion at that time. _The Patriot_ says:
"Our streets are filled with excited crowds, and addresses were
made during the day by Governor Morehead, Hons. R. C. Puryear,
John A. Gilmer, Sr., Rob't. P. Dick, and Thomas Settle. These
speeches all breathed the spirit of resistance to tyrants, and our
people were told that the time had come for North Carolina to make
common cause with her brethren of the South in driving back the
abolition horde."
On the 20th day of May, 1861 (being the 86th anniversary of the
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence), North Carolina severed her
relations with the Federal Union, and made "common cause with her
brethren of the South."
During the months of May and June our company received many volunteer
recruits, all, with one or two exceptions, coming from Guilford
County. Below are their names and the dates of their enlistment:
Edward B. Higgins, J. T. Edwards, H. M. Boon, Richard G. Boling, L. G.
Hunt. John W. Nelson, Jas. A. Orrell, Chas. W. Westbrooks, Jos. W.
Rankin, C. W. Stratford, William M. Summers and Jas. S. Scott, on the
first of May. A. F. Coble, R. S. Coble, Robert L. Donnell, Mike
Gretter, G. D. Hines, Robert A. Hampton, Isaac F. Lane, Walter D.
McAdoo, on the 4th, Wash. D. Archer, on the 9th of June. James M.
Hardin, T. M. Woodburn, on the 10th. Wilbur F. Owen, Hal Puryear,
Rob't. B. McLean, Edward B. Lindsay, S. A. Hunter, W. I. L. Hunt, W.
C. Clapp, Israel N. Clapp, Jas. C. Davis, David H. Edwards, W. C.
Story, Andy L. Stanley, Rob't. B. Tate, on the 11th, Jas. M. Marsh on
the 13th, John W. McNairy, H. Smiley Forbis, William Dennis, John W.
Reid on the 15th, Thos. J. Rhodes on the 25th, and on the 19th of
July, Jas. L. Wilson.
A large majority of the members of the Grays were sworn in, some two
months after our arrival at the Fort, as twelve months State troops.
Some few at this time returned to their homes, and others enlisted in
different commands. Ensign H. C. Gorrell returned to Greensboro,
raised a company for active service, was elected its captain, and
assigned to the 2d North Carolina regiment. He was killed June 21st,
1862, while gallantly leading a charge against one of the enemy's
strongholds on the Chickahominy. Our surgeon, Dr. John E. Logan,
remained with us about four months as surgeon of the post. He was then
assigned to the 4th North Carolina Regiment in active service, and,
later during the war, to the 14th North Carolina, where he served as
surgeon until the close of the war.
The war fever had now reached its height, and companies were forming
throughout the State, and rapidly hastening to Virginia, which was
soon to become the theatre of active operations. In the meanwhile, the
seat of government was transferred from Montgomery, Alabama, to
Richmond, Va., where, on the 20th day of July, 1861, the first
Confederate Congress convened.
On our arrival at Fort Macon, on the night of the 20th of April, we
found our old friends, the Orange Guards, also the Goldsboro Rifles
and the Wilson Light Infantry, in quiet possession of the citadel. The
United States garrison, consisting of Sergeant Alexander, supported by
one six-pounder mounted on the inner parapet to herald the rising of
the sun, and the going down of the same, had surrendered on the 11th,
without bloodshed, to Capt. Pender, of Beaufort. The sergeant was
paroled, and allowed to leave the fort with his flag and side-arms.
The ordnance was retained. On the next morning we saw floating from
the flagstaff over the fort the Pine Tree flag, with the rattlesnake
coiled around the base. This was the State flag. About ten days
afterwards for some cause, and by what authority is not known, the
State flag was pulled down and a Confederate flag run up in its place.
North Carolina had not yet seceded, and this was looked upon as an
unwarrantable assumption of command, and some of our company left for
home, but returned when the State afterwards seceded.
A few weeks afterwards our garrison was reinforced by Capt. Latham's
(artillery) "Woodpeckers," from Craven. This command received its very
appropriate nickname from the fact that, when they entered the fort,
they wore very tight-fitting scarlet caps. (This company, with a
detail from the 27th N.C. Regiment, did splendid service at the
battle of Newberne.)
Some time in June we were assigned to the 9th North Carolina regiment;
but, for some reason unknown to us, we were taken from this regiment,
and another company substituted. On the 22d we were placed, with five
other companies, in a battalion, commanded by Col. Geo. B. Singletary.
Our position was retained in this battalion until some time in
September, when we were assigned to the 27th North Carolina regiment,
which was organized with Col. Singletary as Colonel, Capt. John Sloan
(of the Grays) Lieut.-Colonel, and Lieut. Thomas C. Singletary as
Major. Seven companies of this regiment were then in camp near
Newberne, and the remaining three companies--one of which was the
Grays, and designated in the regiment as Company "B"--were on detached
service at Fort Macon, where we remained until the 28th of February,
1862.
Owing to the promotion of Capt. Sloan to the Lieut.-Colonelcy of the
regiment, Lieut. William Adams was elected captain of the Grays and
Sergeant William P. Wilson elected 3d Lieutenant.
Private William Cook died in Greensboro of typhoid fever, on the 5th
of June, having been a member of the company about one month.
On the 31st of July, private George J. Sloan, after severe illness,
died at the fort.
On the 1st of August the following new members enlisted, viz.: Jno. T.
Sockwell, R. D. Brown, Frank G. Chilcutt, George W. Lemons, James H.
Gant, Richard Smith, and L. L. Prather.
Our special employment at the Fort, outside of the military routine,
and to relieve its tedium, was "totin" sand bags. Thad Coleman was our
chief of ordnance, and as the duties of this office were important and
imperative, Sergeant Howlett and Private A. D. Lindsay were detailed
as assistants or aids-de-camp. While waiting the arrival of our
artillery to equip the fort, Capt. Guion, our civil engineer,
instructed our chief of ordnance and his aids to erect embrasures and
traverses, of sand bags, on the parapets. The bags were first tarred,
then filled with sand and carried by the men to the parapets. This
interesting recreation was indulged in during the dog-days of the
hottest August that our boys ever experienced. At the early dawn of
every morning, upon the parapet, with a pair of opera glasses,
intensely scanning the horizon of the deep, deep blue sea, might have
been observed the inclined form of Capt. Guion, on the look-out for a
United States man-of-war. But whether a man-of-war or the
"idly-flapping" sail of some crab hunter hove in sight, the order for
more sand bags was placed on file at the ordnance department. We built
traverses day after day. We pulled them down and built them up again,
exactly as they were before. At length the raw material, of bag,
failed, and Sergeant-aid-de-camp Howlett was dispatched under sealed
orders to Greensboro on some mysterious errand. We employed our
leisure time which we now enjoyed (thanks to the bag failure and the
mysterious errand of Sergeant Howlett), in citing delinquents to
appear before a court-martial of High Privates, which we now
organized. Among the culprits were Sergeant Howlett and private
Summers. It had transpired that Sergeant Howlett's mysterious errand
had been to fill a requisition, made by Capt. Guion and approved by
Lieut. Coleman, chief of ordnance, for a Grover and Baker sewing
machine (extra size) to be employed in the furtherance of the tarred
sand-bag business. The prisoner was tried, convicted, and sentenced to
change his sleeping quarters to No. 14-1/2. This casemate was occupied
by Harper Lindsay, Ed. Higgins, Tom. Sloan, Jim. Pearce, and McDowell.
Any man was entitled to all the sleep he could get in these quarters.
Private Summers, who had obtained leave to visit home on what he
represented as _urgent_ business, was also arraigned in due form. The
charges and specifications amounted substantially to this, that he went
home to see his sweetheart. He was permitted by the Court to defend
with counsel. "Long" Coble appeared for him, and in his eloquent appeal
for mercy--in which his legs and arms played the principal part of the
argument--he compared the prisoner to a little ship, which had sailed
past her proper anchorage at home and cast her lines at a neighbor's
house. The evidence being circumstantial he was acquitted, but was ever
known afterwards as "Little Ship" Summers. He served faithfully during
the entire war; has anchored _properly_ since, and the little "crafts"
around his happy home indicate that he has laid the keels for a navy.
Running the "blockade" to Beaufort was another favorite amusement. The
popular and sable boatman for this "secret service" was Cæsar Manson.
Cæsar's knowledge of the waters of the sound was full and accurate,
and his pilotage around the "pint o' marsh" was unerring. Privates
McDowell, Jim Pearce, and Ed Higgins employed Cæsar a dark, rainy night
on one of these secret expeditions to Beaufort. Owing to the fog on the
sound and the _fog_ in the boat, the return of the party was delayed
till late in the night. The faithful sentinel, Mike Wood (of the
Goldsboro Rifles), being on post at the wharf that night, and this fact
being known to prudent Cæsar, he steered for the creek to avoid him. As
these festive revellers were wading ashore, Mike, hearing the splashing
in the water, sung out, "who comes there!" receiving no reply, he
cocked his gun, and became very emphatic. Pearce, knowing that Mike
would shoot, answered very _fluently_, while in the water to his waist,
"don't you shoot me, Mike Wood, I am coming in as fast as I can." Mike
escorted the party to head quarters, and they performed some one else's
guard duty for several days.
We must not forget to mention our genial commissary, Capt. King, and
his courteous assistant, Mike Gretter, of the Grays. "Billy" King and
his little cosey quarters were just outside the fort, and so convenient
of a cold frosty morning, to call upon him and interview his _vial_ of
distilled fruit, hid away in the corner. _Vive le Roi, Billie._
On the 8th of September, private James Davis died at the fort.
On September the 28th, private Ed. Sterling, who was absent on
furlough, died at his home in Greensboro, N.C.
On the 25th of October, the U.S. Steamer "Union" was wrecked off
Bogue Banks near the fort. Her crew was brought to the fort and
confined there for a short time. What is of more interest was, that we
received valuable stores from the wreck, among others, elegant hair
mattresses, which now took the place of our shucks and straw.
These days at the fort were our halcyon days, as the dark hours were
to us yet unborn. The war had been so far a mere frolic. In the
radiant sunshine of the moment, it was the amusing phase of the
situation, not the tragic, that impressed us.