CIVIL WAR TRAILS IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY

ANNOTATED BIBLOGRAPHY

Wikimedia Commons: The battle of Gettysburg, Pa. July 3d. 1863, depicting the Battle of Gettysburg,
fought July 1—3, 1863. The battle was part of the American Civil War and was won by the North.
Hand-colored lithograph by Currier and Ives.
Collections of the Library of Congress

Ager, John. “Buncombe County: A Brief History.” In Cabins & Castles: The History & Architecture of Buncombe County, North Carolina, edited by Douglas Swaim, 9-22. Asheville: Historic Resources Commission of Asheville and Buncombe County, 1981.

Ager discusses slavery in the region, the impact of Confederate wartime taxes, and the impact of the war on the region’s economy.

 

Arthur, John Preston. History of Western North Carolina: 1730-1913. Raleigh: Edwards and Broughton Printing Company, 1914.  http://www.archive.org/details/westernnorthcaro00arth (accessed November 9, 2010)

This early history of the region was published by the local chapter of the DAR. Arthur’s section on the Civil War is arranged by short topics, including the “first at Bethel” claim, war-time locations in Asheville, Riley Powers, J.A. Keith and the Shelton Laurel Massacre, and important skirmishes in the region.  Although Arthur uses primary sources, there is also a sense that he relies on common knowledge and oral tradition. 

 

Barrett, John G. The Civil War in North Carolina. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1963.

This is one of the first scholarly works on the Civil War in North Carolina. Barrett includes chapters on “War in the Mountains, 1864” and “Stoneman’s Raid.” This volume includes extensive notes and an essay on critical sources that will be of aid to those wishing to dig deeper.

 

Cooper, Alonzo. In and Out of Rebel Prisons. Oswego NY: R J. Oliphant, 1888. http://books.google.com/books?id=L5YCEeUqDNoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=alonzo+cooper&source=bl&ots=AVrBHCn7jS&sig=p-ckl3fq7dGQjo1dCUU-_0nCSZQ&hl=en&ei=czjgTMLjBoG8lQfqsOy3Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved
=0CCUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

 (accessed November 9, 2010).

Cooper was a union soldier who escaped from numerous Confederate prisons. There is a long section on his imprisonment and escape from a prison in Asheville.

 

Day, L.W. Story of the One Hundred and First Ohio Infantry: A Memorial Volume. Cleveland: The W. M. Bayne Printing Co., 1894. http://books.google.com/books?id=J2QUAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=story+of+the+one+hundred+and+first+ohio+infantry&source=
bl&ots=ev8IQjJuWw&sig=6EKPjZno-kaO4RzS8sKS8VFyZ-E&hl=en&ei=mjrgTNaRDoOClAey-KSqAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

(accessed November 9, 2010)

Includes a description of the Battle of Asheville from the perspective of a Union soldier. Also includes a photograph of Kirby.

 

Harden, H.O. History of the 90^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Great Rebellion in the United States, 1861 to 1865. Stoutsville, Ohio: Press of Fairfied-Picksway News, 1902.

http://www.archive.org/details/historyof90thohi00hard (accessed November 9, 2010).

The 90^th Ohio was engaged at Asheville during the war. This Union soldier describes moving toward Asheville and interacting with slaves along the way.

 

Inscoe, John C. Mountain Masters: Slavery and the Sectional Crisis in Western North Carolina. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1989.

Inscoe provides a thorough study of slavery in the mountain region, including the use of slaves in hotels. He also discusses succession and Clingman.

 

----- and Gordon B McKinney. The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2003.

This scholarly work is the most comprehensive work on the war in North Carolina’s mountains to date. It is arranged in a series of topical essays, including coverage of women who sought refuge in Asheville during the war. An extensive bibliography provides hundreds of additional sources.

 

Johnston, Frontis W., ed. The Papers of Zebulon Baird Vance Vol. 1 1843-1862. Raleigh: State Department of Archives and History, 1963.

This volume includes correspondence between Zeb and his wife during the war. Includes interesting discussion on the state of things in Asheville such as availability of food. There is also a report that includes the names of employees at the Asheville Armory.

 

Langley, Joan and Wright Langley. Yesterday’s Asheville. Miami: E. A. Seeman Publishing, Inc. 1975.

Langley was a free lance writer with connections to the region. This title includes a short but information section of the Civil War that covers the Buncombe Rifles, the locations of the various training camps, and the Union sacking of Asheville. There is a photograph of Asheville’s Civil War currency and of a loyalty oath.

 

McKinney, Gordon B. “Premature Industrialization in Appalachia: The Asheville Armory, 1862-1863.” In The Civil War in Appalachia, edited by Kenneth W. Noe and Shannon H. Wilson, 227-241. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1997.

McKinney’s study of the Asheville Armory reveals the relative ineffectiveness of the armory as well as the use of the slave labor.

 

Morris, Captain B. T “Sixty-Fourth Regiment 667.” In Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War. 1861-1865 Volume 3, edited by Walter Clark, 659-672. Raleigh: The State/Nash Brothers, 1901 http://www.archive.org/stream/historiesofsever03clar#page/n5/mode/2up (accessed November 9, 2010)

The 64^th was raised, in part, in Western North Carolina. Morris He discusses the Battle of Asheville, defending the homefront, Camp Woodfin and other topics of interest regarding troop movements through the region.

 

Noe, Kenneth W. and Shannon H. Wilson, ed. The Civil War in Appalachia. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1997.

This collection of essays includes John Inscoe’s study of fugitive accounts and Gordon McKinney’s account of the Asheville Armory. Both are excellent.

 

Pickens, Adjunct S.V. “Seventy-Ninth Regiment (8^th Calvary).” In Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War. 1861-1865 Volume 4, edited by Walter Clark, 109-116. Raleigh: The State/Nash Brothers, 1901.

http://books.google.com/books?id=NmcDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=Pickens,+S.V.++Histories+of+the+Several+Regiments+and+
Battalions+from+North+Carolina+in+the+Great+War.&source=bl&ots=diy2HBGapl&sig=Dg3b4pfBtLBD_sXWgGs40-6shCM&hl=en&ei=wFbgTIyYAcHflgelo7HSAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAw#v
=onepage&q=pickens&f=false

 (accessed November 9, 2010)

This is a history of Woodfin’s Battalion which included Buncombe County men and was quartered at Asheville.

 

Powell, Talmage. “Asheville: An Historical Sketch.” In Cabins & Castles: The History & Architecture of Buncombe County, North Carolina, edited by Douglas Swaim, 11-48. Asheville: Historic Resources Commission of Asheville and Buncombe County, 1981.

This essay includes a section on the Civil War detailing life in Asheville during the war as well as the locations of various Confederate camps.

 

Ready, Milton. Asheville: Land of Sky. Northridge, CA: Windsor Publishing, 1982.

Historian Ready includes a chapter on the Battle of Asheville.

 

Reid, Richard M. Freedom for Themselves: North Carolina’s Black Soldiers in the Civil War Era. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2008.

Although this volume does not specifically relate to the story of the Civil War in the mountains, it is nevertheless a well researched history and will be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about the experiences of black soldiers.

 

Rockwell, Paul. “Foreword.” In Yesterday’s Asheville, by Joan and Wright Langley. Miami: E. A. Seeman Publishing, Inc. 1975.

Rockwell was a historian who authored several well-respected volumes about World War I history. He was also a founding member of the WNC Historical Association. In his introduction to Langley’s book, he details the Battle of Asheville.

 

Sondley, F.A.  Asheville and Buncombe County. Asheville: The Citizen Company, 1922.

This historical essay is not indexed, but does include some material not covered in Sondley’s later two-volume set. He discusses the Confederate camps in Asheville and Battery Porter.

 

-----. A History of Buncombe County, North Carolina in Two Volumes. Asheville: The Advocate Printing Co., 1930

This has long been considered the definitive history of Buncombe County. Sondley mixes research with personal knowledge which, in some cases, can result in questionable accounts. He describes Asheville post-war Confederate tournament grounds, Union troops coming to his childhood home in Alexander, the sacking of Asheville and more. There are also biographical sketches relating to the Civil War, including David Rice McAnally who was a newspaper editor during the war. Although this two-volume set is organized in chapters, also consult the index for additional facts that are randomly placed in other chapters.

 

Tessier, Mitzi Schaden. Asheville: A Pictorial History. Virginia Beach: Donning Company, 1997.

Tessier is a writer, not an historian, but she successfully combines images with oral history and fact. She includes a listing of Confederate armaments and short biographies of Thomas Clingman and Robert Vance in this volume.

 

-----.  The State of Buncombe. Virginia Beach: Donning Company, 1992.

Tessier includes a short chapter on the Civil War with photographs and local family stories. She also includes Martin’s surrender. 

 

Trotter, William R. Bushwhackers! The Civil War in North Carolina: Vol. II The Mountains. Greensboro, NC: Signal Research, Inc., 1988.

This volume is arranged by short, easy to topical stories of small conflicts in the region during the Civil War such as the Battle of Asheville and the Shelton Laurel Massacre. Trotter explores the guerrilla warfare of the backwoods.

 

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol. 1-27. Edited by Robert N. Scott. Washington, D.C.:  Government Printing Office, 1894-1922. http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/sources/records/ (accessed August 6, 2008).

Commonly referred to as the OR, this is considered the most extensive collection related to the history of the Civil War. It combines correspondence, orders, reports, and accounts collected from both the Confederate and Union governments. Organized by military operations, it is particularly difficult to find specific information within the 27 volumes. This online version through Ohio State University allows keyword searches. It includes information on the taking of Asheville, including Battery Porter and the execution of black Union soldiers while in Asheville.

 

Wright, General Marcus Joseph. Tennessee in the War, 1861-1865. New York: Ambrose Lee Publishing Company, 1908. http://books.google.com/books?id=Qm4tAAAAYAAJ&printsec= frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false accessed November 9, 2010)

Wright mentions a Thomas Porter and Porter’s Battery, but it is unclear if there is any connection to Asheville’s Battery Porter.

   

Journals & Newspapers

Asheville Citizen-Times.com. “Historic Photos: Montford Avenue School.” June 1, 2008.  http://citizentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site+B0&Date=20080601&Category=PHO (accessed July 28, 2008).

This photograph of the old school includes text that about the Confederate prison that was located on this site in the predecessor boy’s school.

Harpers Weekly

February 11, 1865 issue includes a sketch of the Old Ironsides

September 28, 1867 issue includes a sketch of blacks registering to vote in Asheville.

McCoy, George W. “Buncombe Roughs in Last Charge at Appomattox.” Transcribed from the Asheville Citizen-Times, Sunday, December 24, 1961.  http://www.14thnc.com/Profile-Company_F.htm (accessed November 9, 2010). This was written by Second Lieutenant William McRee Gudger who was one of last surviving soldiers of Company F who were present at Appomattox. This article discusses both the Buncombe Riflemen and the Rough and Ready Guards. It is unclear what the sources are for the facts in the piece, but it is lengthy for a newspaper article and includes quotes and specific dates.

McKinney, Gordon B. “Layers of Loyalty: Confederate Nationalism and Amnesty Letters from Western North Carolina” Civil War History 51.1 (2005): 5-22.  http://0.muse.jhu.edu.wncln.wncln.org/journals/civil_war_history/v051/51.1mckinney.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

Explores Vance’s correspondence regarding disloyalty to the Confederacy in the mountain of North Carolina in 1863 stemming from conscription and dessertion.

Wolfe, H. Scott. “Grant Park Revisited: The Napoleon.” History Highlights. Galena History Museum (1999) http://www.galenahistorymuseum.org/napoleon.htm (accessed November 9, 2010).

This brief article described the Napoleon cannon and it use in the Civil War. A photograph is included. This is the type of cannon that was kept in Asheville at Battery Porter.

Archival & Unpublished

Baker, C. Michael. “Archeological Survey and Evaluation of Proposed Development Areas on the University of North Carolina-Asheville Campus.” University of North Carolina-Asheville. January 1985.

This survey shows the locations of Civil War earthworks used to guard the road into Asheville and during the Battle of Asheville. Earthworks on the UNC Asheville campus and surrounding areas are both indicated. Most of the noted earthworks have been destroyed since the survey. However, those identified on the UNC Asheville campus were preserved, making this a map to the surviving earthworks.

Clarke, Elspeth. “History of Sherrill’s Inn.” (1978) Special Collections at UNC Asheville Ramsey Library. http://toto.lib.unca/findingaids/mss/sherrills_inn/clarke_history.htm (accessed February 9, 2008).

Clarke discusses the oral history surrounding the Union occupation of Sherrill’s Inn.

Edmonston-Kelly Family letter from Camp Woodfin, [April?] 17, 1865.  22 July 2008 http://library.wcu.edu/DigitalColl/CIVILWAR/edmon/11/ed11verb.htm (accessed July 22, 2008)

Summary at http://www.wcu.edu/library/DigitalColl/CIVILWAR/edmon/edintro.htm (accessed November 9, 2010)

This letter is addressed from Camp Woodfin and indicates that the troops are near Asheville.

Lamb, Rebecca. “History of the South Asheville Cemetery.” Smith-McDowell House Museum. Unpublished Paper. 2000.

Lamb interviewed George Gibson who worked in this cemetery with George Avery to create this history. Avery was a McDowell slave who became a Union soldier.

Padgett, Thomas J. “Archaeological Study Broadway Improvement Project, Asheville, North Carolina.” North Carolina Department of Transportation Planning and Research Branch, Division of Highways. September 1986.

This survey shows the locations of Civil War earthworks used to guard the road into Asheville and during the Battle of Asheville. Earthworks on the UNC Asheville campus and surrounding areas are both indicated. Most of the noted earthworks have been destroyed since the survey. However, those identified on the UNC Asheville campus were preserved, making this a map to the surviving earthworks.

Patton, Fannie. Unpublished Memoir. Center for Diversity Education.

Patton was in Asheville when it was invaded by Union troops. She discusses her slaves leaving, taking her carriage with them.

“Sarah Gudger, Ex-Slave, 121 Years.” WPA Slave Narrative Project, North Carolina Narratives 11:1. Republished in Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938. Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/mesnbib:@field%28AUTHOR+@od1%28Gudger,+Sarah%29%29 (accessed November 9, 2010).

This narrative includes Gudger’s interview, a photograph, and the interviewer’s comments. Gudger was born in and died in Buncombe County and discusses her memories of the Civil War.

Toms, Louis. The Battle of Asheville. Research Project, UNC Asheville. Copy at Smith-McDowell House Museum.

Williams, Derothea. “Oral History Register for The South Asheville Colored Cemetery, 1840-1943.” University of North Carolina at Asheville Special Collections/University Archives, D. Hidden Ramsey Library, UNC Asheville. 22 August 2008

http://toto.lib.unca.edu/findingaids/oralhistory/SACC/default_colored_cemetery.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

This side provides a good introduction to the South Asheville Cemetery, with commentary by scholars and quotes from participants in the oral history project.

Butts, Landsman Francis Banister. “The Loss of the Monitor.” Century Magazine, 1885. Republished by Sons of Union Veterans. http://www.suvcw.org/education/documents/monitor.htm (accessed November 9, 2010).

This is Butts first-person account of the sinking of the Monitor written in 1862.

Civil War Archive. “United States Colored Troops Artillery.” Union Regimental Histories.   http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/uscolarty.htm#1sthvy (accessed November 9, 2010).

Provides information on when the troops organized and where they served. Of use if trying to determine what service was like for a specific soldier such as George Avery.

Civil War Centennial Commission of Tennessee. “1^st U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment.” Tennesseans in the Civil War vol. 1. . Tennesseans in the Civil War Project: 2005. http://www.tngenweb.org/civilwar/usaart/usa1hart.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

This article provides a summary of the history of this regiment, including officers and service. This regiment was in Asheville at one point.

 “Clingman, Thomas Lanier, (1812-1897)” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 – Present. 11 July 2008 http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=c000524

This is a brief biographical sketch of Clingman and includes a photograph.

“Davis Tillson A Civil War Biography.” Civil War Interactive: The Daily Newspaper of the Civil War. http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/Biographies/BiosDavisTillson.htm (accessed November 9, 2010).

This is a biographical sketch of Tillson, who organized the 1^st U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment which occupied Asheville during the war. Note the 3^rd North Carolina Mountain Infantry noted in this article was not a black unit. The editor of this publication has communicated that he believes the author was confusing them with the 3^rd NC Colored Infantry.

Downey, Brian. “15th Pennsylvania Cavalry (detachment).” Antietam on the Web. (2008) http://aotw.org/officers.php?unit_id=291 (accessed November 9, 2010).

This article provides background on Palmer’s regiment which was part of Stoneman’s raid.

Griffith, John. “Robert Brank Vance” Find a Grave.com. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Vance&GSfn=Robert&GSmn=B&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=11095&df=all& (accessed November 9, 2010).

This article includes photographs of Vance’s grave in Riverside Cemetery, Asheville.

-----. “Thomas L. Clingman” Find a Grave.com. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=clingman&GSfn=thomas&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=10848&df=all& (accessed November 9, 2010).

This article includes photographs of Clingman and his grave in Riverside Cemetery, Asheville.

History Channel “CSS Virginia Confederate Navy Ship” http://www.americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/Navy_Ships/CSS_Virginia.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

This is a good, general overview of the Ironclads.

Hoeman, George. The American Civil War Homepage. University of Tennessee, 2008. http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/scaffold/cw/warweb.html (accessed November 9, 2010)

The American Civil War Homepage has been around since 1995 and gathers together in one place hypertext links to useful electronic files about the Civil War. This is a good place to find information about the history and background of the war, as well as rosters of participants. There are also links to a variety of contacts for Civil War round tables and other groups.

Morfe, Don. “Andrew Jackson McGonnigle” Find a Grave.com. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=McGonnigle&GSfn=Andrew&GSmn=Jackson&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=7817561&df=all& (accessed November 9, 2010).

This article provides a brief biography of McGonnigle as well as photographs of his grave in Riverside Cemetery, Asheville.

National Park Service. Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System.  http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldierssailors.htm (accessed November 9, 2010).

This is an online directory of the individuals who served in the Civil War, searchable by name and unit or regiment.

Parker, Matthew D. “Clingmans Brigade.” Thomas Legion: The 69^th North Carolina Regiment. http://thomaslegion.net/clingman.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

This is a good piece on Clingman and his brigade from an extensive e-book.

----. “General James Green Martin ‘Old One Wing’.” Thomas Legion: The 69^th North Carolina Regiment. http://thomaslegion.net/martin.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

This article is a biography of Martin, who surrendered western North Carolina to the Union.

----. “The 62^nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment.” Thomas Legion: The 69^th North Carolina Regiment. http://thomaslegioncherokee.tripod.com/62nd.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

In addition to covering the history of this regiment, this article also discussed the Battle of Asheville and includes a nice map of the battle.

Riggs, John A. “Union Soldiers Executions.” Genealogy Trails. http://genealogytrails.com/main/military/cwexecutions_union.html (accessed November 9, 2010)

This compiles the names of those executed, along with their regiment, charge, and method of execution. This is a source for the names of the black Union soldiers who were executed in Asheville.

 “Roster of Company ‘F’ Rough and Ready Guards from Buncombe County.” The 14^th N.C Regiment. http://www.14thnc.com/Co_F.htm (accessed November 9, 2010).

This roster, posted by modern reactors of this company, includes some biographies and links to grave locations, if known.

“Roster of Company G, 1^st N .C. Cavalry Regt” 1^st North Carolina Regiment of Cavalry: Stuart’s Tarheels.  http://www.confederate-cavalry.de/homeeng.htm (accessed November 9, 2010)

This is the website of reenactors of the 1^st North Carolina Regiment. They include a good roster of the Buncombe Rangers.

Selected Civil War Photographs. American Memory. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html (accessed November 9, 2010).

This site includes over 1000 images from the Civil War, searchable by key words. Many include high resolution TIFF and JPEG versions that can be downloaded and used without contact, as long as credit it given. This is a good source for photographs of officers.

Tyson, Mabry and Martha H. Tyson. "Crew of the CSS Virginia" (2006) http://cssvirginia.org/vacsn3/crew/virginia/crewlist.htm (accessed November 9, 2010).

This listing includes Riley Powers of Buncombe County, NC.  This site includes other information of interest about the CSS Virginia.

-----. “Construction of the CSS Virginia” (2007) http://cssvirginia.org/ (accessed November 9, 2010).

In addition to providing a history of the CSS Virginia, there is also discussion of securing the crew for the ship.

Weeks, Dick. “Hampton Roads: Battle of the Ironclads.” Shotgun’s Home of the Civil War (2005) http://www.civilwarhome.com/ironclad.htm (accessed November 9, 2010).

This site is not scholarly, but does transcribe source materials about the Ironclads, including Union and Confederate reports.

Wikipedia. “Field Artillery in the American Civil War: 12-pounder Napoleon” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_artillery_in_the_American_Civil_War#12-pounder_Napoleon (accessed November 9, 2010).

This site provides information about and photographs of the Napoleon cannon. This is the type of cannon that was used in Asheville from Battery Porter during the Civil War.