This collection of primary source material chronicles the Civil War experiences of North Carolinians from the secession crisis to the Confederate surrender at Bennett Place. In contrast to other works on the Civil War, this book focuses not on military ev

Eleven battles and seventy-three skirmishes were fought in North Carolina during the Civil War. Although the number of men involved in many of these engagements was comparatively small, the campaigns and battles themselves were crucial in the grand strategy of the conflict and involved some of the most famous generals of the war. John Barrett presents the complete story of military engagements across the state, including the classical pitched battle of Bentonville, the siege of Fort Fisher, the amphibious campaigns on the coast, and cavalry sweeps such as Stoneman's raid. From and through North Carolina, men and supplies went to Lee's army in Virginia, making the Tar Heel state critical to Lee's ability to remain in the field during the closing months of the war, when the Union had cut off the West and Gulf South. This dependence upon North Carolina led to Stoneman's cavalry raid and Sherman's march through the state in 1865, the latter of which brought the horrors of total war and eventual defeat.

More than 5,000 North Carolina slaves escaped from their white owners to serve in the Union army during the Civil War. In Freedom for Themselves Richard Reid explores the stories of black soldiers from four regiments raised in North Carolina. Constructing a multidimensional portrait of the soldiers and their families, he provides a new understanding of the spectrum of black experience during and aftger the war.

North Carolina did more than its part during World War II. This Southern state trained more troops than any other state in the nation. Can one still find the military posts and shipyards, the cemeteries and memorials, the convalescent units and R&R facilities today? This volume describes in detail both the state's 20-plus military sites and the eight little-known North Carolina prisoner of war camps. Images and memories tell the story of service personnel and their families who contributed to the war effort at much personal sacrifice. The book reminds readers of how those Carolinians who remained behind did their part through supporting the troops, rationing, salvaging metals, growing Victory Gardens and purchasing War Bonds.

This new volume deals with two momentous and interrelated events in American history —the American Civil War and Reconstruction—and offers students a collection of essential documentary sources for these periods. Provides students with over 60 documents on the American Civil War and Reconstruction Includes presidential addresses, official reports, songs, poems, and a variety of eyewitness testimony concerning significant events ranging from 1833-1879 Contains an informative introduction focused on the kinds of materials available and how historians use them Each chapter ends with questions designed to help students engage with the material and to highlight key issues of historical debate

The American Civil War had a devastating impact on countless numbers of common soldiers and civilians. This book shows how average Americans coped with despair as well as hope during this vast upheaval.