The semi-weekly messenger., 1900-10-26


American union
Her election in August 1850. for state
officers showed the bias of her people.
and when Governor Ellis in February.
1861, issued a call for convention and
election of delegates thereto. they not
only voted down the convention, but
elected by handsome majorities the
pronounced unionists. Many of them
the most trusted leaders OF the state.
Had they assembled in convention their
deliberations would have been on broad
lines and fearless.
Our action encouraged Virginia and
ated long and well.
method of North Carolina, and she sent
peace commissioners to Washington
not to cringe and fawn but to use
every honorable means to avoid bloody
war All that could be done was un-
availing, and all the avenues of Hd-
justment were closed by President Lin
coin on the 18th day of April, 1861, by
calling for rs, 600 troops to coerce the
seeding states.
This effectually settled all differences
of opinion with us as to what should
be dome. The most ardent union men
of the state joined the most fiery seces-
Sionist, in saying to our sister states,
Thy people shall be my people, thy
God my God" and right nobly did they
redeem the pledge.
On receipt of the call for troops. Vir-
ginia promptly passed her ordinance of
secession, and Tennessee followed in a
few days.
The call for a convention, and cleo
ton of delegates, was sustained with
practical unanimity, and on the Goth of
May, 1861, North Carolina seeded.
Volunteer companies had been formed
all over the state, and. generally, wait
ed for state authority for mobilization.
Some companies and regiments, how
ever, went to the front as soon as
formed
The convention provided for ten
regiments of troops for state purposes.
the officers appointed blythe governor
and ten regiments for general purposes,
the officers elected by companies, and
field officers elected by company Off
GERS.
OF the companies that assent bled
around Wilmington, on the Cape Fear
defences, four from the county of New
Hanover three of them from Whining
tom, two from Columbus. Two from
Bladen, one from Robeson. and one
from Richmond were formed into the
Eighth regiment of volunteers, viz:
Company A, Captain c. Cornehlson
Wilmington.
Company B, Captain George TAFT
Bladen
Company C, Captain Forney George
Columbus.
Company D, Captain William S. Nor.
ment, Robson.
Company Es Captain John r. Hawes
New Hanover (now Pender).
Company F, Captain Charles Malloy
Richmond.
Company G., Captain Henry Savage
Wilmington.
Company H, Captain D. H. Gore, Co.
lumbus.
Company 1, Captain o. P. Meares
Wilmington.
Company K, Captain George TAFT
Bladen.
OF these companies A. G.. and I were
organized companies many years be.
fore the war.
Company A, "The German Voiun.
| teers," was the only company in tbs
! state of distinctively foreign citizen
| ship. Company G, The Wilmington
| Light Infantry and Company |, "Tht
| Wilmington Rifle Guards" being III
| on tactics, furnished many officers fol
| companies and regiments throughou
| the state, and the perSonel of theil
| officers and men We're frequentl!
! changed. At one time Company L wa.
| composed of one hundred men ranging
; from 16 to p years of age, and only on'
| married man among them.
| Company F, 'The Scotch Boys" whel
| mustered into service had 81 officer
and men. Sixty of them were feet t,
1 feet four inches high, "a over fee
| 10 inches, over feet y inches and
| under feet s inches, making an aver
age height for the whole company O
| 6 feet l and % inches, believed to be un
| precedented for so large company, il
| the confederate or federal armies, if i
| does not challenge the armies of tn
/, world, for company not especially Sc
| lected-
| Nine of the above companies wer
I moved from their several rendezvous I
! Camp Wyatt, named in honor of L. r
! Wyatt, the first soldier killed IN regu
lar battle in the southern army, on tn
lands of James Burriss. near the hea
i Of the sound (about one mile from tn
present site of Carolina Beach, a popu
lar resorD, and about the 1st of Jul,
| elected field officers
Major James D. Radcliff who ha,
I. been a principal of a military school il
/; Wilmington for several years, and wa
then connected with the engineer de
pdTlIiItill Ol the Cdpe rear OeIences
| was elected colonel. Captain O. F
| Meares, Company /. was elected lieu
! tenant colonel. and Captain Georg
TAFT, of Company K, who was station
| ed at battery near Federal Poin
lighthouse. was elected major.
Charles D. Myers, of Company c
! was appointed adjutant; Anthony /
CaZaux, Company /. was appointe
! captain and A. Q. NJ: Duncan McNeil
| Company F, captain and A c. s.; Dl
James A. Miller, Company G, surgeon
DR.. Charles Lesessne. Company K, as
sistant surgeon: DR.. Simpson Rus.
, Company K, assistant surgeon; Rev
Colin Shaw, Company X. chaplain
Colonel Radcliffe was an excellen
| drill master and disciplinarian, an
soon had the regiment in good shapt
About the middle of September, com
panies F and / were sent to For
Fisher, and Company K from it's vi
cinity, was sent across New Inlet-chan
mel to a battery on Zeke's Island.
few weeks later the other seven compa
mics joined F and I and engaged in lay
ing the foundation Of Fort Fisher, tina
later proved to be one OF the strong