The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-20
North Cardinals Vote in 1861.

To the Editor: In your issue Of the 9Th
instant you publish, copied from the Con
federate Veteran" an article Of much
value and interest entitled North Car
DINA Troops mi their Glorious Record "
In that article the following statements
are made, viz:
North Carolina did not leave the IN
ion until after the Confederate Govern
ment had been organized. In February,
1861, the State voted against secession
by majority of thirty thousand"
The statement as to the vote of the
State is a very great error-one that, in
the interest of true history, should not
be allowed to pass uncorrected be-
lief that there was such a vote has be-
come cutie widespread, and is enter
tanned by many persons who vii take
the trouble to inform themselves fully
You will pardon me if l add that l am
surprised that the News and Observer
will admit to it's columns a statement
of the kind without comment or cor
rection
The fact is that the people of North
Carolina never voted directly upon the
question of secession, as such, at all.
In February, 1861, the question of Con
u
mitted to the popular vote, delegates to
a convention being voted for at the same
time, to take their seats in case those
favoring a convention prevailed. The
Convention was defeated, not by a ma
jority of thirty thousand, or by any thou
sands. but by rather less than two hun
dred votes. as a reference to the official
returns will show. This small majority
would have been increased TO about five
hundred b. the vote of Davie county,
which was not received.
1t was generally understood that those
voting for a convention of the people
were in favor of the secession of the
State, the question that was to come
before that body, while those voting
against it were opposed, though no doubt
many who voted for convention may
also have been opposed to secession.
This was the only vote of the people on
the subject, unless that can be so con-
sidered by which they afterwards elected
delegates to the Convention that met on
May Goth, 1861. and by unanimous vote
withdrew the State from the Union. The
ordinance of this Convention. withdraw
ing the State, was not submitted to popu-
lar suffrage. It's delegates were elected
for the express purpose of considering
the grave question &C secession. and their
action having been unanimous. it was con-
sidered unnecessary to submit it TO popu-
lar vote.
With the facts of history so plainly
recorded. and of easy access, it is hard
to understand in what the statement
that North Carolina voted against seces-
sion by a majority of thirty thousand
had it's origin.
LATHAM'S BATTERY-BRANCH AR
TILLERY.
In the same article from the Vatera9,
it is mentioned that "a battery from Will
mington. n. C. (Flanners), fired the last
gun" This battery-Latham's or the
Branch Artillery as it was first called
was recruited principally in Craven coun-
ty. and it's first captain. Alex. Latham.
was from that county. Captain Henry
Flanner himself was a native of Newborn,
though at the time of joining the battery
he was a resident of Wilmington.
There were quite a number of men,
members Of the Branch Artillery from
Carteret. Wake and New Hanover coun-
ties. GRAHAM DAVIES.
Newbern, n c.