The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-01-27

contents at Fayetteville. He also pre-
pared for the training school for sol
diers at Charlotte and placed Major
ID. Fl Hill in charge. The legislature
met on May 1, 1861, and ordered a
4 vote on the 18th of the same month
on the question of holding a conven-
ton. The vote was taken and the
convention ordered and held on the
10th of May, 1861. There was little
time for the people to think whether
they wanted a convention or not, but
there was little need for time on this
subject. The whole matter at issue
was Shall North Carolina fight the
North or the South?" The conyen-
ton met in Raleigh on the day set
and was probably the ablest body ever
assembled in the tate. The grounds
and buildings were thronged with the
most distinguished men and women
of the state. The bright uniforms of
the soldiers from the nearby camps
mingled with the sober dress of the
citizens and the huttering ribbons of
the maids and matrons. After some
differences as to how the ordinance of
secession should be worded, the con-
vention solemnly declared that North
Carolina was no longer a member OF
the union of states, but was once
more q sovereign and independent
state. AS the ordinance was signed
by the members, Ramseur's superb
batteries Numbered a salute, every
bell in the city rang, bands played,
and a mighty shout rolled across the
capital city. A week later North Car
DINA was received as a member of
the Southern ~Confederacy. Soon
thereafter the First North Carolina
regiment was hurried to Virginia just
in time to AXE part in the first bat
tie of the war.
In the next few weeks following
| North Carolina suffered a sad and
| distressing blow in the death of Gov
ernor Ellis, who had been slow to
plunge his people into war, but who
had nevertheless with almost prophet
ic foresight foreseen the ultimate step
that they would have to take n had
wisely prepared them a. best they
could for the Impending struggle.
Upon his death his duties fell upon
the shoulders Of Henry T. Clarke,
then speaker of the senate.
The labor of preparing the troops
for war fell largely upon General
James G.. Martin, the adjutant gen.
eral of the state, whom the legisla-
ture had wisely given all h power
and the money they could to enable
him to carry on his difficult task.
This one-armed veteran of the Next
can war, when his work of raising
eroops was ended, went to the front
as a brigadier general and fought un-
til the end of the war, few men rem
dering to his state such valiant and
unselfish service.
As rapidly as possible General Mar
tin added regiment to regiment until
70 regular regiments a been form
ed-over and above the junior re-
serves and the home guard. Putting
all of her regiments together North
Carolina had 1876, 900 men in the civil
war. This was a larger number than
was furnished by any one other state.
OF course the arming of these regi-
ments was a tremendous and new IN
dertaking for the state. The arms
taken from the arsenal at Fayetteville
were used in, arming, the first sregi-
ments that went to the front. Cen
eral Martin hired two Frenchmen at
Wilmington to make swords and. bay
onets, while some workmen in Gull
ford county made some 1000 guns,
making them at the astonishing rate
of 800 rifles per month. The state
took charge of the arsenal at Fayette-
vile and continued to make excellent
rifles there. One powder mill at Raj
eigh made weekly 1000 pounds of
powder. The official records show
that. during the war the state of
North Carolina, without aid of the
general Confederate government, fur
nished in guns, pistols, swords, bayo-
nets and other arms, in alu to the
amount of $1,673,308.
AS the first winter of the war drew
on, the legislature was at a loss to
know how to clothe it's thousands of
soldiers. 1t remembered how well
General Martin had succeeded in
raising troops and equipping them
with arms, and therefore, ordered
him to provide as best he could for
them, n he, with his usual energy,
started a clothing factory in Raleigh
and ordered all the mills in the state
to send him every yard of cloth they |
could make. Officers were sent far
south to buy all the shoes and cloth
they could find, and the women-God |
bless them-furnished blankets, quilts !
and comforts, and even cut UP their
carpets n lined them with cotton
to serve as blankets. Thus 'the BOYS
in gray" were able to cope with the
winters chilling blasts.
General Martin soon saw that some
means of buying foreign supplies
would have to be, found. He there
fore asked permission of the cover
nor to buy a ship to slip to sea and
bring supplies from other countries.
As Governor C1arke's term was near
to a close he asked General Martin to
wait until the next governor was in
augurated and lay his plan before
him. This Martin did-and every
North Carolina Confederate soldier
and every student of North Carolina
history well knows how well and how
nobly the next governor-the great,
the noble, the courageous and lovable
zebulon B. Vance-came to the as
sistance of Martin and h army oil
North Carolina. The ship was pur-
csased. and in spite of the large num-
Der of federal ships constantly On
watch to destroy her, brought in car