The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-01

mel and Mrs. MltcneAi, ioiIiie
" Miss Mary Grace William
son, came to Wilmington for
2, visit with Mrs. Mitchell's pa
rents, Mr.. and Mrs. o. w. Will
hanson, of Winter Park. At
that time they gathered the
data which appears in the fol-
lowing story, written by Nit
cheIl and which appeared in
the News-Sentinel recently.
The photos were shot later by
Mitchell.
KNOXILLE, Tenn. Fr o m
our Smoky Mountains east to the
sea lies a trail richly studded with
the shrines of the South's historic
Revolutionary and Civil Wars
background.
It's hardly a 450-mile drive from
the hazy peaks and rushing
streams to the deep contrast of
southeastern North Cardinals mys-
tic cypress lakes and the green
Atlantic which laps at the door
step of the city of Wilmington.
Wilmington is mellow with the
choice relics of both wars
During most of the Civil War its
port, although blockaded by the
Union fleet, was the center of live
ly foreign trade and the last port
kept open by the Confederacy.
Remember in Gone With the
Wind" Rhett Butler told Scarlet
that he'd been blockade running at
Wilmington?
If you've debated about whether
to devote your vacation to historic
spots or recreation and frolic a
trip to Wilmington is your answer
two in one, so perhaps you'll make
it your destination.
BY Kings Mountain
First stop is Asheville, Sin the
land of the Sky" then 30 miles
on to Chimney Rock and tn
Lake Lure, where perhaps you'd
like to fish. Then 80 miles from
Charlotte majestic Kings Noun
tain can be e across the state
line in York County, S. c. It's the
scene of the Battle of Kings Noun
tain, on Oct. 7, 1870. The Ameri-
cans under John Seveir,' Tennes-
sees first governor, and other
leaders defeated the British under
Ferguson, killing and wounding 456
and taking 648 prisoners.
Then into Charlotte which
might be called the philadelphia
of the South" It was here that the
famous Mecklenburg Declaration
was adopted in May, ITS, more
than a year before the Declaration
of independence was drafted. Too,
Charlotte was occupied by tn e
British in 1870. The Mecklenburg
Declaration was supposed to have
been drawn up at a midnight meet
ing of representatives of Mecklen.
burg County in which Charlotte is
situated. 1t declared that the peo-
pie of that county were free and
independent of the British crown.
Not only was it in the general
tenor of the Declaration of indie
pendence, but many phrases are
word for word in both. The min
utes of the midnight meeting were
destroyed by fire in 1900. A num-
Der of years later the Declaration
was published from memory, but
its authenticity has been doubted.
From Charlotte it is a flat
straight stretch from the noun
tains to the sea.
In the center of Wilmington
stands the house which CORVALLIS
used as headquarters during a Is
day stay there in April 1881. The
basement of the house was used
as a prison during the Revolution.
Across the street is st. ] a m e S
church, which CORVALLIS used as a
stable.
A seven-mile drive along the
ocean front past Carolina and Will
beaches bring you to Fort
Fisher, the last Confederate
stronghold to fall It was subdued
after several terrific lombard
ments by combined naval a n d
land forces on July Is, 1855. 8
At Fort Fisher begins a crude
wall of rock and concrete, extend
ing almost three miles across the
mouth of the Cape Fear River and
blocking off entrance to the river
by way Of New Inlet, to the east.
The permanent blockade sends the
entire flow of the river through an
past Southport and Fort
to the south.
The dam was not built until after
the Civil War. Provided by the
Federal Government, 10 years
were required for construction and
it was completed about 1885. Huge
rocks used in its construction were
brought from western sections of
the state.
During the war Confederate
blockade runners, bringing sup
piies to Wilmington used New In
1et as an approach to the Cape
reaf v The dam, common
~ called THE Rocks" by viii
mlngton folk, still makes inva sion
Oh the river by any route excan+
past the gun range OF Fort rtN,ps