The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-03-19

nOTS6Ddck WIFI i've LnOQSanQ
dollars in cash, and succeeded in
delivering the money to the Con-
federate Army near Tarboro.
Yankees Sacked The Town
Shortly before the seige and
capture of Plymouth and Eliza
beth City by the Union Troops,
they marched on Columbia.
Among them were guerillas and
deserters who misled them into
thinking the section was album
dant and prosperous and burned
the bridge which SPAWNED the
Scuppernong and the town was
sacked and many houses looted
and burned.
Knowing that Courthouses in
the section had been the prime
objective of the Yankees, in or
der to destroy all records, Gull
ture ETC., in the south, Thomas H.
Alexander, the, then, Register of
deeds, having heard by means of
the grapevine that the Yankees
were headed up the Scuppernong
River, he placed the County
Records in his "Rockaway'' and
proceeded to his home planta-
ton at the mouth of the Scupper-
nong River about four miles east
of Columbia for safe keeping. AS
luck would have it, this is the
first place that the Yankees
landed. Having seen them COM
ing into the landing, and realiz-
ing the results should the rec
ords be found, Aunt Kate, one
of his devoted house slaves,
agreed to take them into custody.
She placed them in an old trun-
die bed, slipping it under the
ruffles of the tester bed in her
cabin; built a roaring fire in the
huge fireplace around a large
pot-bellied iron pot filled with
water. After having torn every
thing to shreds in the Big House,
the Yankees passed her cabin.
She was standing in the door
with a gourd filled with boiling
water-as they tipped their caps
to her, she spoke IF youse Cen
nuns, you won't come in here,
and if youse debils, you Amt
gwine to come inn. By so doing
she saved for her Marse Thomas
the records, which has meant so
much to the lives of each indi-
vidual of Tyrrell County of
yesterday as well as today.
Produced General J. J. Pettigrew
Tyrrells greatest contribution
to the Confederacy was General
James Johnston Pettigrew, who
led his North Carolinans farthest
at Gettysburg. On July 4th 1868
General Robert E. Lee in COM
mand of the Confederate Army
faced the Union Army under
General Meade at Gettysburg,
Pa. The Southern Forces has in
vaded far into the North, and if
they should win this battle,
Washington, New York and
Philadelphia would gradually
fall, and the South would be re-
cognized by Europe and the
United States as free nation.
Thus everyone present knew the
importance of the campaign. For
/, two days the two armies fought
in and outside the small town,
but on the third day occurred
the most dramatic episode of the
war. The Confederate Army
faced the Union Army across a
small valley. In the hills were
the federal cannon. The main
attack was the grand charge of
fifteen thousand Confederates
against the federal center. Cen
eral Pickett and General Petit
grew commanded the two lines
which were to advance across the
valley and assault the Union
Army. To prepare the way for
these divisions one hundred and
fifteen Confederate cam o n
shook the earth as their fire was
turned on the Union line.
Then the Grey line stepped
out, proudly, for its march
against the stone walls, field
works, and a hill crowded with
eighty cannon and massed with
lines of Northern Infantry. In the
line fifteen regiments of North
Carolina spared a moment for
the thoughts of home as they
turned their faces against the
grim hill. At the signal for the
charge, officers with stern smiles
and wet faces took their places.
The Stars and Bars was unfurled
and the fronts were Strengthened.
With wild cheer the long line
of men in gray was off on its for
See HISTORY. Page Nine