Garren's Civil War research

[terrell garren]

I am Terrell Garren and I am searching for documents, photographs and other information pertaining to Confederate soldiers known as Junior Reserves. In the last year of the American Civil War seventeen year olds were drafted and sent to the Confederate Army. Many were captured before being officially assigned to regiments. Those not captured became part of what was known as the First Regiment North Carolina Junior Reserves. There were at least two hundred such boys from our area.

I am also searching for letters, military records, old newspaper accounts or any other information on Confederate soldiers from WNC who were in Union prisons during the Civil War.

Finally, I am seeking names and information on Union soldiers from WNC. Most of these men were in the Confederate Army first. Most went over to the Union Army very late in the War. There names may appear in both Union and Confederate records. Photographs of these men are rare and important if you happen to have one.

The state of North Carolina is also researching these same groups. Any important information I collect will also be sent to the North Carolina Office of Archives and History in Raleigh.

Thank you,
Terrell T. Garren

[terrell garren]

I checked with both the Henderson County and Buncombe County Libraries yesterday. They don't have Volume XVII yet but it is on order. Buncombe County says they expect it next week.
TG

[terrell garren]

Yes, I'm pleased to report that the Amazon rating for The Fifth Skull keeps improving. I have no idea why?

[Rob Neufeld]

I share your excitement, Terry. Can't wait to do a couple of little stories. "The Fifth Skull" comes further into prominence.

[terrell garren]

Exciting news ! North Carolina Troops Volume XVII, Junior Reserves is now available.

The North Carolina Office of Archives and History has completed volume XVII of North Carolina Troops. For those unfamiliar with these books, you should know that they are a treasure of NC Civil War History. If you want you want to understand that war, read these books one record at a time. Of all the works ever done these books are the greatest single contribution to our history. In my opinion, nothing else comes close.

This new volume is now available from the NC Dept. of Arc & Hist for $50. At the end of the Civil War the Confederate Army was desperate for manpower. They began to draft young boys on their seventeenth birthday. This new volume contains a 180 page history and a listing of individual records. A complet index helps us locate individuals.

Some mountain boys won't be listed.

As sad as it is, there will be some Junior Reserves who will not appear on the roster. In June of 1864 approximately 200 boys from Western North Carolina were taken to Camp Vance in Morganton to the rail head for transfer to Raleigh, NC. On June 28, 1864 Union soldiers raided the camp and captured 120 of them before they were given arms or assigned to a unit. Their names/records can be found at the National Archives in Washington, DC in boxes labeled "unassigned conscripts." Some of them died in Union prisons.

Terrell Garren

[terrell garren]

I guess I should have mentioned that my other GGF, Joseph Youngblood was also in the 25th Company H, along with his brother Billy. Joseph Youngblood was the Company nurse. Obviously, he was very busy on July 1, 1862 at the Battle of Malvern Hill, Virginia.

TG

[terrell garren]

Rob,

I regret to report that I have not read Carroll Jones' book on the 25th North Carolina Infantry yet. I plan on reading it ASAP and I'll bet it has good information on that Battle of Malvern HIill, Virginia. But of those I've read, I'd recommend two critical sources: Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions From North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865, edited by Walter Clark, published by the state in 1901. Also, Lee's Lieutenants, Vol. I Manassas To Malvern Hill by Douglas Southall Freeman. Freeman also explores the battle of Malvern Hill in his first book, R. E. Lee. From Freeman one gets a quality background and much detail on what the the battlefield commanders did that day. It is extremely well documented with many references to the Official Record on almost every page. The regimental histories will give the reader a closer look at what happened on the ground. It is well documented that Confederate Commanders credited Ransom's Brigade with advancing the furtherest that day. My GGGF Coporal Williamson Garren and his first cousin David Garren were both seriously wounded that day. Williamson Garren's nephew Elisha Garren was killed. All three were in Company H of the 25th NC Infantry Regiment. But it wasn't just Ransom's Brigade that had WNC men it it. There was confusion regarding the plan of attack and Lee had tried to call it off but the message did not get through in time. The Confederates lost 5,500 men in about three hours, the Union suffered a similar number of casualties. I do not know of any other battle in American History, that occured outside the Civil War, where there were so many American casualties (11,000). I beleive D-Day was approximately 2,500? There were many other Civil War battles which were bigger than Malvern Hill. Maybe something in WW I would compare? Any help from WW I and WW II scholars would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Terrell

[Rob Neufeld]

Terry, what is the best book you know of that battle?

[terrell garren]

"Day of Infamy" anniversary coming soon.

I'm not talking about December 7, 1941. I'm referring to the worst single day in Western North Carolina History, July 1, 1862. It was on this day that Confederate General Robert Ransom ordered his brigade to charge at Mavlern Hill, Virginia. It was the last day of the Seven Days Campagin. The Union Army referred to it as The Peninsula Campaign. Over 300 Western North Carolina men were casualties that day. Approximately 90 these men were killed. More than 300 WNC men would fall at Gettysburg but it was over a three day period.

If one were to equate those numbers to today's population it would be like having approximately 3,500 casualties with approximately 1,000 dead. We should all try to imagine what that was like to the people of the time. How would we react if it were announced on the news that 1,000 men from the 21 (now 24) Western North Carolina Counties were killed in one day in Iraq? The news of that battle on July 1, 1862 must have been devistating to the people of our region.

Terrell Garren

[linda l ross]

I am of the Garren family and very intrested in civil war history and things about the garren families in Fruitland,NC and Hoopers Creek NC< . My mother,s mother was a Garren ans so was my father's mother different sets of the name. My great great grandfather was Will Garren supposidly the first sheriff of Henderson County.

[Carroll Jones]

Rick - Between her periods of confinement and incessant headaches Cornelia left us a treasure-trove of information. It is a valuable primary source document that I have already mined numerous times for another project of mine. Thanks.....Carroll