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]

The Notorious Bull Nelson: Murdered Civil War General

The book is out and is now available.

[terrell garren]

The Notorious Bull Nelson: Murdered Civil War General By Donald Clark, coming soon

My 2008 book The Fifth Skull is dedicated to the General Nelson. He was murdered in front of multiple witnesses by a crazed killer. The murderer was Jefferson Columbus Davis of Indiana, also a Union General. Davis was turned over to Gen. Sherman and never prosecuted. He never was exonerated in any way, the Army simply forgot it. Meanwhile, Gen. Sherman releases this heinous killer to run amuck as commander of his rear guard going through Georgia in 1864. This same murderer was "the man with the matches" on Sherman's March to the Sea. Among other things, he's best remembered as the man who killed about 400 freed slaves at Ebenezer Creek in December 1864. It doesn't end there, this same Gen. Sherman ends up General of the Amry after the war so he sends this same Jeff Davis to Califonia with orders for genocide against the Modoc Indian tribe. As you would expect, Davis does what Sherman wants. He entraps then "frames" the Indians, denies them a defense then hangs and beheads the Indian Chief and three others. Consistant with his ethical standards Davis orders Modoc children including the eight year old daughter of the Chief to watch the hangings. Oh yea, another Union General winds up murdered here to, but Davis manages to pin that one on the Indians.

It is my personal opinion that Jefferson Columbus Davis was one of the worst war criminals in all American History. This new book by Donals Clark recounts the life of Bull Nelson and we can expect great detail on his ghastly murder at the hands of Jeff Davis. Unfortunately, General William Nelson was just one of the many left on the trail of murder and mayhem behind Jeff Davis of Indiana. It should be interesting.

TG

[terrell garren]

Deep Creek Essay worth reading

The North Carolina Office of Archives and History Highway Historical Marker program has posted an essay in conjunction with the installation of the Deep Creek Highway Marker in Bryson City. The essay is only about a page and a half long but it gives an excellent summary of the event. Their estimated casualty figures: For the Union 14th Illinois Cavalry, 2 killed and 6 wounded. For the Confederate Cherokees of Thomas Legion, 10 killed.

My seperate reseach indicates that two of the six Union soldiers wounded at Deep Creek died later, including Medal of Honor winner Lt. Horace Capron of Peoria, Illinois.

To view the essay search: ncmarkers.com

TG

[terrell garren]

DEEP CREEK CIVIL WAR MARKER DEDICATION TO BE ANNOUNCED

Several people have indicated to me that they are under the impression that a dedication ceremony for the Deep Creek Highway Historical Marker has already been held. This is incorrect. The marker was installed early in Bryson City at the Old Court House. As I understand it, a dedication ceremony is planned for later. The Bryson City Chamber of Commerce is in charge of it. I assume an announcement will be coming soon.

TG

[terrell garren]

Col. William Walker of Cherokee County to be honored Nov. 2nd

A re-enactment and dinner will be held at the McGuire farm in the Peachtree community of Cherokee County on November 2nd to honor Col. William Walker. Walker was the Confederate commaner of Walker's Battalion of Thomas Legion. Walker and his men were significant players in the Civil War history of WNC. They provided defense and scouting service for the region through the early part of the war. In 1864, after the death of Col. Walker, the men of Walker's Battalion went with Confederate General Jubal Early of his "Valley Campaign" which reached the outskirts of Washington, DC.

Walker was killed on the night of January 3, 1864. Col. Walker was sick in bed when spies led men to his home where he was shot to death in his home in front of his wife and children. Just thirty days later the same spies led the Union Army on a sneak attack against the Cherokee Confederates at Deep Creek.

Time and details of the event are to be announced by local media soon.

Terrell Garren

[terrell garren]

Slavery in Buncombe, Henderson and Madison counties, September 12, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the main branch of the Henderson County Library

The program will include a review of all slave owners from the 1860 US Census in the three counties listed above. It should be noted that Transylvania County was not established until 1861, therefore Henderson County records include what is now Transylvania in the 1860 Census. There were 3,500 slaves in the three counties that were counted in the 1860 Census. A question and answer session will follow.

TG

[terrell garren]

Final days of the war.

I often get questions from family members who want an explanation for the words "no further record." One often encounters those three words at the end listings for men in North Carolina Troops: A Roster 1861-1865.

In the final days of the war the Confederate Army began falling apart. I have seen estimates that as many as 500 men per day vanished from the trenches at Petersburg. In some cases these men may have been considered deserters but often they were just lost or cut off. Large numbers were captured but many others just wandered about until they found out the war was over and then they walked home.

Many local men were in on the attack on Fort Stedman, April 24-25, 1865. They were lost or captured during the Union counter attack. After the Battle of Five Forks on April 1, 1865 many WNC men were cut off from the Confederate Army. Some historians claim that as much as half Lee's remaining Army were cut off at Sayler's Creek on April 6th just three days before the surrender.

I estimate that approximately half the men in Lee's Army were dispersed in the confusion of the last days of the war. Some died trying to get home, some were captured but many made it back. When one sees the words "no further record" regarding their ancestor it's highly possible that they were among those referred to above. They were there until the end but their names do not appear on the rolls at Appomattox. They were probably scattered throughout the region.

Terrell Garren

[terrell garren]

Mountain Myth update

Since I first published Mountain Myth:Unionism in WNC four years has passed and additional information has surfaced. Two new volumes of North Carolina Troops have been published. Volume XVI, Thomas Legion contains information that straightens some conufsion regarding the proper designation of Thomas Legion. At the turn of the 20th century Moore's Roster was published. A few years before that Clark's Histories of the Many Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina was published. Both of the reference works referred to Thomas' Legion being the "69th" NC Infantry. There sources were in error. Thomas' Legion was never designated the 69th. That designation belonged to an entirely different unit. In places where the "69th" is used in Mountain Myth, the reader is advised that this desigantion should be Thomas' Legion.

In Volume XVII of North Carolina Troops, Junior Reserves a similar error is pointed out. Both Moore's Roster and Clark's Histories refer to a "70th" Regiment being Junior Reserves. In other places it is the 1st Regiment of Junior Reserves. Both uses are in error. Western North Carolina men in the Junior Reserves were in the 1st Battalion. There records can be found there in volume XVII. (There was a brief period of time before the raid on Camp Vance that the WNC group of Juniors were designated as the "9th Regiment.") It is unclear if such a designation was ever formally implemented.

TG

[terrell garren]

b>i>The 25th North Carolina Troops by Carroll Jones

I should have gotten around to reading this book sooner since I consider it my home regiment. This unit was filled with many of my ancestors. There was no regimental history of the 25th other than the one done in Clark's Histories of the Many Regiments and Battalions in the Great War 1861-1865 by Lt. Garland Furgeson over a Century ago. I always felt like I knew this unit as well as anyone. After reding Carroll Jones' masterpiece, I will never say that again. In my personal opinoin, Jones is now the world's leading expert on the 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment.

The book is extremely well written and researched. I find every major incident the unit was involved with to be included in this work. There are many things covered in the work that have been missed by all others including me. The exhibit of photographs, maps and illistrations is incrdible. There must have been untold of hours of work and expense involved in just putting the exhibits together. As regimental histories go, and I've read many of them, this is as good as it gets.

Jones has properly and accurately placed the 25th within the context of the time and people. HIs ability to keep the link between the men, the war and the homefront on a proper balance is outstanding.

With my most diligent efforts I searched for mistakes. I could only find two and it turns out I was wrong about one of those.

It is unlikely that anyone will ever top this work on the 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment.

Terrell Garren

[terrell garren]

More on Thomas M. Kuykendall

I should have pointed out that his Confederate record would be found in Volume II, page 541 of NC Troops. He was originally with the 7th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry. Kuykendall's Confederate records are found there with the battalion roster. He later transferred to the 65th Regiment, shown in volume II page 473.

TG