North Carolina's Military History: State Documents

North Carolina's military has played a large part in the development of the state, as well as the United States. Troops that originated from and served in North Carolina have taken part in wars ranging from the American Revolution, to the Civil War, to current involvements. This study guide chronicles the history, development, and actions of North Carolina's military units. The featured documents showcase the relationship between North Carolina and its military, and their resulting relationship with the United States.

• Shepard, William B. and North Carolina General Assembly, Senate. Remarks of Mr. William B. Shepard in Senate, Tuesday, January 16, 1849: On the Resolutions of the House of Commons on the Subject of Slavery. 1849.
  This document is the result of the discussions that took place in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1849 regarding slavery and its changing place in society. Overall, the document is a defense of the institution of slavery; although it expresses a desire to keep the Union together, it strongly foreshadows the Civil War.
  • Categories: Early 19th Century, African Americans, Civil War, Legal, Military Action and Warfare, Secession, Society and Memorialization, Territorial Conflict

• North Carolina, Office of the Adjutant General. Muster Rolls of the Soldiers of the War of 1812: Detached from the Militia in North Carolina, in 1812 and 1814. 1851.
  This document contains a list of the soldiers who were sent from the North Carolina Militia to fight in the War of 1812.
  • Categories: Late 19th Century, War of 1812, Militia and Volunteers, Enlistment and Exemptions, Military Action and Warfare

• Adjutant General's Office. Register of North Carolina Troops, 1861. 1861.
  This document contains a catalog of North Carolinian soldiers who were enlisted to fight for the Confederacy at the beginning of the Civil War. The records are broken down by department, and indicate each man's name, rank, date of commission, and occupation.
  • Categories: Late 19th Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Enlistment and Exemptions, Military Action and Warfare

• Adjutant General's Office. Register of North Carolina Troops, 1864. 1864.
  This document contains a catalog of North Carolinian soldiers who were enlisted to fight for the Confederacy towards the end of the Civil War. This register's records are slightly more pared down than the previous register, containing name, rank, and date of commission, but leaving out occupational listings.
  • Categories: Late 19th Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Enlistment and Exemptions, Military Action and Warfare

• Holden, W. W and North Carolina Court of Impeachments. Argument in the Impeachment Trial of W.W. Holden, Governor of North Carolina: Full Stenographic Reports, Revised and Corrected. 1871.
  This document contains the arguments presented during the impeachment trial of Governor W.W Holden. A significant aspect of the document is the discussion of the role that the military can play in making a public officer eligible for impeachment, and specifically the ways in which Holden's use of the military made him unfit for office.
  • Categories: Late 19th Century, Reconstruction Era, Legal, Militia and Volunteers, Military Action and Warfare, Society and Memorialization
  • Alternate Names: Impeachment Trial of W.W Holden

• Kerr, W.C. North Carolina as a Place for Investment, Manufactures, Mining, Stock Raising, Fruit and Farming: What Northern Residents in North Carolina Say of it as a Place to Live In. 1879.
  This document chronicles the efforts made by various groups in North Carolina to attract immigrants from the North shortly after the Civil War. The document includes an overview of the state, as well as reports produced at group meetings and letters written in support of their efforts. Of note are the numerous references within the document to the Civil War, and the ways that it changed North Carolina.
  • Categories: Late 19th Century, Civil War, Reconstruction Era, Economics, History, Society and Memorialization
  • Alternate Names: What Northern Men Say of North Carolina; Proceedings of a Convention of Northern Born Residents of the South

• Moore, John W. Roster of North Carolina Troops in the War Between the States, Volume 1-4. 1882.
  This set of documents contains a catalog of soldiers from North Carolina who fought in the Confederacy during the Civil War. This register, published after the war, is much more comprehensive than the previous documents, including each soldiers name, rank, date of commission, county of origin, company, and casualty information.
  • Categories: Late 19th Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Enlistment and Exemptions, Military Action and Warfare
  • Significant Dates: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4.

• Jones, Johnstone, Adjutant General. Roster of North Carolina Troops, in the War with Mexico: Being the Muster-Out Rolls of the First Regiment of North Carolina Foot Volunteers: and Companies "G" and "I" of the Twelfth United States Infantry. 1887.
  This document catalogs the soldiers from North Carolina who fought in the Mexican-American War. The register includes name, rank, grade, and transfer records.
  • Categories: Late 19th Century, Mexican-American War, Enlistment and Exemptions, Military Action and Warfare

• North Carolina, Office of the Adjutant General. Roster of the North Carolina Volunteers in the Spanish-American War, 1898-1899. 1900.
  This document consists of a short history and a catalogue of troops from North Carolina, both commission and volunteer, who fought in the Spanish-American War. The register includes name, rank, origin, date of commission, date and place mustered in, and date and place mustered out.
  • Categories: Early 20th Century, Spanish-American War, Enlistment and Exemptions, History, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers

• Clark, Walter, ed. Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-'65, Volume 1-5. 1901.
  This five volume set gives a comprehensive history of Confederate troops from North Carolina during the Civil War. The volumes cover topics such as generals, regiments and brigades, organization of troops, battalions, and the navy. The information includes name, rank, date achieved, casualties, and explanatory histories, as well as a series of related lists and essays.
  • Categories: Early 20th Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Enlistment and Exemptions, History, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers
  • Significant Dates: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 5.

• North Carolina Literary and Historical Society. Five Points in the Record of North Carolina in the Great War of 1861-5: Report of the Committee. 1904.
  This document was written in response to reports that questioned North Carolina's long-standing claims of being "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, Last at Appomattox." Included is a report of the investigative committee, a series of essays, and maps that defend the authenticity of the statement.
  • Categories: Early 20th Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Military Action and Warfare, History, Militia and Volunteers, Enlistment and Exemptions

• Hamilton, J., ed. The Correspondence of Jonathan Worth. 1909.
  This set of documents contains the correspondence of Jonathan Worth, who was governor of North Carolina from 1865-1868. A significant portion of the letters deal with Worth's attempts to establish a compromise between complying with the military restrictions imposed by the Reconstruction Era federal government and maintaining North Carolina's military autonomy as a state.
  • Categories: Early 20th Century, Reconstruction Era, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Society and Memorialization
  • Significant Dates: Volume 1, Volume 2

• Connor, R.D.W. Addresses at the Unveiling of the Memorial to the North Carolina Women of the Confederacy. 1914.
  This document contains a history of the efforts to build a memorial to the Confederate women of North Carolina and a copy of the proceedings at the dedication of the memorial upon its construction. A significant aspect of the document is the inclusion of testimony regarding the involvement of women in the war effort.
  • Categories: Early 20th Century, Civil War, Society and Memorialization

• House, R.B, ed. Public Letters and Papers of Thomas Walter Bickett, Governor of North Carolina, 1917-1921. 1923.
  This document contains the correspondence of Thomas Walter Bickett, who was governor of North Carolina from 1917-1921. The correspondence deals mainly with the involvement of North Carolina’s military and people in WWI.
  • Categories: Early 20th Century, WWI, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Economics

• Corbitt, David L., ed. Public Papers and Letters of Cameron Morrison, Governor of North Carolina, 1921-1925. 1927.
  This document contains the official papers of Cameron Morrison, who was governor of North Carolina from 1921-1925. The correspondence features insight into domestic military operations in the state during a time of peace.
  • Categories: Early 20th Century, Standing Military, Militia and Volunteers, Society and Memorialization, Enlistment and Exemptions, Legal, Military Regulations

• Hamilton, J., ed. The Papers of Randolph Abbott Shotwell. 1929-1936.
  This three volume set forms an autobiography of Randolph Abbott Shotwell, a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. His narrative begins shortly before the war, follows Shotwell through his battle history and his stay in federal prison, and ends with a description of Reconstruction Era North Carolina.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Civil War, Reconstruction Era, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers
  • Significant Dates: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3.
  • Alternate Names: Three Years in Battle and Three in Federal Prisons

• Corbitt, David L., ed. Public Addresses, Letters, and Papers of Joseph Melville Broughton, Governor of North Carolina, 1941-1945. 1950.
  This document contains the official papers of Joseph Melville Broughton, who was governor of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945. The correspondence deals predominantly with North Carolina's involvement in WWII.
  • Categories: Late 20th Century, WWII, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Military Regulations, Society and Memorialization, Legal, Economics

• Corbitt, David L., ed. Public Addresses and Papers of Robert Gregg Cherry, Governor of North Carolina, 1945-1949. 1951.
  This document contains the official papers of Robert Gregg Cherry, who was governor of North Carolina from 1945 to 1949. The correspondence deals mainly with North Carolina's involvement with the end of the WWII and efforts to bring the state back to its pre-war conditions.
  • Categories: Late 20th Century, WWII, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Military Regulations, Society and Memorialization, Legal, Economics

• Manarin, Louis H. Guide to Military Organizations and Installations: North Carolina, 1861-1865. Raleigh, NC: The North Carolina Confederate Centennial Commission, 1961.
  This document was published as an attempt to organize the large amount of records on North Carolinian troops. The report includes a section on the numerical designations given to confederate organizations, followed by a section on the local designations given to them, a section on Union regiments from North Carolina, and an index of the camps, posts, and stations of troops from both sides based in North Carolina during the war.
  • Categories: Late 20th Century, Civil War, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers Enlistment and Exemptions, Union Troops from North Carolina

• Tucker, Glenn. Front Rank. 1962.
  This document contains a narrative that gives an overview of North Carolina's experience during the Civil War, including the various battles in which the state's troops were involved.
  • Categories: Late 20th Century, Civil War, History, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Society and Memorialization

• North Carolina Confederate Centennial Commission. North Carolina at Gettysburg. 1963.
  This document gives an overview of the history of North Carolinian troops at Gettysburg. The summary begins with a history of the monument to state troops at the site, then gives a history of North Carolina's involvement, short biographies of important figures, and a listing of all North Carolinian troops who fought in the battle.
  • Categories: Late 20th Century, Civil War, History, Confederacy, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers

• Iobst, Richard W. Bloody Sixth: the Sixth North Carolina Regiment, Confederate States of America. 1965.
  This document gives a detailed account of the Sixth North Carolina Regiment that fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The record chronicles the regiment's history, beginning with its formation, through the battles in which it was involved, and ending with a roster of the troops.
  • Categories: Late 20th Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Enlistment and Exemptions, Society and Memorialization

• North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, North Carolina Department of Administration. North Carolina Indians.
  This document gives an overview of the history of Native Americans in North Carolina, both before and after European contact. The summary includes explanations of the various military conflicts in which the tribes became involved, most significantly with European settlers.
  • Categories: Late 20th Century, History, Military Action involving Native Americans, Economics, Society and Memorialization

• Raper, Horace W., ed. The Papers of William Woods Holden, Volume I, 1841-1868. 2000.
  This document contains the official papers of William Woods Holden, who was governor of North Carolina in 1865 and from 1868 to 1871; he was the only governor in the history of the state to be impeached and removed from office. The majority of the correspondence deals with his involvement in the Civil War and Reconstruction, as well as his fall from favor.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Civil War, Reconstruction Era, Confederacy, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Legal

• Umfleet, LeRae. 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Report. 2006.
  This document contains a comprehensive overview of the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot, a coup d'etat in which the city's government was overthrown, leading to widespread violence against African Americans.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, African Americans, Legal, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers

• North Carolina, Apprenticeship and Training Bureau. Veterans Handbook: Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training Programs. 2007.
  This document is a handbook for the apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs available for North Carolina's veterans. The handbook contains general information on the programs, including how to get involved, wages, classes, training procedures, sample forms and instructions for completing them, related flow charts and federal regulations, frequently asked questions, and a glossary.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Veterans, Economics, Legal, Society and Memorialization

• North Carolina, Apprenticeship and Training Bureau. Apprenticeship Training for Veterans. 2008.
  This document is a pamphlet containing information on North Carolina's apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs for veterans. The pamphlet contains information explaining the programs, requirements for eligibility, instructions for becoming involved, basic employment rates under the programs, and gives contact information.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Veterans, Economics, Legal, Society and Memorialization

• Ijames, Earl. Digitization of North Carolina USCT Roster: a Lecture by Earl Ijames and Rhonda Jones. 2009.
  This entry contains a presentation given by Earl Ijames of the North Carolina Museum of History regarding the digitization of records that showcase the history of African American involvement during the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Reconstruction Era, African Americans, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Union Troops from North Carolina

• Belton, Tom, B.J. Davis and North Carolina Museum of History. Call to Arms: a Conversation with Tom Belton, North Carolina Museum of History.
  This entry contains a conversation with Tom Belton of the North Carolina Museum of History regarding the involvement of North Carolinian troops in the Civil War, using two battle flags as a central focus.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Reconstruction Era, African Americans, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Union Troops from North Carolina

• Glatthaar, Joseph T. Lincoln as Military Commander. 2009.
  This entry contains a speech given by Joseph T. Glatthaar of UNC Chapel Hill regarding President Lincoln's effectiveness as commander of armed forces during the Civil War. The discussion includes explanations of the various military campaigns of the Union Army, both those which were proposed and those which were implemented.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century Early 21st Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Reconstruction Era, African Americans, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Union Troops from North Carolina

• Smith, John D. United States Colored Troops. 2009.
  This entry contains a speech given by John D. Smith of UNC Charlotte regarding the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. The discussion gives an overview of the development of the division, as well as the support and opposition the plan received from contemporary groups.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Civil War, Confederacy, Reconstruction Era, African Americans, Society and Memorialization, Military Action and Warfare, Militia and Volunteers, Union Troops from North Carolina

• North Carolina Institute of Medicine, Task Force on Behavioral Health Services for the Military and Their Families. NCIOM Task Force on Behavioral Health Services for the Military and Their Families: 2009-2010 Interim Legislative Report to the North Carolina General Assembly. 2010.
  This document gives an overview of the Task Force on Behavioral Health Services for the Military and Their Families, sponsored by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. The document provides summaries of the meetings held by the task force, including discussions regarding the present state of affairs and the ways in which it could be improved in the future.
  • Categories: Early 21st Century, Veterans, Economics, Society and Memorialization, Legal