Submitted by Jodie Gee, who may be reached at gee@sccoast.net
A meeting was called at the courthouse at Albemarle and the Southern cause presented by Dr. Richard Andrerson. Volunteers were called for. Everyone hesitated and the atmosphere was quiet and serious until Bob CARTER, a strong and courageous young man of 24 years,made his way down the aisle and gave his name for service. He was the first volunteer for the war between the states from Stanly Co NC. It was May 5, 1861. Others followed him. A day was set to organize and the volunteers met again at the courthouse. The woman of the county had previously made Confederate uniforms,using the sewing machine of Mr. McCAIN, father of the late sheriff of the county. It was said to be the only sewing machine in the county at the time. Dressed in their uniforms and with two fifes and a drum, they marched from the courthouse to the Marshall Hotel. Louisa Thomas HEARNE appeared on the balcony of the hotel owned and operated by the Marshalls and sang "The Old North State." She was a foster daughter of Joseph and Nora Hearne Marshall. The people cheered and threw their hats into the air as the soldiers started their 30 mile walk to Salisbury, NC.
In that Bob Carter was the first volunteer in Stanly Co, he was chosen to carry the flag. They left on a night train from Salisbury to Raleigh where they camped at camp Ellis. Zebulon B. Vance (later NC governor and a US senator) was on the train that night and he kept the boys in a cheerful mood by telling stories and jokes.The regiment while on Crawford's farm south of Salisbury was thoroughly drilled daily under Lt Colonel John E Brown. The soldiers said "Colonel John Brown would rather drill than eat."
A federal prison was located at Salisbury and some of the Regiment and some of the regiment experimented first active duty guarding the prisoners. After the 42nd advanced to Drewery's Bluff the next move was to Petersburg where they drilled and did outpost duty. They then went to Tarboro and engaged in a skirmish. The Regiment was ordered to Franklin VA and skirmishes occurred here also. From Bertie County the regiment marched to Richmond. They threw up a line of breastworks on the Darby-Town road and were constantly under enemy fire.
The 42nd also saw duty in Wilmington NC under command of James G. Martin. They marched to Shepherdsville. About Feb. 1 1864, Martin's Brigade then returned to Wilmington, to Weldon, to Plymouth,Tarboro to Petersburg and Bermuda Hundred. On May 20 Martin's Brigade was involved in the battle at Bermuda Hundred The 42nd came out from a strip of woods on the brow of the hill and under heavy fire of the enemy they marched (quickly) down into a open field and were able to drive back the enemy.At Bermuda Hundred a division was formed under R. F. HOKE consisting of Martin and Clingman's from NC, Haygood's of SC and Colquit's of Georgia.
Hoke's Division was ordered to Cold Harbor and Gaines Mill. Martin's Brigade took a very dangerous position and held under heavy fire. The skirmishes of the 42nd captured the crest of the hill. When General Robert E. Lee learned that the enemy's major effort would be directed toward Martin's he sent word to replace it with a more experienced brigade.To this Gen Martin replied with his compliments saying that even though they weren't veterans they were trained and would hold their part of the line. Cold Harbor was a very bloody battle. The salvage troops slipped and stumbled and fell in festering pools The flies and vultures were busy with dead horses, dead men, legs, arms and mangled bodies. James Howell was the captain and peeked over the breastworks one too many times and was killed. Robert CARTER was then made captain. Then on to Chickahominy and New Market Heights near Malvern Hill and on to Petersburg ,Hares Hill and "the CRATER." In 1934 John HATLEY who was then 89 yrs old and had been a private in the 42nd Reg under Capt Robert Allen CARTER told the story of the battle He said that he and Capt CARTER were lying in a deep gully on a dirt road.The gully took the place of breastworks. Suddenly a bomb exploded near them. Fragments hit Capt Cater in the knee and Hatley on the upper lip. They were blown into the air Mr Hatley said it took place about 3 AM although history records it as 2 AM Capt Carter rallied his men and they rushed for the Crater.
Dec. 23 1864, 42nd went to Wilmington It was zero weather and they were packed into box cars They kept warm by building fires in the center of cars and the smoke was terrible. They reached Wilmington on Christmas Eve. The good women fed them and then they marched to sugar Mountain near Fort Fisher Christmas Day they were constantly under fire. Fort Fisher was short of ammunition and shot only every half hour Fort Fisher surrendered and sealed Wilmington's fate. General Robert Lee surrendered April 9, 1865.
Another story told to Lilly Carter by her mother, Elizabeth, the wife of Bob Carter. During a battle in Va Capt Carter was found lying in a shell hole When the battle was over and things were quiet. Two ladies came by his tent. He had been stricken with Typhoid fever. They took him home and nursed him back to health. He went home on a furlough and recruited more soldiers before returning to the regiment.
Bob's 17 year old brother Richard Carter was also a member of the 42nd He was captured 3 Jun 1864 at Gaines Mill. He arrived at Point Lookout, Maryland on June 11, 1864. Transferred to Elmira NY July 12,1864. Arrived Elmira July 17, 1864. Died January 23, 1865 of pneumonia, Grave no. 1599. The Elmira Prison was closed Aug, 1, 1865.
Elizabeth Coble Carter told the following story Capt Carter and men were marching near Kinston NC near Wise's Fork on the Neuse River March 1865. (During this march John HATLEY was taken prisoner). They came upon the enemy and a skirmish ensued. The federal Captain was killed. Capt Carter ordered his men to bury the dead. The federal captain's sash was a large long one of red and white handsome material and it appealed to some of the men who wanted their captain to have it. The confederate captain took his sash off and draped it around the body of the federal officer. Capt Carter took his sword and marked the grave. Capt Carter wore the sash and sword of the federal officer. On the sword was engraved "Capt Julius Bassett -Meridan. Conn."
After the was in 1886 Capt Carter decided that the family of the Capt. Bassett should have the sash and sword. He wrote the governor of Conn The governor published the story in the newspapers. Capt Carter received a letter from Fred Bassett of NY and another from a son in Michigan. They didn't know what had happened to their father. The sword and sash were returned to them. In appreciation they sent Capt Carter a gold-headed ebony walking stick capped at the bottom with silver. Upon the gold head was inscribed "Capt. Robert A. Carter from the family of Julius Bassett. When Lilly Carter was born in 1888 her father, Robert Allen Carter, gave her the middle name BASSETT in honor of the fallen federal captain.
The 42nd regiment camped at a Quaker church in Randolph Co NC -3 miles from High Point. They pitched tents beginning at Bloomington on Amos Ragan's Farm. The soldiers camped as far as Trinity College at Trinity and Bush Hill now called Archdale. The soldiers were paid about $1.05 US money and told they could disband. They were so happy that they threw their hats in the air. After the soldiers were gone the people of the community searched the fields and woods for souvenirs. They found cannon balls and ammunition Mr. Allerd was a small boy when the 42nd reg disbanded and said that he saw many of the soldiers as they crossed the river at the mill on their way home. The officers had to report to Greensboro which was overrun with Federal officers and soldiers they were required to turn over the records to the Federals. The Greensboro women fed many of the soldiers stranded there. Bread and homemade molasses was mostly what they ate. Capt. Carter stopped at a small restaurant in Greensboro and bought a plate of oysters. He paid $25.00 in Confederate money.