Wilmington, North Carolina, in the American Civil War
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Wilmington, North Carolina, was a major port for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. It was the last port to fall to the Union Army (February 1865), completing its blockade of the Atlantic coast.
Importance
Wilmington, located 30 miles upstream from the mouth of the
Wilmington was one of the most important points of entry for supplies for the entire Confederate States. Its port traded
The blockade runners operated indirectly from British colonies–such as
In the summer of 1862, sailors arrived who were infected with yellow fever, which was endemic in the Caribbean. An epidemic soon paralyzed the once-thriving waterfront, as well as much of the city. Nearly 1,000 people contracted the disease, and more than 300 died before the illness had run its course and activity resumed.
After the fall of Norfolk, Virginia in May 1862, Wilmington's importance increased. It became the main Confederate port on the Atlantic Ocean. Along the Atlantic seashore, Wilmington's defenses were so sturdy that they were only surpassed by Charleston's fortifications in South Carolina. Wilmington resisted Federal occupation for a long time, mainly due to Fort Fisher.
Blockade running became an organized industry. The Crenshaw Company organized shipments of cotton from the interior of the Confederacy to Wilmington for smuggling through the blockade to England.
Wilmington was not captured by Union forces until February 22, 1865, approximately one month after the fall of Fort Fisher. The
As almost all the military action was at some distance from the city, a number of antebellum homes and other buildings have survived in downtown Wilmington.
1862 Escape of slaves
The outbreak of the Civil War brought danger to Wilmington in the form of crime, disease, threat of invasion, and "downright bawdiness."[1] This prompted many slave owners to move inland, resulting in less supervision over those they were enslaving.[1] During a rainy night on September 21, 1862, William B. Gould and George Price escaped with six other enslaved men[a] by rowing a small boat 28 nautical miles (52 km) down the Cape Fear River.[3][4][5][6] They embarked on Orange Street, just four blocks from where Gould lived on Chestnut St.[b][5][6] Sentries were posted along the river, adding additional danger.[5] The boat had a sail, but they did not raise it until they were out in the Atlantic for fear of being seen.[5]
Just as the dawn was breaking on September 22, they rushed out into the Atlantic Ocean near
See also
- Blockade runners of the American Civil War
- Wilmington insurrection of 1898
Notes
- ^ They included Joseph Hall, Andrew Hall, John Mackey, Charles Gile, John Mitchell, and William Chance.[2]
- ^ Nixon's slave quarters were on Chestnut Street in Wilmington, between Third and Fourth Streets.[7]
- ^ They include Virgil Richardson and Ben Greer who were picked up by the USS Penobscot and Thomas Cowan, Charles Mallet, and Frank Clinton who were rescued by the USS Monticello.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Gould IV 2002, p. 29.
- ^ Gould IV 2002, p. xix.
- ^ a b c MacQuarrie, Brian (November 21, 2020). "Escaped slave and Navy sailor recounted his remarkable Civil War story in a diary". The Boston Globe.
- ^ a b c Gould IV 2002, p. xi.
- ^ a b c d e Gould IV 2002, p. 15.
- ^ a b c d O’Connor, Brian Wright (October 3, 2012). "William Benjamin Gould's diary traces road to freedom". The Bay State Banner. Boston. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- ^ Gould IV 2002, p. 41.
- ^ a b Gould IV 2002, p. 17.
- ^ Hannon, Helen (Winter 2008). "Freedom on Nantucket". Historic Nantucket. Vol. 57, no. 1. Nantucket Historical Association.
Works cited
- Gould IV, William B. (2002). Diary of a Contraband: The Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor (paperback ed.). Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-4708-3.
- Yearns, W. Buck and Barret, John G., eds., North Carolina Civil War Documentary, 1980.
Further reading
- Chris E. Fonvielle Jr., Last Rays of Departing Hope: The Wilmington Campaign, Campbell, Cal.: Savas, 1997.
- Mark A. Moore, The Wilmington Campaign and the Battles for Fort Fisher, Da Capo Press, 1999.
External links
- "Capture of Wilmington", Harpers Weekly 11 March 1865
- "The Civil War", Wilmington Today website