When Stoneman Came To
Statesville
By
S. Wittkowsky
S.W. Stevenson, Mooresville, N.C.
Mrs. Cornelia Phillips Spencer
James Scruggs
The Landmark
Statesville, NC
April 23, 1907
April 14 was the 42nd anniversary of the entrance of
Federal troops into Statesville under General Stoneman. The Landmark has
on several occasions published stories of that event, gleaned from the
recollection of the then residents, most of whom are now all dead. In a
recent issue of the Charlotte Observer, there was published an account
of Stoneman’s visit to Statesville. The article was anonymous but it was
written by a gentleman who says he was at that time a resident of the
town and it is very probably that the writer is S. Wittkowsky of
charlotte, who left Statesville during the Civil War. The writer says:
Taking the date the 13th April, as stated by your correspondent (I am
inclined to think, however, that it was earlier in the month as the
surrender of Lee took place on the 9th), there had reached us in
Statesville during the day reports that Stoneman had captured Salisbury
and was burning the town. Several of us went to the roof of the Simonton
Hotel (the Simonton burned down the winter of 1892-93 but it stood on
the sight now occupied by the Wallace Brothers, the Statesville House
Furnishing Company and the Realty and Investment Company—Landmark) which
was a three story building and from there we could see the fire and hear
the report of the cannon or of the arsenal explosions.
The next day, reports came that they were advancing on Statesville. Col.
S.A. Sharpe who was colonel of the Home Guard called out that
redoubtable army to defend Statesville. In all, there were about 25
fighters consisting, as near as I can remember, of the late Judge
Anderson Mitchell, then a man of about sixty; A.W. Jamison, not much
younger; Mr. Rickert; Mr. Sidney Miller (the then Col. J.S. Miller) and
your humble scribe, all armed to the teeth “as the law directs” with
whatever weapons we could get hold of—shotguns, rifles, pistols, bowie
knives.
We marched out as in “duty bound”, determined to “do or die”. We passed
Old Squire Reynolds’ home (where Mr. Hugh R. Cowles now lives) on the
Salisbury Road until we came to the railroad crossing about three miles
below Statesville and here the army halted.
Col. Sharpe sent out an advance guard who returned about half an hour
before sunset and reported “no enemy in sight” and then was held a
council of war. It was decided that in as much it was getting dark and
that it was not healthy for Stoneman’s men to travel at night through
the swamps, and Second and Third Creeks, that all was well until morning
and that we had better go home, which we did. By that time it was dark.
I took precaution (and well that I did) to hide my arms by shoving them
through an opening in the brick wall of the Simonton Hotel. I then had
my supper. During that meal, I heard the report of several guns at the
public square and going out to ascertain the cause, I was informed that
Stoneman’s advance guard had unexpectedly charged up in the square where
there were several Confederate soldiers from Statesville, on horseback,
who were home on furlough, as well as I can remember, they were Mr.
Bell, Quincy Davidson and perhaps Mr. Allison, the late U.S. Marshall
under Mr. Cleveland. (Mr. Allison was not a soldier—Landmark). These men
exchanged shots with the advance guard, then spurred up their horses and
escaped.
No one ventured out into the streets that evening; everyone was busy
hiding whatever valuables they had and I was engaged in a store room in
the rear of which I roomed, when someone knocked on my door and on
asking who it was, said “a friend, open the door” which I did, to face
six Yankee troopers on horses with drawn weapons, wanting to know what I
was doing there and whether I had any arms to which I replied that I
lived there and had none. They deliberately rode into the store (the
door was amply high to admit them), looked around and finding nothing,
they requested me to show them the watchmaker’s room. A watchmaker from
Greenville, Tennessee, had come to Statesville as a refugee and worked
at his trade in one of the rooms of the Simonton Hotel but when learning
of the proximity of Stoneman to Statesville, he left town.
Query—how did these men know that a watchmaker lived in the hotel? I
very obligingly conducted “these gentlemen” to the watchmaker’s room and
finding it locked they became quite abusive and started to break down
the door. I remonstrated with them and told them I would get a key but
by the time I got back they had already broken open the door and were
ransacking the room. I made myself scarce and went back to the store
room.
At the rear door, I had a barrel of “good old apple brandy” which I did
not care for the soldiers to get and that evening on my return from the
campaign, I placed an axe near the rear door with instructions to John
Washington, my servant, to open the door, roll the barrel on the back
platform, knock it in the head and pour the liquor out in the yard. He
was as true as steel. It rolled out towards the rear end of a neighbor’s
store.
My servant knew where I had hidden whatever valuables I had, by taking
up a hearth of the fire place, digging a hold under it and replacing the
hearth and piling a load of fire wood on it. Although the Yankees asked
him if he knew of any valuables being hidden and threatened him, he did
not betray me. He die died in Charlotte about ten years ago and I
attended his funeral.
By that time, about 9:00, the main army arrived. General Stoneman and, I
think, General Palmer, took up their headquarters with a “Doctor” Boyle
on Main Street, leading out east from Statesville. The town was
literally swarming with troops. They were in every yard and house.
About three big Irishmen came to my room and took possession of
everything in sight, shirts, clothing, etc. Shortly before this, I had
made for myself, in Richmond, a new suit of clothes for which I had paid
$3,300 and as a matter of precaution I put them on, leaving my every day
ones in the bureau. One of the Irishmen weighing about 175 pounds (I
weighed then about 118) tried on the coat and vest which he found rather
tight, whereupon he proposed to “swap” with me for my new suit and I was
so obliging as to not stand on a second request as I did not think it
healthy to do so. So I got out of my new clothes which the Irishman
proceeded to try on. Just at that moment an officer came in and asked
what they were doing there. When I informed the officer that they were
robbing me, the officer, with the flat of his saber, and very forcibly,
forced him to take off my clothes and leave on the double quick. Upon my
expressing my gratitude to the officer he said “no thinks necessary, we
are not a lot of robbers we make no war on private citizens nor on
private property, we are citizens of the United States”. By this time, I
had my eye on the pistols which the Irishman had left, thinking that I
would be that much the better but the officer spied them and took them
with him.
There was, of course, no sleep that night. About 3:00 some one whispered
at my window, “mishter, mishter, hand me my pistols”. Upon my informing
him that the officer had taken them away he asked his comrade if he
should call on the officer for them when his comrade replied no, that
the officer would “put you under arrest”. He said “better capture
another pair the first chance you get.”
By morning, they had left, going towards Mocksville. The next night
another body of troops arrived and like the other, like locusts, were
all over the town and in every yard. About midnight, there came to my
room a soldier considerably under liquor and upon seeing me, accosted me
with “hello brother”. It happened that he had been a prisoner at
Salisbury. I was then master of the Masonic lodge in Statesville and had
in that capacity visited Salisbury and lectured in the lodge. Many
prisoners who were Masons were allowed to visit the lodge and he was one
of them. He recognized me and requested me to go with him to a private
place as he had something to tell me. We went down to the cellar where
he asked me to feel his arms and body where he had concealed a lot of
bowie knives, stating that he had that day cut the throats of many
rebels in Salisbury (which in the light now before us was a
hallucination on his part) but he went on further to say as I had
lectured he would bring me two horses which he had captured on the way.
Later, he brought me a grey horse and a bay mare and the soldier said to
back them down into the cellar.
About two days thereafter, a man from Third Creek (now Cleveland
Station) came to Statesville, hunting a grey horse and upon showing him
the one, he claimed it as his own and I, of course, let him have it. The
mare was with foal and in about ten days thereafter I drove her to
Charlotte and back when she took a notion to die.
The second brigade brought with them as captives, several of the “Home
Guard” at Salisbury, among whom were several Charlotte people, one of
whom was Mr. S.M. Howell, Mr. George A. Howell’s father. They marched
him on foot to Knoxville where they were released as the war was over.
Mr. Howell and I often spoke of his march through Statesville.
That brigade left that morning, going towards Taylorsville and about six
miles west of Statesville at Concord’s Church, some of Wheeler’s men
charged the rear guard and one Confederate was killed. We ascertained
that he was a Mason and buried them with Masonic honors.
I spoke before of having rolled out a barrel of apple brandy and that it
rolled towards a neighbor’s store. During the night, while the soldiers
were passing through the lot, I heard one remark “boys I smell liquor”.
They followed the smell until they came to the barrel and exclaimed
“some one has knocked the head off the barrel. If I knew who I would
kill him in a minute. Here is the barrel and it came out of this store
(my neighbor’s store)—boys, let’s burn that store”, and they did set it
on fire.
As soon as they left, I and the above mentioned John Washington asked
such of the soldiers as were then in the store robbing it, if when the
others left, if we could have permission to put out the fire, which they
gave us. Thus we saved the store and perhaps the whole block.
During the following morning, about 11:00, a squad of men came back and
said they had orders to burn the newspaper office, which they did. It
was the office of the Iredell Express, edited by E.B. Drake and Son,
then a strong Secessionist.
This was the last of Stoneman’s raid through Statesville.
The Landmark
April 26, 1907
S. W. Stevenson, Mooresville, N.C.
I desire to make a few observations in addition what
was published in your last issue regarding “When Stoneman Came to
Statesville”.
I got into town the day before his entrance, in the evening, and found
the town full of cavalry—Major Napier with a battalion of regular
soldiers, mostly from Kentucky, who were camping over the country,
recruiting up their horses (so they said). They had from two to three
horses apiece, had come to draw rations from the stores of provisions
known as “tithes” which were gathered and stored at every county seat at
that time. These soldiers drew their rations and went into camp on the
south side of Tan Yard branch about 300 yards below the street leading
to the depot.
About sunset, Bob Sumrow, a soldier home on furlough and John Hubbard, a
citizen of Statesville, who had gone out as scouts, came in and reported
that they had sighted Stoneman’s troops near Salisbury. A picket was
stationed at the edge of town, on the main roads south and east, for the
night, should the enemy approach.
Captain Bill Hall, Mott Flemming and I were stationed at the east side
of the toad, with orders to allow no one to pass either way. Hall and
Flemming had double barreled shotguns owned by themselves. I was
furnished with an Enfield rifle, loaded, and two cartridges. This weapon
seemed to belong to the town.
We spent the night there in the fence corner, no one passed except Dr.
Hugh Kelly, who came in unmolested from seeing a country patient about
1:00 in the morning. About 8:00 or 9:00 the next morning, Napier’s
battalion rode through town and said they were going to Mocksville.
The town was full of rumors as to Stoneman’s approach. We saw the light
of the fires made by the burning houses in Salisbury and it was almost
certain that he was approaching. About 1:00 Napier’s men returned,
double quicking. They were excited and inquired how far it was to
Beattie’s Ford, and said they wanted to cross that evening. Someone told
him it was too far, they could not reach it that soon. They said they
must and went on and have never been heard from since. Dr. Finley, an
army surgeon at that time, gave his opinion that they were just playing
soldier to keep out of the army.
An hour after this, R.F. Simonton, in my presence, asked Col. S.A.
Sharpe what he intended to do when Stoneman arrived. He answered that
circumstances were such that he could do nothing but surrender the town
on demand. Simonton passed on. I said then, “Colonel, will you allow me
to look after my own safety?” He answered “certainly, you are at liberty
to go home”.
I climbed on Robert Boyd’s empty wagon and went home. Stoneman came in
later. In that skirmish in the public square, Major T.A. Watts,
afterwards sheriff, was one, and the Yankees got him hemmed in between
the old wooden storehouse (which stood where the bank is now) and an
older storehouse then known as the Fielding Watts house, above the old
jail, and a high plank picket fence. He scaled that fence and escaped.
They fired a volley at him but it hit the fence and he got away. They
got his horse and pistol and a fine grey man’s shawl, much worn in those
days but gone out of style now.
The Allison mentioned in the last issue was, in my opinion, Captain R.M.
Allison, called “Dick” Allison, the lawyer.
There was a man living in Statesville then called “Big Bill Watts” to
distinguish him from two other Bill Watts. He called himself “Fool Bill”
which was very much a misnomer. He mended clocks in stores, called
witnesses at the court house, was sometimes town constable and was at
times deputy sheriff. A squad of them arrested him and made him double
quick from point to point—they almost wore him out. At last he stopped
and told them they could kill him but he would be “burned” if he would
trot another step. The turned him loose and he went home.
As mentioned in your last issue, they burned Drake’s printing office and
it burned the private residence of Dr. Dean. They also burned the
railroad depot which was not mentioned. They burned sixty bales of
cotton for Baldy Bell. He lived where the State Farm is now located.
The soldier who is mentioned as being killed at Concord Church was
killed three and a half miles from town in a piece of forest land
between what was then known as the Ross Stevenson place and where Rufus
Woods lived, north of the railroad. His comrades said his name was Lt.
Coffee and he was from Mississippi. He was probably the last man killed
in the Civil War. (He is buried in an old cemetery and an stone marks
his grave—Landmark)
Stoneman passed on to Taylorsville on Good Friday, 1865. I have always
thought it was the 17th of April. I do not know if their stay in
Statesville covered two nights or one but I am pretty sure they passed
our neighborhood on Good Friday. They laid a dead soldier on the rock
wall which encloses the cemetery at Concord Church. They said he was
from the Salisbury prison. Louis F. Stevenson had him buried just inside
of the wall. I saw his grave a few days ago. His name is unknown.
This generation knows nothing of the fearful realities of the Civil War
and of the infamies of the Reconstruction and I hope they never have any
such experiences as the people then had.
The Landmark
April 30, 1907
While the visit of General Stoneman’s troops to
Statesville is being discussed, the account given by Mrs. Cornelia
Phillips Spencer in her “The Last 90 Days of the Civil War in North
Carolina” may be of interest. The Charlotte Observer is reprinting this
history by permission. The account of Stoneman’s visit to Statesville is
from information gathered from others as Mrs. Spencer was not in
residence in Statesville but as it contains some new material we give it
here as a part of the literature bearing upon that period.
Statesville was entered on the night of the 13th and occupied for a few
hours only. Long enough, however, to ensure the destruction of the
government stores and railroad depot and of the Iredell Express office,
a paper which was obnoxious from the warmth with which it had advocated
the cause of the Confederacy.
No county in the state had suffered more than Iredell in the loss of her
best and bravest sons in the army. The famous 4th N.C. Regiment was
composed of Iredell boys and the colors of no regiment in the service
were borne more daringly or more nobly.
I remember having heard it said after one of the great battles around
Richmond, that one half the families in Iredell were in mourning. When
it became known that the Express office was to be burned, the ladies and
citizens pled earnestly that it might be spared for the sake of the town
which was greatly in danger of being involved in a conflagration. The
citizens offered to tear it down and remove the materials to a vacant
square to be burned but this was not allowed by the officer in charge of
the business. The office was fired and in consequence a large private
dwelling belonging to Dr. Dean standing near it, was also consumed and a
large family turned out homeless and utterly prostrated
otherwise—General Sherman’s army having previously destroyed certain
other resources of theirs. The wind providentially blew in the right
direction and saved the town from ruin. One of the citizens, Frank Bell,
was cruelly tortured and beaten to make him disclose the hiding place of
gold which they suspected he possessed. He, however, had none.
The raiders moved on the 14th to Taylorsville in Alexander County and
from there to Lenoir, Caldwell Co. which they reached on the 15th and
occupied until Monday the 17th. On the road from Statesville a part of
the command was dispatched in the direction of Lincolnton under General
Palmer. Of this officer the same general opinion is given as of that of
General Stoneman that he exhibited courtesy and forbearance which
reflected honor to his uniform had has given him a just claim to the
respect and gratitude of our western people.
The following is an example of his way of carrying on the war with the
ladies. Mrs. Vance, the wife of the governor, had taken refuge from
Raleigh in Statesville with her children. On the approach of General
Stoneman’s army, she sent off to Lincolnton for safety a large trunk
filled with valuables—clothing, silver, etc., and among other things
$2,000 in gold which had been entrusted to her care by one of the banks.
This trunk was captured on the road by Palmer’s men who, of course,
rejoiced exceedingly. On finding this spoil, more specifically as
belonging to Governor Vance, its contents were promptly appropriated and
scattered.
The circumstances came to the attention of General Palmer and within one
hour’s time he had every article and every cent collected and replaced
in the trunk which he then immediately sent back under guard to Mrs.
Vance with his compliments. General Palmer was aiming for Charlotte when
he met couriers announcing the news of the armistice.
There was no plundering in Statesville. Mrs. Vance was treated with
respect and entirely unmolested. But several weeks afterwards when
Governor Vance was a prisoner in Washington, a squad of Federal soldiers
came to her residence and carried away every article of furniture in the
house. Some of this belonged to the mansion house in Raleigh and had
been removed to Statesville for safety at the time when other government
property was sent off. The officer who was in command had the grace to
appear ashamed of his business and apologized to Mrs. Vance stating that
he was acting under orders and that it was done at the suggestion of
North Carolinians in Raleigh who desired to see the articles belonging
to the executive mansion restored.
Everything in the house was taken away, private property and all and not
one article whatever reached the executive mansion. Two queries occur.
First, who were the North Carolinians who instigated this insult to Mrs.
Vance? The second is, whatever did become of the furniture? Everything
in the way of furniture was carried off and Mrs. Vance, who was ill, and
her children, were left without even bedding.
In less than 12 hours after this raid, which became known to the people
of the neighborhood, the house was entirely furnished with more than it
contained previously. I can imagine that it was no one who did not deem
it a privilege to thus testify to their love and respect for the
governor and his family.
The Landmark
April 2, 1905
James Scruggs came in, in a reminiscent mood last
week. He was recalling some little incidents which occurred when
Stoneman came to Statesville. There was at that time, he says, a
congressman named Sims and his family from Tennessee who had fled their
country and taken refuge in Statesville to dodge Stoneman’s men.
When word came that Stoneman was in line of march for Statesville Sims
packed up the jewelry and plate of the family and left with a servant
after dark, with wagons, headed for the cane thickets 15 miles down the
river. He was advised by John Simonton to spend the night with Mr.
Scroggs, which he did, and the next morning resumed his journey to the
cane break.
Before going far, however, he was overtaken by a runner sent out by Mr.
Simonton, saying that Stoneman had left. He then retraced his steps. In
the meantime, Mrs. Sims and her two daughters had remained in
Statesville and on the arrival of Stoneman, Mrs. Sims asked for the
protection of the officer in charge who very courteously placed a guard
over their home to protect them from any possible vagrancies.
Transcribed by Christine Spencer, August, 2008 |
UPDATED: August 5, 2008