NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina

Central

Fayetteville

Fayetteville and Area

The site of a significant cavalry engagement (Monroe's Crossroads, March 10, 1865) is located on Fort Bragg west of Fayetteville. It's usually inaccessible to the public.

Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex / Fayetteville Arsenal
801 Arsenal Ave, Fayetteville NC 28305
910-486-1330
road map
The Fayetteville Arsenal manufactured and repaired weapons and other items used by Confederate soldiers. It was destroyed in March 1865 by Sherman's troops as his columns marched north from South Carolina. The museum complex preserves remains of the arsenal and offers displays on area history, including Civil War. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm. Free.

Parade Ground, Trails sign on Cool Spring Street between Grove and Person streets – Home ground for the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry unit, organized in 1793. The organization enrolled in the North Carolina armed services April 17, 1861; seized the arsenal; fought at Big Bethel, Va., and returned to Fayetteville; then reorganized with many of its members serving in the Confederate cause.

Cross Creek Cemetery (Confederate Burial Grounds), Trails sign located on Cool Spring Street between Grove and Person streets – The Confederate section of this 1785 cemetery was established in March 1865. The Confederate monument here is the oldest in the state, dating to 1868.

Averasboro Battlefield

3300 NC Highway 82, Dunn NC 28334
road map
Confederates attempted to slow down Sherman's advance out of Fayetteville toward Goldsboro in this battle March 15-16, 1865. Museum, interpreted driving tour, and the historic Chicora cemetery are features of this well-preserved site. Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm. Free, donations are welcome. 919-891-5019. For more information, call area tourism at 910-892-3282 or write to the Averasboro Battlefield Commission Inc, PO Box 1811, Dunn NC 28335.

Four Oaks

Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site
Visitor center near intersection of Routes 701 and 1008
5466 Harper House Road, Four Oaks NC 27524
road map   Podcast
   Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnson gathered together hardened veterans, garrison troops and anyone else he could get his hands on for a final attempt to halt the Union juggernaut led by Gen. William T. Sherman as he marched north from Georgia in early 1865. Johnston saw an opportunity to attack Sherman's divided army here and he struck hard on March 19, 1865. After heavy fighting, Sherman was able to reunite his army and overpower the outnumbered Southerners. Johnston finally withdrew March 21 and Sherman moved on to Goldsboro and his waiting supplies. This was the biggest battle in North Carolina and the last major Confederate offensive of the war.
    The visitor center features bookshop, audio-visual program and recently-updated exhibits relating to the battle. The centerpiece of the exhibits is a large fiber-optic battle map offering a vivid portrayal of the first and bloodiest day of fighting at Bentonville.
    The historic Harper House still stands on the battlefield. During the battle, the house served as a field hospital for the Federal XIV Corps. The downstairs rooms interpret a functioning Civil War field hospital, while the upstairs rooms feature period domestic furnishings.
    Reconstructed breastworks, history trail, wayside exhibits, Confederate mass grave, and the Harper family cemetery are adjacent to the Harper House and visitor center.
   Hours of operation:
October–March, open Tuesday–Saturday 9 am–5 pm, closed Sunday and Monday and major holidays.
April–September, open Monday–Saturday 9 am–5 pm, closed Sunday and major holidays.

Animated map from Civil War Preservation Trust
See also the Carolinas Campaign Driving Tour

Weldon

Wilmington and Weldon RR Trestle, Trails sign at the south end of the US 301 bridge – A critical link in the Confederate supply system, the town and its railroads were heavily defended during the war. This trestle was a vital link from the supply center at Wilmington and Lee's army in Petersburg 1864–65.

Roanoke Rapids

Roanoke Canal, Trails sign located at the Roanoke Canal Museum, intersection of Roanoke Avenue (Route 48) and Jackson Street – This canal, built in the 1820s to bypass the rapids here, saw a surge in activity during the war as goods from the western part of the state flowed into Weldon, an important rail link with the Confederate army in Virginia.

Halifax

Outfitting the CSS Albemarle, Trails sign at the north end of Saint Davis Street – The Confederate ironclad gunboat CSS Albemarle was equipped with its armor and stores here on the Roanoke River. For more on the famous ironclad see the Fort Branch and Plymouth listings.

Jackson

Battle of Jackson (Boone's Mill), Trails sign 2 miles west of Jackson on Route 158 – On July 28, 1863, Union cavalry dashed through Jackson en route to the Wilmington and Weldon RR bridge at Weldon. The rapid assault surprised some Confederates, who were bathing in a nearby mill pond, but the Confederates rallied and fought off the attackers, saving the bridge at Weldon.

Goldsboro and Area

Wayne County Museum
116 N William St, Goldsboro NC 27530
919-734-5023
road map
The railroad junction at Goldsboro was Sherman's main objective as he began his 1865 march through the Carolinas. Much on the Civil War here including a diorama of the Battle of Goldsboro (1862) and local relics from both armies. Civil War Trails sign describes the critical rail junction here and the Confederate defenses, the town's role as a hospital and the occupation by Union troops in 1865. Open Tuesday-Friday 11 am-4 pm. Free.

Durham

For general information, call 800-446-8604.
See also the Carolinas Campaign Driving Tour

Bennett Place State Historic Site
4409 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham NC 27705
919-383-4345
road map
Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston and Union Gen. William T. Sherman held a series of meetings here (then the Bennitt Farm) in April 1865. Negotiations for the surrender of Johnston's army began April 17 with Sherman offering liberal terms. Those terms were rejected, however, and the final agreement, reached April 26, resembled the one Grant and Lee had made nearly two weeks earlier at Appomattox. The Confederate surrender here was the largest troop surrender of the war. A visitor center offers an audio-visual presentation, a museum and ranger help. Guided and self-guided tours are offered. Open Tuesday–Saturday 9 am–5 pm; closed Sunday and most major holidays. Free. Call to confirm hours.

Duke Homestead, Trails sign located in the parking lot of the historic site (I-85 exit 175, then follow signs to site) – Washington Duke, future tobacco magnate, owned a small farm here when the war broke out. He was drafted into the Confederate navy in 1863 and then was captured. Released to New Bern, he walked the 134 miles back home.

Vance County
(northeast of Raleigh, borders Virginia)

Kittrell Confederate Cemetery, Trails sign in Kittrell, just off Route 1 – Fifty-four Confederate soldiers, who died at a nearby wartime hospital, are buried here. Kittrell's location at a railroad junction made it a good spot for the 300-bed facility, created in mid-1864.

Greensboro

Greensboro Historical Museum
130 Summit Ave, Greensboro NC 27401
336-373-2043
road map
Civil War exhibit includes rare weapons, prints and paintings. Museum building on site of Civil War hospital. Open Tuesday–Saturday 10 am–5 pm, Sunday 2–5 pm.

Rockingham County
(north of Greensboro, southwest of Danville, Va.)

The following are marked with North Carolina Civil War Trails interpretive signs:

Wentworth in the Civil War, Trails sign at corner of Route 65 and Tyre Dodson Road – Tour of this antebellum courthouse village includes homes, churches and a tavern building.

Wentworth Cemetery, Trails sign on Route 65 at the Wentworth Methodist Church – Graves of local residents killed in the war and other Confederate veterans buried in this churchyard. The church itself was built in 1859. Free blacks and slaves also buried here.

Scales Law Office, Trails sign at Academy (Route 311) and Franklin streets in Madison – Office of Alfred M. Scales, who raised a company of soldiers here. He participated in most of the major battles in the East including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and the Wilderness. He was wounded several times.

Leaksville Cotton Mill, Trails sign at Morgan and Meadow streets, west of the traffic circle in Eden – Story of the Leaksville cotton mill that produced cloth for Confederate uniforms and tents early in the war. Labor shortages caused by able-bodied men entering the Confederate armies created problems for the operation.

Piedmont Railroad, Trails sign at Chamber of Commerce building, Lawsonville and South Market streets – Important rail link, completed in 1864, sending supplies from Greensboro via Danville to Lee's army in the field. The train carrying Confederate Pres. Jefferson Davis and many of his cabinet used this line, passing through here on the way south April 11, 1865, two days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

Annie Eliza Johns, Trails sign located in churchyard, Henry and Moncure streets, Leaksville – Johns gained fame as a nurse and advocate for both Union and Confederate soldiers in Civil War hospitals Danville, Va. She is buried here.

Dan River, Trails sign located in Eden at the Leaksville Landing parking area, next to the bridge where Route 87 crosses the Dan River – This river port became an important link in the Confederate lifeline connecting this rich farming and raw materials area with Danville. Goods gathered here eventually were shipped to Richmond and other points north by rail.

Links to North Carolina websites: North Carolina Links

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Averasboro Battlefield

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