The 21st North Carolina Infantry

The 21st North Carolina Troops (11th North Carolina Volunteers) was one of only two Tar Heel Confederate regiments that in 1865 could boast “From Manassas to Appomattox.” The 21st was the only North Carolina regiment with Stonewall Jackson during his 1862 Valley Campaign and remained with the same division throughout the war. It participated in every major battle fought by the Army of Northern Virginia except the 1864 Overland Campaign, when General Lee sent it to fight its own intense battles near New Bern and Plymouth. This book is written from the perspective of the 1,942 men who served in the regiment and is filled with anecdotal material gleaned from more than 700 letters and memoirs. In several cases it sheds new light on accepted but often incorrect interpretations of events. Names such as Lee, Jackson, Hoke, Trimble, Hill, Early, Ramseur and Gordon charge through the pages as the Carolina regiment gains a name for itself. Suffering a 50 percent casualty rate over the four years, only 67 of the 920 young men and boys who began the war surrendered to Grant at its end.

The late Lee W. Sherrill, Jr., covered most noted venues between Carlisle, Pennsylvania and Atlanta, Georgia in his 20-years of researching the 21st North Carolina’s role in the Army of Northern Virginia. In addition to numerous articles and pertinent presentations, Sherrill’s work includes a comprehensive history of Kirkland’s Confederate Brass Band of the 21st North Carolina. He lived in High Point, North Carolina.

Lee W. Sherrill, Jr.

Format: softcover (8.5 x 11)
Pages: 540
Bibliographic Info: 70 photos, 16 maps, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7626-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1631-5
Imprint: McFarland

List of Illustrations  ix
List of Maps  x
Preface and Acknowledgments  1
Prologue  5
1. Beginnings 11
2. Danville 18
3. Manassas Plains 29
4. Affliction 41
5. Recovery 51
6. Back in Business 61
7. Winter at Manassas 71
8. Reorganization 80
9. Into the Valley, 1862 87
10. First Winchester 92
11. Cross Keys 103
12. Gaines’ Mill 110
13. Malvern Hill 119
14. Cedar Mountain 125
15. Hazel River 136
16. Manassas Junction 144
17. Dogan’s Farm 152
18. Ox Hill 162
19. Harpers Ferry 168
20. Sharpsburg 177
21. Bunker Hill 186
22. Fredericksburg 193
23. Port Royal 204
24. Second Fredericksburg—Day One 215
25. Second Fredericksburg—Day Two 228
26. Second Winchester 236
27. Pennsylvania 245
28. Gettysburg—Day One: The Brickyard 250
29. Gettysburg—Day Two: East Cemetery Hill 261
30. Leaving Pennsylvania 273
31. Back Home 279
32. Batchelor’s Creek 289
33. The Hangings 304
34. Plymouth 315
35. New Bern 327
36. Drewry’s Bluff 334
37. Cold Harbor 343
38. Lynchburg 350
39. Washington 358
40. Rutherford’s Farm 368
41. Third Winchester 376
42. Fisher’s Hill 386
43. Cedar Creek 393
44. Petersburg 405
45. Hatcher’s Run 412
46. Fort Stedman 418
47. Retreat 426
48. Appomattox 436
Appendix: Officer and Staff Roster  447
Chapter Notes  458
Bibliography  510

• “WOW!”—Lone Star Book Review
• “cannot be recommended highly enough. Certainly readers primarily interested in Old North State soldiers and units that fought for the Confederacy will be overjoyed upon viewing Sherrill’s handiwork”—Civil War Books and Authors
• “an outstanding regimental history. Sherrill left very few stones unturned. Descendants of members of the regiment will think they have struck gold. If you love reading good Civil War history, this book is for you”—Civil War News
• “Sherrill has carefuly sketched the long and distinguished war experience of the 21st North Carolina”—Civil War Times
• “well written…one of the most fascinating works on this regiment and should be considered the archetype for the future formula for the writing of regimental histories”—Gettysburg Chronicle