The Thirty-seventh North Carolina Troops

North Carolina contributed more of her sons to the Confederate cause than any other state. The Thirty-seventh North Carolina Regiment, made up of men from the western part of the state, served in famous battles like Chancellorsville and Gettysburg as well as in lesser known actions such as Hanover Courthouse and New Bern. This is the account of the unit’s four years of service, told largely in the soldiers’ own words. Drawn from letters, diaries, and postwar articles and interviews, this history follows the unit from its organization in November 1861 until its surrender at Appomattox. The book includes photographs of key individuals in the regiment, and maps illustrating the unit’s position at several engagements. Appendices include a complete roster of the unit and a listing of individuals buried in large sites such as prison cemeteries. A bibliography and index are also included.

Michael C. Hardy has written numerous books, articles and essays focusing on the Civil War. He has won the Willie Parker Peace History Book Award six times. He has also been presented the Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal by the United Daughters of the Confederacy for his work on preserving Confederate history. His articles have appeared in nationally syndicated magazines, and he frequently presents lectures and interpretive programs on Appalachia’s role in the Civil War. He lives in western North Carolina.

Michael C. Hardy

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 352
Bibliographic Info: 111 photos, maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009 [2003]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4580-6
Imprint: McFarland

Preface     1

1 “A free and independent people”: August–September 1861     3
2 “We have a fine Drill master”: October 1861–January 1862     18
3 “Our Men are allmost Crazy to Meet the Enemy”: January–April 1862     30
4 “Coln Lees men stood…as firm as rocks”: May–June 1862     53
5 “Waiting for the Yankees—to come over and see us”: June–July 1862     65
6 “I Doo not knew where Jackson will stop”: July–September 1862     80
7 “I believe I hav roat a bout awl I can think of that is worth riting”: September 1862–April 1863     103
8 “One of the bloodiest pages of history”: April–May 1863     126
9 “Things are faverable for a Glorious Campaign”: June–July 1863     140
10 “Able to give the enemy a good fight whenever it is necessary”: August 1863–April 1864     161
11 “Let us drop a tear to the memory of that noble boy who now sleeps upon that bloody battlefield”: May 1864     180
12 “Only the sharp shooters and canonade”: May–December 1864     198
13 “The support of a completely fallen cause”: January–April 1865     217
14 “Grand, grim, titantic warrors of a cause”: April 1865–Present     235

Appendix A: Roster     263
Appendix B: Transferred to the Thirty-seventh North Carolina Troops     297
Appendix C: Transferred from the Thirty-seventh North Carolina Troops     300
Appendix D: Invalid Corps     302
Appendix E: Transfers to the United States Army<     304
Appendix F: Courts-Martial     305
Appendix G: Appomattox Parolees     309

Notes     313
Bibliography     331
Index     339

• “valid and worthwhile…historical account is well presented and enjoyable to read…an excellent narrative…a wealth of information to commemorate North Carolina’s Civil War experience”—North Carolina Historical Review
• “well-researched”—The Civil War News
• “another solid modern unit history of North Carolinians in the eastern campaigns…his concluding chapter brings the story of the regiment’s memorialization down to the present”—The Civil War Courier; “recommended”—Colorado Libraries
• “definitive…a desirable family keepsake”—Watauga Democrat
• “by compiling excerpts of letters, demographic data and war records of soldiers in the 37th, Hardy helped explain why they fought and how their experiences continue to shape the perspectives of people today”—Wilkes Journal-Patriot
• “useful…interesting…important information”—America’s Civil War