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Tar Heel
longspur rider
Member Posts: 2,620 ✭✭✭✭✭
Watching college world series last night with friends & one of the wives asked what a Tar heel was. I know I've heard this before but I couldn't remember. Someone educate me again.
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_Heel
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
I asked my son who have North Carolina history in school and he said the name was developed during the Civil War. Enjoy the baseball games.
NC troops were also well known for their superb marksmanship.
We have another slogan we lay claim to here in NC;
"First at Bethel, farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and last at Appomattox."
The first confederate soldier killed in the war was Pvt. Henry Wyatt (a native North Carolinian). He was killed at the battle of Big Bethel in June, 1861. "First at Bethel"
At the battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863, the 26th NC Regiment, participating in Pickett's Charge, advancing further into the Northern lines of any Confederate Regiment.
At the battle of Chicamauga, the 58th NC Regiment advanced farther than any other Confederate Regiment on Snodgrass Hill, and pushed back Union forces from the battlefield. "Farthest at Gettysburg and Chicamauga."
At the battle of Appomattox Courthouse, April 1865, The 75th NC Regiment (cavalry) fired the last shots of the Civil War. "Last at Appomattox."
Forgive me for the long history lesson, but I am a little partial, for I am also a "Tar Heel."[:D]
In no way associated with "Tar baby"
My sons are tarheels, my daughter is a hoosier, my wife's a keystone, and I'm a buckeye. figger that one out.
born in Onslow County?
The term "Tar Heel" has its origin in the Civil War (war of northern aggression.) Regiments from NC were known for standing their ground, and General R.E. Lee commented that, "Those NC boys stand as if they had tar on their heels." Another reference was by General J.S. Preston after the battele of Mufreesboro in 1863. He commented about the 60th NC Regiment, "You Tar Heels have done well."
NC troops were also well known for their superb marksmanship.
We have another slogan we lay claim to here in NC;
"First at Bethel, farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and last at Appomattox."
The first confederate soldier killed in the war was Pvt. Henry Wyatt (a native North Carolinian). He was killed at the battle of Big Bethel in June, 1861. "First at Bethel"
At the battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863, the 26th NC Regiment, participating in Pickett's Charge, advancing further into the Northern lines of any Confederate Regiment.
At the battle of Chicamauga, the 58th NC Regiment advanced farther than any other Confederate Regiment on Snodgrass Hill, and pushed back Union forces from the battlefield. "Farthest at Gettysburg and Chicamauga."
At the battle of Appomattox Courthouse, April 1865, The 75th NC Regiment (cavalry) fired the last shots of the Civil War. "Last at Appomattox."
Forgive me for the long history lesson, but I am a little partial, for I am also a "Tar Heel."[:D]
Cool history lesson, thanks for sharing it!
Cool history lesson, thanks for sharing it!
Anytime. Stuff like that isn't being taught in the schools down here, so I am passing it along to my kids, just as my father and grandfather did to me, and I figured there may just be some on here who would be interested in it.[:D]
Not questioning here, but it seems silly to fight at the surrender site, unless Lee was already at Appomattox Courthouse conducting battle manoeuvers, when he decided to negotiate a surrender. Is that the historical timeline? Thanks, Joe
On the evening of April the 8th, General Robert E. Lee and the remnants of his Army of Northern Virginia arrived in Appomattox County one step ahead of the pursuing Federal Armies. Lee's hope was to reach Appomattox Station on the South Side Railroad where supply trains awaited. Having moved ahead of the rest of Lee's army, General Rueben Lindsay Walker led a detachment of reserve artillery to bivouac near the station, a mile west of the village of Appomattox Court House.
It was not long after their arrival -- around 4:00 pm -- that Federal cavalry, riding from the southeast, captured the waiting , and unprotected, supply trains and moved west to begin an assault on Walker's reserve artillery camp.
This cavalry, under the overall command of General Philip Sheridan, was merely a harbinger of the fast approaching Federal infantry columns. By 8 - 9 o'clock that evening, and after multiple charges, Sheridan's horsemen dispersed Walker's artillerists -- Lee's much coveted rations and supplies were now in Federal hands.
In the meantime, the majority of Lee's forces were setting up a temporary camp one mile north east of Appomattox Court House -- the small town lying between the Confederates and the station.
The expectation was validated when, at 2:00 A.M. on the morning of April 9th, Lee ordered General Gordon's II Corps to move into line of battle west of Appomattox Court House. Lee had met with Generals Gordon, Longstreet, and his nephew, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee earlier that evening and decided to throw a portion of his infantry against Sheridan's men.
Lee certainly did not expect to have to fight Federal infantry, believing that he had outmarched most of Grant's troops moving west from Farmville. After much delay, General Brian Grimes, of North Carolina, ordered the attack. At 9:00 that morning, he sent Gordon's II Corps forward to break through the Federal cavalry and proceed west in an attempt to open the crucial Richmond - Lynchburg Stage Road - Lee's intended route of retreat.
Protecting Gordon's right flank was Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry. Gordon's Corps, "fought to a frazzle" during the previous week, was a mere shadow of it's former strength. The combined force of the Confederate infantry and the cavalry sent into the fight numbered less than 9, 000 men. Lee's nephew "Fitz" and his cavalry spearheaded the advance, and the lines of grey-clad infantrymen lurched forward; most men somnolent from their early rising yet nervous with the anticipation that manifests itself before an impending battle. As the line moved up the sloping ridge along the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road, the advanced Union cavalry came into view behind their hastily erected breastworks. Situated on the crest of the hill and beyond were two Federal artillery pieces and a brigade of cavalry under General Charles H. Smith.
Smith had been ordered by his division commander, General George Crook, to hold his position as long as possible. The Confederates met with initial success, advancing over the crest of the hill, capturing Smith's artillery, a number of blue breasted Federals and leaving the rest of Smith's men to flee in their wake. The initial success of the Confederates was stalled by the arrival on the field of Mackenzie's and Young's Federal cavalry brigades. From his advanced position "Fitz" Lee began to see large numbers of Federal infantry moving forward to join the fray. John Gordon sent a message to Lee that Federal infantry was arriving on his front in force, and that he would not be capable of dealing with them without additional re-enforcements.
It now became apparent to Gordon that Lee had grossly underestimated the number of Federal troops in front of the army. In truth, Grant had not only positioned more cavalry in front of Lee during the night, but had also force-marched portions of three corps of infantry along the South Side Railroad to arrive at Appomattox Station during the night of the 8th and early morning of the 9th. Most of the Army of the James (under Gen. Edward Ord) -- the XXIV and elements of the XXV (United States Colored Troops)-- had moved to block Lee's western escape route with the Army of the Potomac's V Corps in tow. Gordon and his battle-worn foot soldiers now faced advancing lines of dark blue-clad Federal infantry -- men of the XXIV and XXV Corps. As Gordon's men began to skirmish with the Federal Infantry, two Federal cavalry divisions converged on the Confederate lines alongside infantry of Griffin's Federal V Corps. It was only a matter of time before Gordon's men broke. In an attempt to save his command most of "Fitz" Lee's cavalry skirted the Federals and escaped westward toward Lynchburg.
The Confederate infantry withdrew from their advanced positions. On learning the situation on Gordon's front, Lee realized that his options were now played out. General Lee ordered truce flags sent out at about 11:00 that morning, and sent a note to General Grant asking for a meeting to discuss the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Casualties of these two battles have been estimated at nearly 500 total dead and wounded.