Does anyone have any information on the Home Guard units in North Carolina? Hard to find anything on these units.
Hard to find anything on any Home Guard units most of the time.
I don't have any details, but Home Guard in North Carolina, like everywhere in the CSA, were a militia. What that means during the War, is probably poorly equipped, little to no uniform, and second hand or everyday civilian arms. One thing I do know, they looked nothing like they did in the movie Cold Mountain.
I believe there are some photos of a NC Home Guard exhibit running around somewhere in another thread. As for battles you wouldn't find Home Guard at the front, their job was behind the lines and "keeping the peace" and when Union troops came knocking most of them either disbanded or in very rare cases took to the brush for partisan warfare. But the latter was very rare, Home Guards were always made up of men either to old or to young to enlist in the Army, or paroled, convalescing, or otherwise discharged Confederate soldiers. That rule held with North Carolina like most States.
Welcome from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Good luck with your research.
Most definitely the books "Kirk's Raider's a notorious bunch of Scoundrels and thieves" George Bumgardner Tar Heel PressDoes anyone have any information on the Home Guard units in North Carolina? Hard to find anything on these units.
Thank you. I am reminded of modern day State Defense Forces...volunteer and not mush to do really.
That- a review of the 'exploits' of George Kirk- would make an interesting thread.A hastily assembled Home Guard was strong enough to send George Kirk's Spencer carbine armed regiment skedaddling after a raid on a Junior Reserve training camp near Morganton, North Carolina.
I believe @ leftyhunter has a thread on him.That- a review of the 'exploits' of George Kirk- would make an interesting thread.
Thanks for your response,I believe @ leftyhunter has a thread on him.
You forgot to add the that the Home Guard followed Kirk's Raider's at a very slow pace and Kirk returned to East Tennessee with many prisoners and booty.The Home Guard totaled approximately 4,000 in North Carolina and were included in the state's estimated 125,000 troop contribution. Hugh T. Lefler and Abert R. Newsome. North Carolina: The History of a Southern State, p.430.
A Home Guard company ambushed and killed five of Kilpatrick's men on 7 March 1865 in my county. A hastily assembled Home Guard was strong enough to send George Kirk's Spencer carbine armed regiment skedaddling after a raid on a Junior Reserve training camp near Morganton, North Carolina.
I wouldn't go quite that far. During the ACW there was quite a bit of guerrilla warfare and not enough regular troops to track them down although both sides did detail regular troops for counterinsurgency duties. There was also a fair amount of free lance bandits who preyed on both sides. Both sides just didn't have the time or money to adequately train home guards and so as in almost every counterinsurgency conflict governments have to rely on at best semi trained Militia which doesn't always lead to fantastic results.Thank you. I am reminded of modern day State Defense Forces...volunteer and not mush to do really.
You definitely want to get "Bushwhackers the Civil War in North Carolina the Mountains" William Trotter John F Blair Publisher.Does anyone have any information on the Home Guard units in North Carolina? Hard to find anything on these units.
No doubt during the ACW both sides would drag any male who could walk or waddle into the home guards. I have a thread I can bump up "Compare and Contrast Union and Confederate counter guerrilla operations". That goes into Militia's during the ACW.I believe that one of my ancestors belonged to Hoskins Company NC Home Guard