Ever wonder why North Carolinians are called Tar Heels? Well so did I and I found out on our little tour of central North Carolina.
We arrived last week and stayed at Smith Lake Rec Area at Fort Bragg. It is a nice campground, but thank you to the helicopters continuously flying overhead, it was not as peaceful as we would like. With so many options as to where we should visit, we headed toward the Atlantic coast and Wilmington. We walked along the beach and drove through historic downtown, stopping for a tour of the Bellamy Mansion. Dr. Joseph Bellamy was not only a medical doctor, but also owned a plantation and other businesses. He was one of the wealthiest patrons in Wilmington. The home was built in 1861 by two Yankee architects. Woodrow Wilson even roamed the halls of this home as a boy, playing with the Bellamy children.
Bentonville Battlefield
Day 2 we traveled about 43 miles from Fort Bragg to visit the site of the longest battle fought on North Carolinian soil during the Civil War. A lesser known battle, between March 19-21, 1865, Sherman’s troops engaged the Confederate Army in this 10 mile radius near the town of Bentonville as they headed toward Goldsboro. The first two days of fighting favored the Confederates, but they soon lost their stronghold when Union reinforcements arrived by the 21st. This battle was one of the last of the war and Johnston surrendered to Sherman April 26.
During the battle, the Confederates suffered a total of nearly 2,600 casualties: 239 killed, 1,694 wounded and 673 missing. The Union army lost 194 killed, 1,112 wounded, and 221 missing, for a total of 1,527 casualties. The wounded were treated at the house of John Harper, with 360 unknown Confederates buried in a mass grave next to the Harper family cemetery.
They offer a driving tour of the battlefield perimeter. Each stop is marked with a number (i.e. 1, 2, 3). When you arrive at the stop, call a phone number and enter the stop you are at and a narrative is played for you to follow along. It was quite fun!
If you look closely at the photo above, you will notice an impression in the earth like a ditch. The earth slopes slightly upward to the right, forming a mound which was used as fortification and protection during fighting.
Oh yeah, did you think I forgot about the nickname Tar Heel?! It is said that the name originated from the history as a producer of naval stores–tar, turpentine, pitch and rosin. These products were used in ship building. It is also rumored that the Confederate soldiers were tough and didn’t give up in a fight. They would “dig in like their feet were planted in tar.” Whatever the origination, the Tar Heel state has much to offer in sightseeing and recreation.