For those of you who don't know, I am visiting my sister's family in Fayetteville North Carolina. I had the incredible and moving experience of being there for my sister's birth of her third child, Josiah on April 21st. Seeing a life come into this world is an amazing gift to witness.
My brother-in-law, Sgt. Leslie is here also for a couple of weeks on leave from Iraq. He is a good soldier. He does his duty well without complaints.
My sister is doing well and so is her baby. My nephew and niece, Timothy and Lorena are doing great and having fun in the North Carolina sun.
Fayetteville was the site of a major Confederate arsenal. The Confederates built earth works north of town to protect it from the yankees. (The earthworks are still visible today.) However, the yankees, under Sherman, fresh from the Savannah campaign attacked from the South and burned the town.
Fayetteville is also home to a couple reenactment groups including the 26th North Carolina and a SCV camp.
Just ten minutes north of here was the battle of Aversaboro. March 16, 1865. We had the pleasure of visiting this small battlefield. It was the first major battle since Sherman left Atlanta.
The field is well preserved and includes a small cemetery, museum and monuments.
The museum has an interesting piece of history. It contains the coat of Colonel Thomas Purdie, the commander of the 18th North Carolina. He was from this area. The 18th was made famous as the unit who fired on Jackson 143 years ago tomorrow.
Colonel Purdie was killed in action the next day.
The battle of Averasboro two years later was a shock to Sherman's troops. The Confederates under General Hardee, Mclaws and Wheeler repulsed two flank attacks and a series of frontal attacks. This helped slow the Union advance. The battlefield is in the beautiful Cape Fear River Valley and the three Confederate lines still visible.
There are several monuments, mostly Confederate. The monuments are as beautiful and inspiring as any at Gettysburg. It is a picture perfect Southern scene. In fact, there are only Confederates buried in the small cemetery. The only soldier's cemetery smaller than it is at Balls Bluff Battlefield, Virginia near Leesburg.
Most of the stones are inscribed 11 dead, 6 dead, or 15 dead. Soldiers from South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and so on. The Union soldiers, for once, were moved elsewhere. It is pleasantly interesting, because in most National Battlefields, it is the Confederates who are moved.
The battle of Averasboro claimed 500 Confederates and 400 Union. Three days later the two armies again fought at a more known battle called Beantonville.
If any of you visit this area around Beantonville I also ask that you visit the Averasboro battlefield. It and the battlefield's Oak Grove Plantation are being well taken care of.
Yet, the battlefield is in want of more attention and support, so if you have the time to visit the field, it is worth it. There is also a annual reenactment of the battle on the actual field. In October I think. Averasboro is one of the most beautiful, rural, and well preserved battlefields I have ever seen.
Also nearby is of coarse, Beantonville, and there is the Cape Fear Museum in Fayetteville dedicated to the Confederate arsenal in Fayetteville. You can visit the Averasboro battlefield for more info at www.averasboro.com
As y'all can see, I'm having a great time! I'll be home in time for Camp Pratt. See you all there!