Civil War Reenactment of the Battle of Plymouth, N.C. - Living History Weekend-Black History

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For more information please call the Port O' Plymouth Museum -252-793-1377
or the Washington County Chamber of Commerce - 252-793-4804
Email: harry@plymouthmuseum.com

Many people are unaware of the strong Union sentiment and divided allegiances in Northeastern North Carolina. Close trading ties with Northern ports have existed since the area was first settled in the early 1700's. As a result, the strategic port of Plymouth, NC became an important base of operations and recruiting center for the North. In 1862, the Union Burnside Expedition placed 10,000 Union soldiers in Eastern North Carolina, 3000 of which were in Plymouth, NC. With occupation lasting for two years, white Union supporters, Free Blacks, and plantation "run-a-ways" eagerly enlisted in the Union Army and Navy. There were approximately three thousand Blacks from the area surrounding Plymouth to the Coast, and down to New Bern, NC who joined the Union.

The following Black Army Regiments were formed on Plymouth, NC
1st North Carolina Volunteers of African Descent
2nd North Carolina Volunteers of African Descent
37th U.S. Colored Troops

In addition, many Blacks who were recruited here became parts of other Black regiments. At the fight at battery Wagner in Charleston, SC as depicted in the movie "Glory", the all Black Regiment - the 54th Mass. Volunteers, had 4 men from Plymouth in the Union Uniform. However, in the actual battle, there were 108 men recruited in Plymouth that made up parts of other Black regiments in the same fight.

At the Civil War Port O'Plymouth Museum, there is a file with 3000 Black soldiers recruited from this area with complete data sheet on physical description, birthplace, occupation, place of service, and discharge data or place of death.

Also, there were hundreds of Black men that joined the Union fleet stationed here at Plymouth under various commanders during Union occupation. They represented a part of the more than 18,000 Black sailors, (including more than a dozen women), who served in the Union Navy during the Civil War. The Navy was not segregated like the army, and there were Black sailors on almost every one of the almost 700 Union vessels.

There were eight Black sailors who received the Medal of Honor. One of those eight sailors received the distinguished award for saving a Union ship near Elizabeth City, N.C. when the ship caught fire in battle and he covered an open powder keg with his body to keep it from being exposed to flames or sparks and exploding.

On the right is a picture of Black sailors here in Plymouth aboard the USS Miami. (Click on picture for a larger view)

(Click on picture for larger view)

There was even one Black sailor aboard the CSS Albemarle. He was Benjamin Gray in neighboring Bertie County, where
half the men fought for the Union and half fought for the Confederacy. He brought powder from below deck up to the two powerful Brooke rifled cannons on the gun deck of the Albemarle. The picture of Benjamin Gray on the left was taken later in life.

For further reading on locally recruited Black men in the Civil War you may wish to obtain the following books from our museum:

Divided Allegiance, by Gerald Thomas
Bertie in Blue, by Gerald Thomas