The Citizens for Historic Preservation would like to start collecting information on the History of the Civil War in the area of Lenoir County and near by places. There are many areas in which we need input so would like to start building a base of sources that we may call on for help in our preservation efforts. Please contact me if you would like to help.

Aug 20, 2001

City Council member Joseph Tyson is in favor of preservation of the battle field. On Monday Aug, 20, 2001 The Free Press quoted him saying"It has nothing to do with trailer parks -- it has something to do with the one asset that (Kinston) has and that's real estate," Tyson said. "If we don't keep these areas to tell our children that a battle was fought here, we'll live to regret it."

Preservation of Historical Landmarks committee member Jane Phillips, in the same article said, "We're constantly getting e-mails from all around Lenoir County from individuals interested in this and who have contacted the City Council members with their concerns." Those of us around the world, who have ties to Lenoir County, appreciate the hard work this committee has put forth. We also would like to thank North Carolina Department of Archives and History,the archeologists and historians at East Carolina University and the director of the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Trust in Washington, D.C. for their interest and support.

August 21, 2001

 

The Citizens for Historic Preservation in Lenoir County were excited when told the request for rezoning had been withdrawn. However the applicant can come back and apply in one year. Our group plans to move forward with plans for preservation in Lenoir County. The battlefield is our top priority. Jane Phillips

FREE PRESS (8-16 Historical Committee)

By Steve Martini Staff Writer 

 

A group of Lenoir County residents is trying to stop

Kinston City Council members from turning a former

Civil War battlefield into a trailer park. 

 

The issue was discussed Wednesday at the first meeting

of the Committee for the Preservation of Historical

Landmarks. 

 

"We're trying to secure memories for future generations

that they can hold in their hand," said committee member

Pat Faulkner. "Once something is taken away, it can't be

brought back." 

 

Jane Phillips, Cindy Brochure and Pat Faulkner are the

committee's founding members. A recent proposal to

rezone 26 acres of a Civil War battlefield on U.S. 70 to

accommodate a trailer park spawned the group's

interest, Phillips said. 

Finding out how to generate interest in the Lenoir

County's history was a pressing concern. 

Kinston resident Tony Kelly suggested several options: 

 

* place flags from every state that participated in both

Kinston Civil War battles along U.S. 70 to attract beach

traffic; 

 

* build a wharf down to the Neuse River so visitors

could see the battle site of the CSS Ram Neuse and the

Civil War battlefields; 

 

* add benches made of granite donated by Kelly and

place along a self-guided tour. 

 

"You can still see the breastworks in this land where the

guns were laid out," Kelly said. "They're some of the

best anywhere." 

 

The group is focusing on many other historical

landmarks in Lenoir County such as Indian artifacts

found in Snow Hill and the development of a replica

steamboat on the Neuse River. 

 

Non-profit organizations play a pivotal role in preserving

historical landmarks, said Donny Taylor, site manager of

the Bentonville battlefield. 

 

"A private non-profit group has helped expand the

Bentonville battlefield," Taylor said. "We have a

6,000-acre battlefield up there but only 240 acres

belongs to the state." 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the land was donated or loaned to the

battlefield through work done by private organizations. 

Artifacts and possibly dead soldiers lie buried on

Kinston's private lands, Taylor said. 

 

A letter was written by a Union soldier describing the

Battle of Kinston in 1862 and supports the presence of

artifacts in Kinston. 

Part of the letter says, " ... we entered the woods where

the battle commenced the boys left the ranks, and

scoured the woods for bullets ... (and) for relics; trees

were scathed by bullets and slivered by cannon-balls,

rebel blankets were found saturated with blood, and

cartridge boxes laid scattered in all directions."  

The letter describes the property to be rezoned,

Sparrow said. 

"There is no doubt in my mind that part of the letter

describes the Lakeside site," Sparrow said. "(The letter)

also insinuates a lot of things could still be found out

there because those soldiers 'scoured the area for

relics'." 

 

Danny White, of Seven Springs, has collected hundreds

of artifacts from former Kinston battlefields after hunting

relics for several years. 

 

"I have cannon balls, medicine bottles, bullets and

buttons from out there," White said.  

 

Those artifacts should be displayed in businesses along

U.S. 70 so beach traffic could see the artifacts and learn

the history, Kelly said. 

 

Also at the meeting were Kinston-Lenoir Parks and

Recreation Director Bill Ellis, PRIDE Chairman Tommy

Sutton and PRIDE Executive Director Terah Archie. 

"We have to focus on the economic development of our

history," Archie said. "That's what people are interested

in." 

 

Steve Martini can be reached at 527-3191, ext. 237, or

Steve_Martini@link.freedom.com.

 

© 2001 Kinston Free Press. All rights reserved.

No text, artwork or images may be downloaded,copied, transmitted, reproduced or printed without the express permission of Kinston Free Press.