When the Civil War broke out, the town 

 became a focal point for both Union and 

 Confederate forces because it was an important 

 port for the rich farm produce grown in 

 northeastern North Carolina. Also, the Roanoke 

 River provided access to a vulnerable bridge 

 of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad that 

 ran from Wilmington past Weldon in Halifax 

 County to Richmond, supplying Lee's Army of 

 Northern Virginia. 



Between 1862 and 1864, Plymouth was 

 occupied twice by the North and twice by the 

 South, underscoring its strategic importance, 

 says Thompson. 



In early 1864, Confederate Gen. Robert E. 

 Lee ordered Brig. Gen. Robert Hoke to engage 

 in an attack on Plymouth that was under Union 

 control. 



Later in the afternoon of 

 April 17, 1864, Hoke began 

 his attack on Plymouth with 

 13,000 troops and promise of 

 the new ironclad. 



By the second day of 

 hard fighting, the Confederate 

 troops were enduring heavy 

 casualties. 



Then in the early hours 

 of April 19, Confederate 

 Commander James W. Cooke led the ram down 

 the Roanoke River and sank the Southfield, 

 driving away the rest of the Union Navy. This 

 was the first of the Albemarle's two victories 

 over the Union. 



In October of that year, a Union steam 

 launch made its place in history by ramming 

 the Albemarle. 



Later, the Union made a successful 

 attack that left only a few buildings standing in 

 Plymouth. 



"All but seven buildings in Plymouth were 

 destroyed," says Thompson. "Six homes were 

 left standing." 



During the war, 2,800 men lost their lives 

 in the port town. 



"Most soldiers were killed on the 

 ground and buried in mass graves," adds 

 Thompson. "Some were wounded and sent 

 away to hospitals. The bulk of casualties were 

 Confederate soldiers." 



One of the burial sites was Grace 



ABOVE- Confederate re-enactors participate in a street skirmish. LEFT: Sailors checkout equipment on the 

 waterfront. R1QHT: A replica of the CSS Albemarle is docked on the Roanoke River. 



Episcopal Church in downtown Plymouth. 



During the Living History weekend, 

 Thompson reads a letter from a Union boy 

 describing the destruction at the church. 



"It breaks my heart to see a horse tail 

 hanging from the window," he reads. "They 

 used the church as a stable. The floor was used 

 for coffins, and the pews wrecked for use as 

 coffins. Nothing was left but the brick wall on 

 the church." 



After seeing the town's destruction, a 

 Union soldier wrote the U.S. government, 

 requesting a new roof for Grace Episcopal 

 Church. 



"The federal government sent the 

 money," says Thompson. "But the biggest 

 shock was the 16 ex-Union soldiers who came 

 back to Plymouth and put their own time and 

 money into the building of the church roof." 



LIVING HISTORY WEEKEND 



To honor the men lost in battle, the town 

 began the Living History Weekend in 1990. 



Plymouth businessman Jimmy Hardison 

 says that he and other residents started the event 

 because of a personal interest in the Civil War. 



"My ancestors fought in the war," says 

 Hardison. "I had been a re-enactor and shooter. 

 I could see great vision for the weekend." 



In 200 1 , Harrison organized a campaign 

 to build a replica of the Albemarle. 



As a Civil War buff, Harrison wanted the 

 public to know about the important role of the 

 Albemarle. 



"The CSS Albemarle was the most 

 successful ironclad of the Civil War," says 

 Harrison. "It twice defeated the Union Navy 

 — once at the Battle of Plymouth and once on 

 May 5, 1 864 in the Albemarle Sound — where 



24 WINTER 2005 



