Round Table

Yancey County and the Civil War Round Table is this Thursday (October 13). For the first time, we are having a relic show before the Round Table begins. If you are in the area, join us to view some pretty cool pieces actually used during the war. The relic show will begin at 6:00, with the Round Table starting a little after 6:30 pm. This event will be held at the Town Center in Burnsville and is free. Please bring a friend.

Welcome New member

Welcome to our newest member, Compatriot John T. Renick.

Camp 1946 works on new gravestone for Yancey County officer.

Greetings friends and compatriots. The Col. John B. Palmer Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has embarked on a new project. John W. McElroy, a native to Yancey County, needs a new tombstone, and the Palmer Camp has taken it upon themselves to raise the funds to purchase this stone. 

Life in western North Carolina was hard during the Civil War years. No one understood that better than John W. McElroy.  The McElroy family were prominent citizens in the early days of Yancey County. John W. McElroy was a merchant, dealt in real estate, and served as clerk of court. The economic crisis of the late 1850s had forced McElroy out of business. He had sold his fine Burnsville home, and had moved to the Jack's Creek area to farm.

Prior to the War, McElroy had served as the commander of the Yancey County militia. Every county in North Carolina had a militia regiment, required by law to meet once a year to drill. Each county was composed of several militia districts, each with its own captain and lieutenants. These militia districts, found first on the 1860 census, would become townships by the 1870 census.

During the first months of the War, Colonel McElroy continued to perform his normal militia duties, which often did not amount to many responsibilities. But he had fewer and fewer men as they left to join the regular Confederate army.  In the spring of 1862, the Confederate government passed the Conscription law, requiring men between the ages of 18 and 35 to enlist in the army. McElroy was responsible for mustering the militia and for getting these men off.

But many resented having to serve. Some hid out from the beginning, while others joined the army, and then later slipped back to check on their families or to join those already evading local authorities.  Governor Zebulon B. Vance tried to use the militia to round up the outliers, but ran into legal problems. So Vance created the Guard for Home Defense.  Their chief duty was to curtail the deserter problem. To lead the First Brigade of North Carolina Home Guard, Vance tapped John W. McElroy. While McElroy had limited military experience, Vance probably chose McElroy because of a family connection. Vance's older brother Robert had married McElroy's daughter, Harriett.
McElroy's task was not easy. Huge bands of deserters roomed the mountains, using their remoteness to their advantage. Of course, the only way these men could survive was by stealing what they needed. McElroy's command encompassed all of western North Carolina. He often made his headquarters in Mars Hill, using the buildings of the fledgling college.

In April 1864, dissidents under Mont Ray raided Burnsville. They were driven out by Confederate forces from Asheville, and as local ledged has it, McElroy's old house was used as a hospital.   McElroy then returned for a short time to Burnsville, possibly using his old home as his headquarters. It is believed that at some point during the war, McElroy's home on Jack's Creek was ransacked and burnt.
After the war ended, McElroy made his way to Graham County, where he died in 1886, interred in the Old Mother Cemetery.

Recently, it came to the attention of the Col. John B. Palmer Camp. Sons of Confederate Veterans, that the tombstone marking McElroy's grave was in poor condition. At some point in the past, the stone had been broken, and then cemented back together. The Palmer Camp chose to take the steps to get McElroy a new stone. Since McElroy was a state-appointed officer, and not a regular Confederate soldier, he is not eligible for a stone from the Veterans Administration.

The Palmer Camp has decided to purchase a stone to mark McElroy's grave and is seeking donations to assist in procuring the stone. Donations may be sent to PO Box 317, Micaville, NC  28755.

After the stone returns from the stone cutter, the Palmer Camp is planning a memorial service in Graham County for John W. McElroy. An announcement will be posted with this information when the time and date have been set.

Welcome to our newest compatriot, David Froehlich.

Welcome Paul!

Welcome to our newest member, Paul Chrisawn!

Confederate Memorial Day Activities

The Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946 would like to invite everyone to our annual Confederate Memorial Day activities. At 9:00 am on Saturday, May 7, 2011, the Camp will be conducting a memorial service on the grounds of the Yancey County courthouse, in Burnsville. We will be reading the names of Yancey County’s Confederate Dead, firing a salute, and raising a flag. That evening, at dusk, the Camp will lead a candlelight memorial service at the old Bakersville Cemetery, in the town of Bakersville, in Mitchell County.


Everyone is invited to come and bring a friend.

I Will Give Them One More Shot

Our camp was privileged to have Mr. George Winston Martin as guest and speaker at our April meeting. Mr. Martin is a historian who lives in nearby Hendersonville North Carolina and author of a new book entitled: “I Will Give Them One More Shot”.

The book describes the little known history of Georgia’s 1st Regiment of Volunteers commanded by Colonel James N. Ramsey.

Mr. Martin had an ancestor who fought in the regiment and took it upon himself to write a history about the unit for the benefit of all. The presentation touched on the early years of the war and some of the triumphs and problems that the men faced while in service for the confederacy. The presentation also addressed both Robert E Lee and Andrew “Stonewall” Jackson’s early experiences with command and how these experiences helped shape them for later duty during the war. Many in out group found his presentation compelling and purchased his book in hopes of learning more. We wish Mr. Martin the best and appreciate this history of a obscure and interesting unit from the South.

Elisha Gardner - 58th NCT

To date, Camp 1946 has placed just over 180 tombstones on the graves of Confederate soldiers from the Toe River Valley. This past Saturday, several members of the camp ventured to Blount County, Tennessee, to place a marker on the grave of a Toe River Valley soldier who relocated to Tennessee after the war.

According to the North Carolina Troops roster, Elisha M. Gardner lived in Mitchell or Yancey County when he enlisted in Mitchell County at the age of 18 on May 17, 1862. On July 29, 1862, he was mustered in as a private in Company B, 58th North Carolina Troops. Gardner deserted at Bell’s Bridge, Tennessee, on July 24, 1863, and had returned to duty some time before December 31 of that year. At some point prior to August 31, 1864, Gardner transferred to Company D of the 58th regiment. Gardner was paroled on May 1, 1865. At some point, Gardner moved to east Tennessee, where he died on May 20, 1909. He is buried at the Chilhowee Primitive Baptist Church.

Camp 1946 is always looking for more unmarked graves of local soldiers. If you are aware of any, please drop us a note.

Welcome Commander Silver

As usual, the Colonel Palmer camp held its annual officer elections at the January meeting. We would like to have everyone welcome our new camp commander, Edd Silver. We look forward to working with Commander Silver over the next year as we grow Camp 1946 and inform the Toe River Valley about the War Between the States.

Lewis P. Silver

Lewis P. Silver is just one of the men who left the Toe River Valley for the War Between the States and never returned. He lived in Mitchell County and enlisted on July 17, 1861. He was 22 years old and was mustered into Company I, 29th North Carolina Troops, on July 11, 1861. Silver was captured “in Kentucky,” sometime between September and November 1862, and was confined in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On January 11, 1863, he was exchanged. Silver was captured again near Atlanta, Georgia, on July 22, 1864, possibly during the battle of Atlanta. He was sent to Nashville, Tennessee, and then on July 30, 1864, was in Louisville, Kentucky. Silver was transferred to Camp Chase, Ohio, where he arrived on August 2, 1864. He died between November 8 and 9, 1864, of typhoid fever, and is buried at the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery. This photograph was taken by Camp 1946 member Michael C. Hardy in June 2010.

Our Member of the Year

We would like to extend a special congratulations to our 2010 member of the year: JEB Silver. He is more than deserving of this award. Thanks to everyone who made our annual Christmas banquet the huge success that it was!

Just a reminder, the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946’s annual Christmas banquet and awards program is tomorrow (Tuesday) evening – December 21, 2010. I hope you have your ticket! Southern Highland Brigade Commander Derrick Shipman will be speaking. We look forward to seeing you there!

Burnsville Christmas Parade

For the past nine years, the Col. John B. Palmer Camp and the Martha Reid Silver Confederate Memorial Association have participated in the Burnsville Christmas Parade. And, much like today, it is usually cold. Frequently, the groups head over to the Bakersville parade, but this year, it was cancelled. We hope you enjoyed the group’s float this year.

Home school days

On October 30, the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Martha Reid Silver Confederate Memorial Association set up a living history for home school families in Yancey County. We had a chance to move over 80 people through stations on local history, common soldiers, firearms, children’s toys, cooking, and care packages, along with artillery. Everyone had a great time! Make sure to check out our flickr account for more photos.

Burnsville Old Timey Days

For the past several years, members of Camp 1946 have gathered on the square for the annual Burnsville Old Timey Days. It is a great time to talk with old friends, meet new folks with information about our area, and who are interested in the Sons of Confederate Veterans. We’ve posted a few photographs on our flickr account – check it out on the left.

Helping a worthy cause

This past Tuesday, members of the Palmer Camp and the Silver Association gathered to hear Skip Smith of the 26th North Carolina Troops, Reactivated, speak on the plight of captured and surrendered Confederate battle flags. The presentation was spectacular, and at its end, both groups donated $200 to the current effort to preserve the flag of the 16th North Carolina Troops captured at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Company C of the 16th North Carolina Troops hailed from Yancey County.

In the picture above, from left to right, are Mike Ledford, Amanda Ledford, and Skip Smith.

September Meeting

Everyone is invited to join us tomorrow evening, at 6:30 pm, for the monthly meeting of the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946, Sons of Confederate Veterans. We meet at the Towncenter in beautiful downtown Burnsville.


This month, our special speaker is Col. Skip Smith, commander of the 26th North Carolina Troops, Reactivated. Smith will be speaking on the Returned Battle flags. I’m sure there will some discussion of flags (like those of the 16th NSCT and 58th NCT) for whose preservation the 26th NCT Reactivated has raised funds.

Once again, everyone is invited. We look forward to seeing you there.

Gouge Cemetery - Mitchell County

A couple of weeks ago, members of the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946, Sons of Confederate Veterans, had a chance to participate in a Confederate Iron Cross dedication at the Gouge Cemetery in Mitchell County. Garrett D. Gouge was a private in Company K of the 58th North Carolina Troops. He left many remarkable pieces of his war-time experiences, including a jacket which is now at the Greensboro Historical Museum, and a set of letters that detail his experiences during the war. It is an honor to participate in such events that preserve our history.

Mitchell County Confederate Monument

Good news! On Monday evening, the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse Board of Directors voted to allow the Colonel John B. Palmer Camp 1946, Sons of Confederate Veterans, to place a Confederate monument on the grounds of the Historic Mitchell County Courthouse in downtown Bakersville. The Commission recently finished restoring the courthouse to house the offices of the Mitchell County Historical Society, and to provide a community meeting place. The Colonel John B. Palmer Camp of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans has already raised the $5,000 needed for the monument, and we are already planning the dedication ceremony for next May. This is the second Confederate monument that Camp 1946 has erected. The first, located on the grounds of the Yancey County Court House in Burnsville, was dedicated last year.

A special thank you to everyone who made this dream happen.