Contact the Center
Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History
UNCW Library, Discovery Hall, 2nd floor
5162 Randall Dr.
Wilmington, NC 28403
csencah@uncw.edu
910-962-7810
Visit the Center
Location
The Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History is located on the 2nd floor of Discovery Hall in the UNCW Library.
Hours
The Center is open for research visits Monday-Friday from 10am to 2pm, except for UNCW holidays and breaks. Visit our website to view upcoming closures.
Access Policies
Prior to visiting the Center, users should familiarize themselves with our access and use policies.
Manuscript Collections
The Center holds several manuscript collections that contain original primary sources dating from the Civil War, as well as research collections documenting southeastern North Carolina during the mid-19th century.
A note about finding aids...
The links below will take you to each collection's finding aid, which provides more details about the collection and its creator(s) as well as a list of the collection's contents. Finding aids are only descriptions of archival materials and generally do not include scans of the materials themselves, although a finding aid may provide a link to a digital collection containing scans of material if that collection has been digitized. In most cases, you will need to visit the Center (or the archival repository described) in person in order to view these collections.
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MS 001 Thomas J. Armstrong PapersThe bulk of this collection consists of letters written by Thomas J. Armstrong's son, Edward Hall Armstrong, during the Civil War. Also included are: a photograph of Edward, his officer commissions, and his book on military tactics, eulogies for Edward by various persons, a letter from Edward's body servant--a slave named Moses, and miscellaneous letters and documents from other family members, including Thomas's boyhood reminiscences, a receipt for sale of a slave, and a receipt for a $1000 Confederate bond.
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MS 006 Stephen Graham Presidential PardonOn August 21, 1865, President Andrew Johnson pardoned Stephen Graham of Duplin County, North Carolina, for “taking part in the late rebellion against the Government of the United States…” Signed in Washington D.C., by Johnson and his Acting Secretary of State, it was a “full pardon and amnesty for all offenses by him committed, arising from participation, direct or implied, in the said rebellion.”
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MS 012 William J. Hoke Captain's CommissionThis paper is a photocopy of the original Commission document for William J. Hoke, Captain of the Southern Guards, signed by North Carolina Governor Charles Manly. The original document is stored in the archives of the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society.
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MS 023 Lower Cape Fear Region MapsThis collection contains three maps of New Hanover county. Two maps document the topography and location of sunken blockade runners during the Civil War; the third map is of New Hanover county in 1949.
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MS 026 Wilmington, NC and the Lower Cape Fear Area During the Civil WarThis collection contains excerpts of letters, diaries, papers, and published materials comprise the body of this research collection, which relate specifically to Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear (LCF) during the Civil War. Subjects include troop movements, civilian life, shipping, prisoners of war, and military engagements. Wilmington was the last Confederate port to be captured; blockading and blockade runners and the defense and capture of Fort Fisher are especially well represented.
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MS 039 General William MacRae and Colonel Walker Taylor BiographiesThis collection contains the biographies of two prominent Wilmingtonians, General William MacRae and Colonel Walker Taylor. Both items are photocopies of the original.
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MS 041 Governor John W. Ellis ProclamationA copy of a rare broadside calling the North Carolina legislature into special session was issued by Gov. John W. Ellis on April 17, 1861. The session was called as a result of Abraham Lincoln's call to arms "for the invasion of the peaceful homes of the South....." Only one original is known to exist (according to the donor) from which this copy was made.
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MS 043 James R. Womble Civil War LetterThis collection consists of a letter written by James R. Womble, a Confederate soldier, to his father, Thomas Womble. Womble was a laborer in Company A, 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Local Defense troops, of the Arsenal Guard. His letter is dated January 20, 1865. It was written from the City Courthouse of Wilmington and describes the fall of Fort Fisher.
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MS 048 High Family PapersThirteen xerographic copies of letters sent to James and Elizabeth Gore High of Whiteville, North Carolina are contained in this collection. The letters were sent to them by their sons Daniel Pinckney High (known as D.P. or Pink), John H. High, and William J. High during the Civil War. James High also received letters from family friends, William H. Best and William R. Richardson, both of Whiteville.
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MS 049 Mrs. C.A. Council LetterLetter to Mrs. C.A. Council from her unnamed brother dated 17 February 1862. In the letter, Council's brother describes the location where his regiment is stationed during the Civil War.
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MS 065 Joseph J. Davis and Family Private PapersThis collection contains photocopies of letters and notes from Joseph Jonathan Davis to his wife Katherine Elizabeth Shaw. Many of the letters in this collection are referenced in T.H. Pearce’s, They Fought: The Story of Franklin County Men in the Years 1861-1865. Davis’s letters to his wife discuss his experience during the Civil War regarding soldiers, living conditions, weather, etc. Many of his letters include requests to his wife for supplies and also provide instructions for her regarding the management of their home.
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MS 067 Ellen Douglas Bellamy JournalThis collection consists entirely of photocopies of pages from a journal or school exercise book kept by Miss Ellen Douglas Bellamy during the Civil War. Some time later, probably in the 1870s, the journal was used as a scrapbook and printed clippings were pasted over the handwritten text. The collection includes copies of pages both before and after clippings were stripped away.
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MS 079 Civil War Newspapers and MagazinesThis collection consists of four pages from three 19th century newspapers and magazines including Harper's Weekly: A Journal of Civilization, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper and The Illustrated London News. The reports covered in these pages recount various events that occurred in North Carolina during the Civil War. Subjects include an account of the revel steamer "Nashville" running the blockade at Beaufort, NC; the surrender of Fort Macon; the capture of Fort Fisher and an account of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River during the bombardment of Fort Fisher.
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MS 094 The Black Poet ManuscriptThe Black Poet was the 1865 annouced title of a work to be published that was to contain "a concise history of the life" of George Moses Horton, bard and recently freed slave. Richard Walser used the 1865 title for his 1996 work on Horton, since no evidence exists that the 1865 book was ever written. Walser wrote his "concise history" during part of a year he spent on a Guggenheim Fellowship. Claude Howell completed the drawings for the book. This collection contains the manuscript draft that was sent to Claude Howell and is not the final draft. The index is not included.
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MS 127 Barden Family PapersThis collection contains the papers of the Barden Family of Southeastern North Carolina. Contained are records, receipts, deeds, correspondence, and photographs. All items are photocopies, except for the photographs from 1922.
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MS 138 Fort Caswell Telegraph LogThis collection contains a log of telegraphs sent from Smithville (Southport), Fort Caswell, and Wilmington, North Carolina from January 1863 through May 1863. These telegraphs reveal food shortages, lack of supplies, and war updates involving the Confederacy, primarily in these three North Carolina forts. Battles were not being fought at these forts during these dates, but it is possible to understand from this document what conditions were like and how the armies responded to successes and frustrations.
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MS 158 Dr. Chris E. Fonvielle CollectionThis collection contains papers and historical research of Dr. Chris E. Fonveille, a former history faculty member at UNCW. Fonvielle's research focuses on local history and comprises numerous files on Wilmington during and the State of North Carolina during the Civil War, Fort Anderson, the Battle of Forks Road, and photocopied articles from local newspapers on various topics dating to the early 19th century.
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MS 172 Dr. Thomas Fanning Wood Family PapersPapers of the Dr. T. F. Wood family of Wilmington, NC. Includes Dr. Woods's Civil War recollections, correspondence, writings of Dr. Edward Jenner Wood, and genealogy of the Wood family.
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MS 189 Bob High CollectionThe collection contains letters, personal research material, newspaper clippings and memorabilia belonging to Bob High, a newspaper reporter and author, from Whiteville, North Carolina. High collected materials related to the history of this region, and his collection includes extensive documentation of southeastern NC, particularly Columbus and Bladen counties, during the Civil War.
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MS 196 Captain Edward W. Ward CollectionThe Captain Edward W. Ward Collection includes various items related to Ward's experience during the Civil War including Confederate Bond Coupons, a loan to the Confederate States and papers regarding his military service. The collection also contains newspaper articles and documents regarding settlement of debts by made by Ward.
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MS 204 Wilbur D. Jones, Jr. PapersThis collection contains research material collected by author Wilbur D. Jones, Jr. for his novels, including interviews, newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, author notes, correspondence with publishers, and drafts of the manuscripts.
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MS 226 Willis and Amanda Wilson Family PapersThis collection contains the family papers of Willis Wilson (1807-1860) and Amanda Pollock Wilson (1813-1888), white landowners, farmers, and enslavers in Duplin County, North Carolina.
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MS 254 Anchram H. and Elizabeth K. Evans Civil War LettersThis collection consists of correspondence between Anchram Harris Evans, a Confederate soldier during the Civil War from Brunswick County, NC, and his wife Elizabeth Kelly Evans (she is referred to as either "Bettie" or "Lizzie" in the letters). There are a handful of letters to or from other family members, as well as typed transcripts of the letters by their grandson, Troy Henry, from 1956. The bulk of the correspondence occured in 1864, but letters span the duration of the war from 1861 to 1865.
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MS 286 Civil War Era News PrintsThis collection primarily consists of illustrations from Civil War era newspapers including Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, Harper’s Weekly, and Illustrated London News. Images printed in the newspapers are listed by the caption of the main illustration with page numbers and/or dates when known. Illustrations in this collection focus on the Civil War as it happened in coastal North Carolina, with many images from Cape Hatteras, New Bern, Fort Fisher, and Wilmington during the years 1861-1875. The collection also contains three civil war bank notes and a Confederate Cross of Honor.
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MS 320 Ashe Family PapersThis collection contains the biographical documents, familiy histories, diaries, works of poetry, genealogical lists, and photographs of the Ashe family of North Carolina. Most of the materials in this collection consist of photocopies or typed transcripts, but it does contain original diaries, letters, and photographs.
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MS 406 Bellamy Mansion CollectionThis collection contains historical records from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s of members of the Bellamy family, down the Dr. John D. Bellamy (1817-1896) line, and related family members. Material includes correspondence, bank receipts and deposits, stock transactions, property indentures, architectural plans, personal wills, and other legal and financial documents. A significant portion is related to Mary "Mollie" Parmele Hargrove and Charles William (C.W.) Hargrove, sister and brother, respectively, of Emma May Hargrove Bellamy, wife of John D. Bellamy, Jr. (1854-1942). A portion of material is related to the Bellamy family home, the Bellamy Mansion on Market Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington, mainly architectural plans and drawings related to renovations in the 1990s.
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Special Collections Vertical FilesThe Special Collections vertical files are compiled by Special Collections staff on an ongoing basis and contain material such as articles, photocopied documents, maps, emphemera, etc. of various persons, places, organizations, and topical subjects related to UNCW and Southeastern North Carolina history.
The manuscript collections listed below relate to the Civil War broadly - most of them do not contain material specific to this geographic region.
A note about finding aids...
The links below will take you to each collection's finding aid, which provides more details about the collection and its creator(s) as well as a list of the collection's contents. Finding aids are only descriptions of archival materials and generally do not include scans of the materials themselves, although a finding aid may provide a link to a digital collection containing scans of material if that collection has been digitized. In most cases, you will need to visit the Center (or the archival repository described) in person in order to view these collections.
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MS 004 Benjamin Stoddert Ewell BroadsideThe College of William and Mary at Williamsburg, VA, suffered damage during the Civil War. Benjamin S. Ewell, then president of William and Mary, published a broadside appealing for financial aid in rebuilding the institution. Though obviously written after the Civil War, its exact date is unknown. This appeal includes endorsements for the rebuilding fund by Bishop Potter of New York, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Generals Grant and Meade, and by Wm. W. Corcoran of Washington City.
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MS 038 U.S. Civil War Correspondence: George D. Prentice and Roger W. HansonThis collection consists of three letters between George Denison Prentice and Roger Weightman Hanson; two letters are written by George D. Prentice and one by Roger W. Hanson. These letters encompass a very brief look at opinions and the animosity between rivals of the Civil War. They mention drunkards, Island No. 10, Col. I. Dimick, Fort Warren, and Clarence Prentice (son of George who fought as a Lieutant Colonel for the Confederacy). Also briefly mentioned are General Buckner, Commander Foot, and General Pope. The letters start in March 1862 and conclude in April 1862.
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MS 047 8th Regiment Artillery Troops RosterThis document is a roster of the Union troops of the 8th Regiment Artillery commanded by Colonel James M. Watson as of February 1865. W.S. Williamson was listed as the adjutant. It lists the number of men lost during service by disease or mortal wounds.
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MS 061 Lazenby Family PapersThis collection includes correspondence, ephemera, periodicals and advertisments, and miscellaneous genealogical documents. Of significance in this collection are two documents relating to the end of the Civil War and the Confederacy, including an Oath of Loyalty to the Union and a President's Warrant of Pardon for Mary M. Jones.
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MS 062 Howell Family PapersThis collection contains two copies of letters written from William Howell to Lawson Howell in October 1863; a copy of a letter from W.H. Spurlin to his cousins, a copy of a Company Muster Roll for Wm. M. Howell, 5 Regiment South Carolina State Troops; a copy of The Confederate States of America, Officers' Pay Account for Lieutenant W. Howell; copies of Furlough slips for Lawson Howell and a copy of the Descriptive List and Account of Pay and Clothing for Lawson Howell.
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MS 073 Major General William Wing Loring ProclamationA rare broadside issued September 14, 1862 by Army of the Confederate States "To the People of Western Virginia" by command of Major General William Wing Loring.
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MS 137 Richard Laracy LetterThis collection consists of a letter dated 1914, written by Richard Laracy, veteran, recounting his Civil War experiences to a friend. The letter outlines Laracy's experience at the Battle at Gettysburg. He was a Union soldier in Culter's 1st Division, 1st Corps. Included are the original letter and a photocopy.
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MS 157 Anna Sherman CollectionThis collection of original and photocopied items is comprised of correspondence and newspaper clippings encompassing nearly 100 years, from 1849 to 1938. Especially of note is the correspondence dating from the time of the U.S. Civil War 1861- 1865. The letters paint a poignant image of life in the confederacy.
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MS 166 Edmund McCaffray CollectionThis collection contains correspondence and documents by and about Civil War General Robert E. Lee, his wife Mary Custis Lee, his nephew Fitzhugh Lee, and additional Civil War contemporaries. Content varies from updates on medical care to military requests for promotions and reimbursements, and spans from the height of the war in 1863 to post-Reconstruction in 1885. A selection of the letters focuses on Robert E. Lee's failing health in the months before he died in October 1870.
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MS 322 Tilden - Sigvaldsen CollectionCivil War era currency, both United States and Confederate States. Certificates and diplomas of Jean Ellen Tilden.
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MS 366 Emancipation Anniversary Sermon CollectionThis collection contains two sermons written around 1898 regarding 35 years of slavery emancipation, first initiated during the United States Civil War in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation.