Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and the Civil War:: A History of Battle and Occupation

by Alex Christopher Meekins

It was February of 1862. Although the Civil War was now nearly a year old, the armies had done little more than feint and skirmish. The war at sea, however, was an entirely different proposition. The Union navy's blockade of the Confederate seaboard was ruthless and unremitting.
With no outlets for its agricultural staples and no ability to receive desperately needed European manufactures, the Southern economy was asphyxiating. It was into this backdrop that a Union naval assault force breached North Carolina's coastal defenses to destroy a small squadron of Confederate warships and bombard, capture and occupy Elizabeth City. As author Chris Meekins demonstrates in this engaging account of an oft neglected yet fascinating theatre of the Civil War, the complicated and turbulent history of Elizabeth City during this time only mirrored the overall state of affairs in northeastern North Carolina

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2007

Reviews

[James Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the fascinating story of Elizabeth, a small community which found itself caught between the demands of the Confederate and Union governments. The Confederacy was unable to prevent the Union from landing troops seemingly at will and the Union was unable to maintain a presence in the area due to demands in other areas of Northeast North Carolina. Both the Confederacy and the Union competed in the area for recruits and resources but always at expense of the other side. Unionists and rebels alike tired of the seesaw nature of the conflict as both sides turned to a struggle for control and legitimacy and tried to work out a deal to rid themselves of BOTH Confederate AND Union troops.

Very detailed and includes contemporary black and white illustrations.