| Summary |
The purpose of this study is to observe the political, social, economic, military, and naval impact of the American Civil War on Halifax County, North Carolina. The development of political thought in the county is traced from its early roots based on the concept of state rights. Attention is focused on the complex feelings of the 1850's which determined Halifax County, despite an extremely large slave population, to favor remaining in the Union. Even into the year 1860 secessionists had not gained control of political leadership within the county. The population make-up of Halifax County and the social influences that governed it were representative of a number of surrounding counties. Although data specifically deal with Halifax County, an effort has been made to portray the county as a typical example of northeastern North Carolina during the mid-nineteenth century. Geography has dictated the economic development of Halifax County. The single navigable river, the Roanoke, played a key role in the early transportation of goods and development of towns. Agricultural differences, created by the meeting of the coastal plain and piedmont, resulted in two economic bases, cotton and tobacco. The increased movement of people (soldiers and refugees) through the county, especially along railroad routes, had far-reaching economic impacts on the nature of agriculture and businesses developed throughout the war years. Despite the constant fear of raids by the Union army, military activities centered largely on the supportive facilities of training camps, commissary stores, and subsistence trading. These activities have been described not only from the view of the Confederate government but also from the impact on the county's citizens. Naval operations focused on development of vessels to clear and protect the Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound. The preservation of southern control allowed a vital railway, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, to operate until late in the war.. Naturally attention has been paid to the career of the C.S.S. Albemarle, but research has also revealed a number of other vessels, either completed or begun, within this inland county. The end of the war in Halifax County created a period of uncertainty and despair. Unsure of the future, suffering from the shock of defeat, loss of loved ones, and economic failure, the citizens awaited the course of reconstruction. |
