Alamance County NcArchives History - Books .....Chapter II Colonel Charles F. Fisher 1961
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 12, 2007, 10:15 pm

Book Title: Confederate Memoirs

II
Colonel Charles F. Fisher

   Colonel Charles F. Fisher, one of our state's foremost heroes of the Civil
War, visualized the inevitable struggle between a divided nation when he saw war
clouds gathering. There was no hesitation on his part, for he straightway made
his patriotism for the South known by resigning the Presidency of the North
Carolina Railroad and organizing a Confederate regiment on his own.

   Born in Salisbury, N. C. on Dec. 26, 1816, the son of Charles Fisher, he
inherited a cultured background of prominence in politics and forward progress
in our state. Family records show that he was educated in elementary schools in
the Rowan area and later attended Yale.

   In July 1845, Charles F. Fisher was married to Elizabeth Caldwell, the eldest
daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. David F. Caldwell. He later served a year in the
state senate from 1854-1855, resigning to follow John M. Morehead as president
of the N. C. Railroad Company. It was through his influence during his short
service as senator that the first charter of the Western N. C. Railroad was
secured.

   When Fisher's decision was made to organize the regiment, he brought down to
Charlotte a large number of men from all along the right of ways of the North
Carolina and Western North Carolina Railroads and quartered them in the barracks
of the N. C. Military Institute from which many of the men had already gone out.
There were still many cadets at the barracks who drilled the raw recruits, but
shortly a number of cadets were offered places in the newly formed regiment.
Among those accepting was Captain Neill W. Ray who tells of the regiment in
Clark's North Carolina Troops of 1861-1865.

   The men were later moved to Company Shops (now Burlington) since it was
thought better to have a camp of instruction in this location. Here the Sixth
Regiment was organized on May 16, 1861, the same day that Charles R. Fisher
received his commission of Colonel. W. T. Dortch was made Lieutenant-Colonel and
C. E. Lightfoot, Major. When Gov. Ellis died, Colonel Dortch resigned, and at
that time Lightfoot was made Lieutenant-Colonel with Captain Webb of Co. "B",
Major.

   On the day that Colonel Fisher and his regiment were ready to go into
service, Governor Ellis died, so it fell the lot of Colonel Fisher, who was a
friend and townsman, to take his regiment to Raleigh to act as a funeral escort
for the state's first citizen. Colonel Fisher had gained enough recruits in
Alamance County to form a company, and the raw troops, lacking in technique but
confident in courage, went on board the train at Mebane (Mebanville) since it
was the nearest railroad station to Hawfields where they had been trained.

   On July 18 and 21 serious conflicts occurred at Manassas and Bull Run. A
Federal Army, commanded by Gen. Irvin McDowell of about 40,000 men were sent
from Washington with orders to attack the Confederates under General Beauregarde.

   Colonel Charles Fisher was especially valuable in the aid he rendered in
restoring a ditched train to the track, and thus made possible the timely
arrival of re-inforcements under Gen. E. Kirby Smith, which so speedily resulted
in the flight of Gen. McDowell's army. It is mournful to add that, after
gallantly capturing the celebrated Rickett's Battery, Colonel Fisher was slain
in the battle, falling at the head of his regiment beyond the battery and still
being in pursuit of the enemy.

   Of Colonel Fisher, Capt. Ray said, "That among our dead we especially
lamented the loss of Colonel Fisher—noble, true, brave and almost to a fault. He
had the qualities that would have made him most useful in the army. No better
provider for his men could be found and they were devoted to him." Later in
history we find that he is mentioned thus, "The Sixth Regiment was distinguished
for its discipline and soldierly bearing. It was led to the field by one of the
most heroic souls that ever drew blade, Colonel Fisher, who was killed at First
Manassas."


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Confederate Memoirs

Alamance County Troops
of
The War Between The States
1861-1865

Roster of Troops
Mrs. J. G. Tingen
Mrs. Ava Burke
Miss Bertha Cates

Histories and Articles 
Mable S. Lassiter

Advisory Board
Howard White 
Luther Byrd

Centennial Edition


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