STANLY COUNTY, NC - HOFFMAN - Civil War Stories - 1st volunteer from Stanly County-1861 ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jodie Gee jgee2@sc.rr.com ========================================================================== From the notebook of Lilly Carter Hoffman: On May 5, 1861, fifteen days before North Carolina suceeded from the Union, a large number of men gathered at the Stanly County Courthouse. Dr. Richard Anderson, a medical doctor addressed the crowd. The people were divided. The majority of people were small farmers with little interest in slavery or politics. Out of 7800 population 1169 were slaves. President Lincoln's call for troops changed things. Governor Ellis had refused to send troops to the Union. Dr. Anderson had made his speech and looked out over the crowd that covered the steps to the court house. "I'm asking for volunteers to make up a company from Stanly County. A murmur went through the crowd. Then Robert Carter who had arrived from his home south of Albemarle too late to hear Dr. Anderson's speech, but in time to catch the call for volunteers, shouldered his way to the steps and announced, "I'll go" In the next few minutes the crowd decided and more "I'll go" filled the air. In the days that followed the meeting at the courthouse, the county was busy sewing, washing and recruiting. The young ladies tied ribbons around the arm of every man that volunteered. The sewing machine ran constantly as John Williams and Tommy Haskell sewed uniforms for the company which adopted the name "Stanly Marksmen". The uniform was different from the United States, Confederate States or State of North Carolina. It was a grey thigh length frock coat with a high coller, a chest full of red braid and light grey trousers. (Later they did away with the red braid as it attracted the attention by the enemy(LCH). Most all the activites concerning the War and the homefront were arranged in meetings held at the Marshall Hotel. The first company was under the command of Dr. Richard Anderson with James DeBerry, First Lt. and W.H.Hearne 2nd Lt. Dr. Francis Kron was in command of the HomeGuards. The committee met often at the Marshall Hotel and each committee member reported for his own section. Mrs. Reynolds found the Home Guard Record Book written in long hand by Dr Francis Kron in the courthouse basement. She kindly brought the book to my sister's home(Mrs. Anderson) for me to see. Dr. Kron not only kept the minutes of the Home Guard Meetings but he also kept a diary in which he related many historical events. I am very proud to say that I can remember the last living member of the Kron family. I can't remember her name. I suppose I was about 12 or 14 years of age. I was at five points, Albemarle NC on the front porch of the old Anderson home. A picket fence surrounded the lawn. Miss Kron drove up to the front gate and stopped. She was sitting in a top buggy. Florence went to her and they began talking. They seemed happy to see each other. Florence told me she was the last living daughter and that she had stopped to talk to Florence because her father, Dr Kron and Dr. Richard Anderson were closely connected as medical doctors. Florence( Lilly's sister) had married Dr. Anderson's son Fred.