STANLY COUNTY, NC - HOFFMAN - Civil War Stories - 1st volunteer from Stanly 
			      County-1861
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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.