STANLY COUNTY, NC - HOFFMAN - Civil War Stories - 42nd Disbandment
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         Archives by: Jodie Gee		jgee2@sc.rr.com
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From the notebook of Lilly Carter Hoffman:
 
As Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomatox, April 9, 1865, General Johnston 
withdrew his troops closely pursued by General Sherman, passing through 
Raleigh on April 13th and to Chapel Hill. On April 26, 1865 General Johnston 
met General Sherman at the Bennett House near Durham and surrendered his army. 
....
After passing through Chapel Hill, I think after careful study, that the 42nd 
Regiment came by Graham or nearby there and then on toward Liberty or they 
could have taken the route by Pittsboro and Siler City, most of the way from 
there was traveled on what is now Hwy 62. The history of the 42nd as recorded 
in Clark's History says the 42nd Regiment had encamped at Center Church, a 
Quaker meeting House in Randolph County, just across the line from Guilford 
County, three miles from High Point. I think they passed Center Church, but 
the author got the church name wrong; where they really did camp and disband 
was the Quaker Church that still goes by the name Springfield Friends Meeting 
House. The 42nd pitched their tents beginning at the post office known as 
Bloomington on Amos Ragan farm. The soldiers camped as far as Trinty and Bush-
Hill now known as Archdale.  I have read newspaper accounts of old soldiers 
saying the camp began in a field belonging to Amos Ragan, three miles south of 
High Point, facing Hwy 311, which then was the old Plank road. It is 
diagonally across from the old Stage Coach Inn which at that time faced the 
Amos Ragan homestead. The house where the stage coaches stopped for passengers 
to get their meals, etc. and the old Bloomington Post Office were still there 
at the same location until about 1965 when the Inn was torn away.
I have been told by Bush Hill descendants that when the soldiers were paid 
$1.05 in U.S. money and were told to disband, they were so happy, they threw 
their hats into the air. As they left for their respective homes, they left 
behind anything that would add weight and be a burden to them...most of them 
walking.
After the soldiers were gone, the people of the community searched the woods 
and fields for souvenirs. Dr. Tomlinson was the practicing physican at Bush 
Hill (His home still standing and belongs to Horace Ragan) One of the children 
picked up balls that the Confederate Army used to shoot from cannons or 
mounted guns. Each ball was 4 1/2 inches in circumference. In about 1950 the 
Tomlinson home was sold at auction and Horace Ragan, son of Amos Ragan, bought 
it. My daughter, Elizabeth Hoffman Ragan, married his son, Herbert Tomlinson 
Ragan. Mr. Ragan had the house refinished...Elizabeth was looking over the 
house. On the basement shelf, she found a fruit jar filled with the balls. 
Most of the balls were given to the Springfield Friends Meeting Museum, but I 
was given three of the balls. I gave one to my sister Florence Anderson of 
Albemarle, NC and one to my sister Mary Hawley of Goldsboro, NC and the other 
to Wilton Kimmer of North Brunswick, New Jersey...
Mr. Allred, an old man in the 1930's was a small boy when the 42nd disbanded 
and he told me that he lived at Walker's Mill four miles from Center Friends 
Meeting House and that he saw a great many soldiers cross the river at the 
mill on their way home.
Captain Carter had to report to Greensboro. At that time Greensboro was over 
run with Federal Officers and Confederate Soldiers. He and other Confederate 
Captains were required to hand over the records of their companies to the 
Federal Government. The Greensboro women bravely carried on the difficult task 
of feeding the many soldiers stranded there. Bread and homemade molasses was 
about all they had but the soldiers were glad to get that.
While in Greensboro, Captain Carter stopped at a small restaurant and brought 
a plate of oysters. He paid twenty-five dollars in Confederate money for his 
meal. Confederate money being worthless, he started home with nothing but a 
brave heart to begin life over again...
 
Submitted by Jodie Gee