Current
Projects
Welcome to my Current Projects page where you will find the present focus of my research and writing efforts.
Once again Mark Smith and I are teaming up to provide students of the Carolinas Campaign a more detailed study and analysis of the often forgotten Battle of Wise’s Fork. Wise’s Fork or Wyse Fork in modern terms occurred March 8-10, 1865 near the town of Kinston, North Carolina where a rapidly assembled mixture of Confederate forces under the command of Gen. Braxton Bragg attempted to halt the advancing Union forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox. Over the short three day period Gen. Bragg achieves initial success in the opening stages of the battle by capturing an entire Federal brigade. However, Gen. Bragg’s typical bad luck follows, resulting in a series of Confederate missteps and the timely arrival of veteran Union troops. In the end, thoughts of victory are snatched away and Bragg’s assemblage of Confederate units began their faithful journey to the hell that awaits them at Bentonville a week later.
After three years of research and numerous trips to the battlefield, Mark and I have begun the process of putting words to paper. However, research is never complete and there is always one personal letter or photograph that appears at the 11th hour that quite possibly could prove essential in our analysis. If you have a relative that fought in the battle or information in general, such as letters, journals or a Soldier’s photograph we would love to hear from you. Drop me a note at this email address.
In my study of the March 1865 Battle of Wise’s Fork, I attempted to document as best as possible the personnel losses sustained by Confederate units. I did this to “fill in” the information gaps between various primary sources, with the intent to gain a better perspective of the battle.As any researcher of the 1865 Carolinas Campaign will attest, this is much easier said than done, considering the lack of detailed Confederate information at times.
By utilizing 1865 period North Carolina newspapers, such as Raleigh’s The North Carolina Standard I created a starting point for individual casualties. Typically the newspaper lists consisted of consolidated information on casualties from several of the March 1865 battles in North Carolina, such as Bentonville, Averasboro and 
Wise’s Fork. To gain further information into a soldier’s loss I reviewed additional sources such as individual service and pension records, regimental histories, personal journals and letters. Although my research focused primarily on Confederate losses at Wise’s Fork, I had to document the losses from other battles to eliminate possible confusion between the engagements. My research quickly took on a campaign perspective verses my intended documentation of Wise’s Fork.
It is my intent that this study will aid future research on the Carolinas Campaign or assist individuals who are trying to gain further history on a particular family member’s military service. Final Roll Call is my way of remembering these Confederate Soldiers and their sacrifice in the face of Sherman’s veteran army.
I don’t believe one can honestly say that there will ever be final closure on the overall Confederate losses during the campaign. Only the good Lord knows the exact fate of the men who never returned home after the war. I took on this task with an open mind and clear objective to capture as much of the casualty information as possible. In advance of releasing this study to the open public, I have provided draft working copies to the visitor’s centers at the Bentonville and Averasboro Battlefields. I can think of no better way to honor these men than to have their memory preserved upon the battlefields they fought in the closing days of the American Civil War.
My research and work on Final Roll Call is ongoing as I complete the lists of men from Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. If you have information related to a Confederate Soldier wounded, killed or captured during the Carolinas Campaign please contact me. I am grateful to exchange information with you.