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This Month in New Bern History – April 2021

Posted by Mickey

· April 1, 2021

The Elusive Veiled Lady
by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society

On April 14, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. A massive investigation to determine whether Booth acted alone resulted in the conviction of eight co-conspirators. Four were hung, including boarding house owner Mary Surratt.

You may remember these details from history class. But did you know that a mysterious former New Bern resident, Sarah Gilbert Slater, was alleged to have been an accomplice in the Lincoln assassination plot?

Sarah Antoinette Gilbert, aka “Nettie” was born in Middletown, Connecticut on Jan 12, 1843 to Dr. Joseph Gilbert and Antoinette Raynaud. The family was of French extraction and everyone in the household conversed fluently in French. For reasons unknown, the family split apart, with Dr. Gilbert moving with some of the children to North Carolina, while a pregnant Antoinette stayed behind with an older son. Dr. Gilbert, two sons, and Sarah relocated first to Goldsboro and then Kinston. Sarah and her brother Robert then moved to New Bern during the winter of 1860-1861.

Sarah was beautiful, charming, and intelligent. She boarded with the family of John L. Pennington, the editor of the New Bern Daily Progress newspaper located in the Brick Block building on Craven Street. One evening, Sarah was introduced at dinner to Rowan Slater, a dashing dance instructor at the New Bern Academy. Originally from Rowan County, NC where his father owned a large plantation, Rowan attended Trinity College and studied violin and dance. Sarah and Rowan quickly fell in love and were married in Goldsboro in June 1861. Rowan joined the Confederacy in 1863, enlisting in Co A of the 20th NC Infantry. He took Sarah to his parents’ home in Salisbury so that she would not be alone. She quickly found out his parents did not approve of their marriage and she was relegated to menial labor on their plantation.

Desiring to visit her mother in New York City, Sarah traveled to Richmond to request a pass. There she came to the attention of the Confederate Secretary of War, James Sneddon and the Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin. Impressed with her beauty, wit, and French fluency, they recruited Sarah as a courier and spy. The Confederate leadership needed someone who could pass between Canada and the US as a French woman from Montreal without raising suspicion. The plan, if she were to be caught, was for her to claim to be French Canadian and request asylum at the French Consul.

Sarah’s first assignment was in February 1865. She delivered documents and money to Montreal in support of Confederate soldiers who had conducted a raid in St. Albans, Vermont. The raiders fled to Canada but were being held by Canadian officials pending extradition by the US. The papers delivered by Sarah proved that the raiders were agents acting on behalf of the Confederate government. Extradition was thus denied, and the raiders were freed.

Sarah always wore a heavy black veil and was adept at concealing her identity. She was often referred to as “the lady in the veil” or the “French lady”. Her own agents often mistook her identity. While little is known of the elusive veiled lady’s activities, what is known is that on one of her travels from Richmond to Montreal she stopped at the Surratt boarding house outside of Washington, DC, owned by Mary Surratt. She was accompanied on one courier mission by Mary’s son John Surratt and John Wilkes Booth.

With Richmond’s impending fall, Sarah was given instructions on her third and last mission, to deliver gold to Montreal and direct Confederate authorities in Canada to transfer all the remaining funds to London. After leaving Montreal, on April 3, Sarah and John Surratt reached Washington DC. They met the next day with John Wilkes Booth, and then both disappeared. The funds disappeared without a trace. Eleven days later, Booth shot President Lincoln.

During the investigation of the co-conspirators, Sarah was detained and held in custody for several days. While testimony was given regarding a mysterious woman in a veil being at the Surratt boarding house prior to the assassination, no one could positively identify Sarah. She was variously identified as Mrs. Brown, Kate Thompson, and Olivia Floyd. With no proof that Sarah was involved with the assassination, she was released and vanished again. Many thought she escaped to Europe with the gold.

It was not learned until the 1980’s that Sarah had been living in New York City in 1866. She divorced Rowan, was remarried and widowed. She then married for the third time, this time to her brother-in-law, William Spencer, the widower of Sarah’s younger sister. Sarah was widowed again and died on April 20, 1920 in Poughkeepsie, NY where she is believed to be buried in the Rural Cemetery with her mother and sister. Sarah was wealthy when she died, bequeathing money and jewelry to distant family and friends.

Did Sarah take the Confederate gold? Was she involved with the assassination plot of Lincoln? These mysteries will probably never be solved. Who would ever have thought that the beautiful young wife of a dashing New Bern dance instructor would one day become the enigmatic veiled spy surrounded by such speculation and controversy?

Surratt Boarding House circa 1890. Courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Brady-Handy Photograph Collection

Categories : Announcements

Hiding in Plain Sight

Posted by Mickey

· March 18, 2021

by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society

Old City Hall building circa 1983

You've walked past it countless times -- you know, the big red brick building on the 200 block of Craven Street with "City Hall" emblazoned near the roof. Built in about 1817, the Stephens Brick Block building is considered the earliest surviving commercial structure in downtown New Bern. Most locals know it as Old City Hall, as it served as the seat of city government and even a fire station from 1888 until 1935. Recently, a team of local history hunters discovered an even earlier use for the old building, hidden in plain sight -- the building served as both a Confederate and Union hospital during the Civil War. We're delighted to share the story of the research that led to this discovery.

Stephens Brick Block Building circa 1900

Historian and author Wade Sokolosky recently discovered several wartime documents that identified a military hospital on Craven Street, “next to the Progress Building.” (The New Bern Daily Progress was a local newspaper during that time.) After many discussions, much research, and a little bit of luck, it was determined that the Brick Block Building located at 220-226 Craven Street was first used by the Confederates beginning in January 1861.

The January 31, 1862 edition of the New Bern Daily Progress reported “the rooms adjoining the Progress building have been taken for a hospital and are being overhauled and refitted for that purpose under the supervision of W.A. Holt, Confederate Surgeon. The Dr. is a man of … judgment as will be seen, not only by the internal arrangement of the building but by the improvement in the way of cleaning up, whitewashing etc….” The Branch General Hospital, as it was formally identified by Confederate authorities, operated through the Battle of New Bern fought on March 14, 1862. On the day of the battle, Surgeon Holt labored to remove his patients to the Atlantic and N.C. Railroad depot in town, where they were evacuated toward Kinston.

Upon occupying New Bern, Union authorities impressed several local buildings for use as hospitals. In a report published in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Volume 66, 1862, Surgeon Samuel E. Kneeland of the Union Army wrote: “[O]n Sunday, March 16, I was ordered to get the Craven-street Hospital ready for the reception of the wounded in that battle. The building was an old three-story warehouse which had been used as a hospital by the Confederates. I found about 150 bedsteads, with beds and coverings in a most filthy condition; one man dead, and another dying, left by the rebels in their hurried flight. I pressed about a dozen contrabands, and had the building scrubbed from top to bottom, and all the beds and clothing aired and sunned.”

This past January, the Brick Block Building’s owner graciously allowed several of us to tour the building. While sharing with us a general history, the owner shared that he was puzzled by the presence of “whitewashing” in only a portion of the building. Research had revealed only a section of the building had served as a hospital. Civil War hospitals were routinely whitewashed (painted white) to enable better lighting at night, as well as for observing cleanliness. Remarkably, because the hospital part of the building had been closed off for decades and subsequently spared from later modifications, it was like a time capsule. To see the whitewashed walls was truly like stepping back in time.

Civil War era whitewashing still exists

This indeed was the hospital! There we were, standing in a building that had previously served 156 years ago as a wartime hospital. More significantly, it was one of three known North Carolina hospital buildings from the Civil War still standing, not counting historic homes or churches that were used temporarily as hospitals. This exciting revelation further adds to our knowledge of the existence of Civil War hospitals in Eastern Carolina and enriches the significant history of New Bern.

Sokolosky, a well-known local historian and author, is in the process of completing a two-volume series that discusses the history of Civil War hospitals in the Old North State. The first volume titled North Carolina Civil War Hospitals: Confederate is due out in 2022.

Wade Sokolosky, Nathaniel Glasgow & Claudia Houston

Those who worked together to solve this mystery and discover the hospital were Wade Sokolosky; Nathaniel Glasgow, a recent graduate of Appalachian College; Claudia Houston, Historian of NBHS; and Jim Hodges, NBHS Curator, along with the owner of the Brick Block Building. It should be noted that the former hospital is on private property and not available for public viewing. We are currently pursuing the locations of two other Confederate Hospitals here in New Bern prior to the Union occupation.

Categories : Announcements

This Month in New Bern History – March 2021

Posted by Mickey

· March 5, 2021

by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society

While the inhumanity of war is clear, sometimes acts of humanity during war take us by surprise. One such example is that of Confederate Captain Mayo and his captor, Union Major W. B. Lowell. This is their story.

A map of the battlefield, based on one prepared for General Branch, showing location of Fort Ellis

On March 14, 1862 while the Battle of New Bern raged, four miles south of New Bern stood Fort Ellis, a Confederate fort on the Neuse River where Brinson School currently stands.

Commanding the fort was Captain John Micajah Mayo of the NC 2nd Artillery Regiment, Co A (also known as the NC 36th Regiment, Company F, nicknamed "The Pamlico Artillery"). When the Federal troops broke through the Confederate defenses on the battlefield, General Branch rode on horseback in great haste to the fort and ordered Mayo to destroy his guns and magazine. With over 3,000 pounds of powder and 500 loaded shells in the magazine, it was critical that this ammunition not fall into the hands of the Union Army.

Time was short – the Union was approaching. Quickly Captain Mayo sent his men out of the fort and away from danger and lit the trail to the explosives himself. Unfortunately, he was not far enough away from the blast site when it ignited, causing a massive detonation, described as the largest explosion of the battle. By all estimates, Mayo was thrown at least 100 feet through the air. Both of his legs were broken, his flesh and eyes severely burned, and his body badly mangled. He was reported as being killed.

James Micajah Mayo, courtesy Find A Grave

That night Captain Mayo was found by Major W. B. Lowell of the 11th Connecticut Infantry who was immediately drawn to this man and the courage he displayed, sacrificing himself for the mission instead of risking his men. Major Lowell had Mayo moved through Union lines to the hospital where he was treated by Dr. James B. Whitcomb. Major Lowell greatly admired Mayo’s heroism and told fellow officers, “He’s our prisoner, of course, but he shall never need a friend so long as I live. He voluntarily faced that terrible death rather than require it of one of his men."¹

Lowell visited Captain Mayo every day, wrote dictated letters to Mayo’s mother, read out loud and played the violin for hours. One evening, while grasping Lowell’s hand, Mayo stated, “It seems impossible that we were ever enemies, a brother could not have been kinder nor more self-sacrificing.” ² Despite his severe injuries, Mayo was discharged from the hospital after six months. Impressed by this young Confederate officer, Union General Ambrose Burnside arranged to dine with Mayo before his departure and personally arranged for a special escort to return him to his family farm in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, where he continued to recuperate.

Amazingly, Captain Mayo recovered and extended his service, this time with the NC 4th Cavalry where he was appointed a Major. At the battle of Upperville, VA in June 1863, he was captured and sent to prison. He spent time at two prisons until February 1865 when he was transferred to City Point, VA for exchange. While he was a prisoner at Johnson’s Island Military Prison near Sandusky, OH, he kept a detailed journal of prison life. He wrote two volumes, one of which, August 1863 - March 1864 is in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. It is deemed to be one of the best accounts of prison life during the Civil War written by either side in the conflict. The other has been lost.

After the war Mayo returned home to Edgecombe County, NC to practice law (prior to the war, he had studied law at the University of Virginia). He married Florence Lyon and had 8 children. In 1886 he moved with his family to Ocala, Florida and became a land speculator and officer for a new railroad looking to expand its services.

Courtesy Find A Grave

Meanwhile, Major W. B. Lowell wrote to a Confederate Veteran Magazine, in which he told the story of his meeting and becoming friends with Mayo. He related, “I hope he lived through the war if he was ever able to go in again and if alive will write me. …we always found him a gentleman and a man of most wonderful nerve.³

Unfortunately, that reunion was not to be, as Mayo was killed by a train in 1897 in Florence, SC. He was buried on the old Mayo farm near Whitakers, NC. His grave was unmarked until a memorial service in 2000 conducted by Camp 771 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans from Wilson, NC unveiled an official Veterans Grave Marker for Major James Micajah Mayo.

In a little town near the Florida Panhandle is located the county seat of Lafayette County - Mayo, Florida. The plaque in front of the local Court House commemorates the fact that the town is named for Confederate officer James Micajah Mayo. One of his sons, Nathan Mayo, was the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture for 37 years, the longest tenure in the office’s history.

If you would like to hear more about Captain Mayo and other powerful stories of courage and conviction, please join us at the New Bern Historical Society’s Lantern Tour at the New Bern Battlefield site on April 9-10. Click here for details.

^1,2 On the Field of Honor, Annah Robinson Watson, 1902, Sprague Publishing, pages 69, 71.

³Confederate Veteran Magazine, "Thrilling Story by a Union Veteran," Vol 3, 1895, page 383.

Categories : Announcements

This Month in New Bern History – February 2021

Posted by Mickey

· February 1, 2021

by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society

In February 1864, in an ironic turn of events, the Tuscarora Indians participated in a pivotal Civil War battle on the very land near New Bern that they had been forced to leave nearly 150 years prior.

Isaac Newton "Newt" Parker, Co. D, 132nd NY Infantry. Courtesy Missouri Historical Society

The Tuscarora people lived in eastern North Carolina before the Europeans arrived here in the seventeenth century. They initially lived together in peace, but due to differences in cultures, encroachment of land by settlers, kidnapping and enslavement of native people, conflict broke out resulting in the long and bloody Tuscarora Wars from 1711-1715. The Tuscarora suffered a huge defeat at their fort, Neoheroka. Forced from their land, many Tuscarora migrated to New York, becoming the sixth tribe of the Iroquois nation.

In New York, the Tuscarora were eventually forced from their homes and moved by the Federal government to reservations. When tribesmen attempted to enlist in the Union Army in 1861, they were repeatedly rejected from military service by New York recruiters citing the lack of a specific law allowing Native Americans to serve. It should be noted, however, that recruitment of Native Americans took place in other states in the north, like Pennsylvania.

Cornelius C. Cusick, chief of the Tuscarora, appealed to federal officials. He and other Iroquois persistently lobbied the government and as the Union Army was clamoring for more recruits, the ban on Native American enlistments was finally lifted. Cusick became a member of Company D of the 132nd New York State Volunteer Infantry which was popularly called “the Tuscarora Company.” Twenty-five Native Americans from five reservations served in this company, including Isaac Newton Parker, whose father, Chief William Parker, had served with the Americans during the War of 1812.

A natural leader, Cusick came from a proud and educated family. His grandfather had served as a bodyguard and interpreter for the Marquis de Lafayette during the American Revolution and Cusick himself spoke eight Indian languages. He eventually became a first Lieutenant of Company D. On December 28, 1862, the regiment boarded transports to New Bern. The Iroquois soldiers found themselves in the precise area where their tribe had been removed 150 years prior and much to their surprise, they camped near a settlement to the west of New Bern named Tuscarora.

In February 1864, the unit’s mettle was tested. General George Pickett and the Confederate Army attempted to retake New Bern from the Federal Army which had occupied the city since March 14, 1862. There was to be a three-pronged attack by various generals and their brigades. Confederate General Robert Hoke with six thousand men would march east between the Neuse and Trent rivers to New Bern. The only thing in their way was the thinly stretched line of the 132d NY Regiment at Bachelor’s (Batchelder’s) Creek, about eight miles from the city.

At Bachelor’s Creek there was a small federal outpost commanded by Lieutenant Abram Haring, consisting of a blockhouse and breastworks on both sides of the road that crossed the Neuse River bridge. It was a rainy, foggy night when the Confederates attempted to cross the bridge. Although vastly outnumbered, Haring and his men repulsed the Confederates three times. Just as they were running out of ammunition, the Tuscarora Company arrived to reinforce Haring. But even with the arrival of additional companies of the 132nd the Federals were forced to retreat to New Bern.

Although the Union gave up their position at Bachelor’s Creek, the fierce six-hour fight delayed the arrival of additional Confederate troops at New Bern. This upset General Pickett’s plans to retake the city for the south, eventually resulting in his withdrawal the next day. The 132nd NY Tuscarora Company was specifically cited for their bravery and heroic actions that day, and Abram Haring would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.

Battle of Batchelor's Creek. Drawn by Cornelius C. Cusick (Indian Lieutenant, Co. D 132d Regt. NY Infantry). Collections of East Carolina University.

The 132nd NY participated in two major battles and three significant skirmishes during their time in eastern North Carolina, including in the fight at Jackson Mills, Battle of Wise’s Forks, and several attempts to wrest Kinston from the Confederacy. The fighting soon ended as they joined Sherman’s army in Goldsboro, and then moved to Raleigh at the time of the surrender of North Carolina Confederate forces at Bennett’s farm. The unit was discharged finally in June 1865 and returned to New York.

The irony remains, however. The Tuscarora Company was led by a Tuscarora chief back to his people’s native land to fight Carolinians who had expelled them a century and a half earlier.

Categories : Announcements

This Month in New Bern History – January 2021

Posted by Mickey

· February 1, 2021

by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society

During the 1890’s in New Bern there was a large middle class of African American businesspeople who needed not only goods but services and institutions that would meet their specific needs. One such institution began with great promise, but by January of 1915 had to close its doors. Herein lies the tale of the Mutual Aid Bank.

New Bern’s Mutual Aid Bank was the first African American incorporated banking institution in North Carolina. Its incorporation date was March 6, 1896 and two years later the bank opened at what was then 117 Broad Street (now the 700 block of Broad Street). This was greatly heralded by the Black community as many had lost money during the days of the Freedmen Savings Bank run by the federal government, leaving a great distrust of white owned banks due to their experience. The Mutual Aid Bank offered normal banking services, mortgage lending and added insurance policies for Black businesses as they were excluded from white insurance organizations.

J.T. Barber, Mutual Aid Bank board member, teacher and principal

The various officers of the bank as well as the board of directors included men who were upwardly mobile, educated and committed to improving lives in the Black community. Christopher C. Roach was the bank president, and over time directors included Merritt Whitley, a funeral home director for the African American community and appointed Craven County Undertaker; JT Barber, noted teacher and principal; and William Lassiter, physician. The officers of the bank were C.C Roach, President, H.W. Thompson, Vice President and, J.H. Fisher, Cashier.

In 1907 an incident occurred which had a monumental effect on the future of the bank. A Baltimore distilling company shipped whiskey to parties living in the city of New Bern and sent drafts with bills of lading attached to the Mutual Aid Bank for collection. A suit was brought by this company to recover the balance of the money which a member of the bank had collected but not remitted to the plaintiff. Mr. Dowdy, an employee of the bank, was charged with selling liquor without a license, found guilty and sentenced to prison. The Mutual Aid Bank was ordered to compensate the Baltimore company in the amount of $158.

During a stockholder meeting in 1914 the bank showed assets of over $119,000. Despite this positive posture, the bank never recovered from the lawsuit and did not have sufficient assets to continue running.

On January 12, 1915 Sheriff Lane closed the doors of the Mutual Aid Bank due to failure to pay the judgment against them by the Baltimore distilling company. There was more to come. In February of 1915, after the closing of the bank, the cashier, John H. Fisher was charged with embezzlement. As cashier he had full charge of the bank funds and it was noted at trial, he did with them what he pleased. On June 8, 1915 he was convicted of embezzlement of over $1500, was sentenced to jail for a period of a year and was ordered to repay this amount.

By this time, Blacks were fully disenfranchised due to Jim Crow laws. They were not allowed to vote and no longer could run for office; many migrated north for more lucrative jobs and a better environment. The Mutual Aid Bank began with much promise and hope for a new future for the Black community. But in the end, there were not enough investors, funds were mismanaged and misappropriated, and the bank had to shut its doors.

Categories : Announcements

Gateway to History

Posted by Mickey

· January 7, 2021

The Beauty of Downtown Fences & Gates
by Curator Jim Hodges

Isaac Taylor House, 228 Craven St.

Even as a young boy while walking about the streets of downtown New Bern, I was always impressed by the array of metal fences and gates. Although many years have slipped by, my fascination has never waned. Recently, I delved into the matter and documented the variety of these man-made architectural works.

Edward R. Stanly House, 502 Pollock St.

The old adage “good fences make good neighbors“ is certainly open to discussion. My opinion is that these properties, including several churches, installed the fences as an elegant statement of defining the property perimeters. Considering the fact that the height of the fences is in the range of three to four feet, they do not present a formidable deterrent to trespassers other than roaming livestock back in the day. Cedar Grove Cemetery dating to 1798 had many metal fences and gates around family plots. These were placed not only out of respect for their departed loved ones, but also for family pride. Sadly, vandalism, theft, and time have taken a significant toll and very few remain intact.

Of note are the fences around Christ Episcopal Church, First Presbyterian Church, and First Baptist Church. The manufacturers’ emblems are normally affixed to the gates and none were observed on the fences. Christ Episcopal and First Presbyterian fences are attributed to Stewart Iron Works of Cincinnati, Ohio and the fence around First Baptist was made by Champion Iron Fence Company of Kenton, Ohio. Although Champion Iron Fence Company was only in business from 1876 to circa 1910, that is not the case for the Stewart Iron Work.

First Baptist Church, 239 Middle St.

First Presbyterian Church, 412 New St.

The story behind the success of Stewart Iron Works is especially interesting. In 1862, the business was started by Richard Clayborne Stewart, Sr. as the Stewart Iron Fence Company in Covington, Kentucky. By the advent of the 20th century, Stewart Iron was recognized as the largest ornamental iron furniture manufacturer in the United States and the largest ornamental fence company in the world. With astute management, the business incorporated in 1902 into three separate entities: The Stewart Structural and Iron Bridge Company, The Stewart Iron Fence Company, and The Stewart Jail Works. The Jail Works business provided jail cells for Alcatraz, Sing-Sing, Leavenworth and many prisons across the country.

JRB Carraway House, 207 Broad St.

Prior to WWI, Stewart Iron merged with US Motor Trucks and manufactured the heavy duty trucks used by the US Army during the war. During WWII, Stewart Iron participated and produced portable Bailey bridges and tank armor. With the creation of the interstate highway system in the 1950s and 1960s, Stewart was awarded the contract for chain link fencing to line the highways coast to coast.

At the close of the 20th century, Stewart Iron Works had weathered the ups and downs of business cycles and was prospering. In 2005, it was purchased by a group of investors and, in 2019, was acquired by the HGC Group of Companies. Although under an umbrella, Stewart Iron Works still operates under its original name at its headquarters in Covington, Kentucky and is a recognized leader in the wrought iron and ornamental metal industry.

Next time when you are downtown and see one of these hundred-plus-year-old fences and gates, appreciate not only the historical significance they contribute to our town, but also the American companies dedicated to outstanding quality and craftsmanship that built them.

Cedar Grove Cemetery

Joseph L. Rhem House, 701 Broad St.

Wade Meadows House, 221 East Front St.

Register of Deeds Office, 226 Pollock St.

John R. Justice House, 221 East Front St.

Categories : Announcements

This Month in New Bern History – October 2020

Posted by Mickey

· October 21, 2020

by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society

Appleton Oaksmith, one of the most eccentric characters in New Bern history, died this month in 1887. While he did not reside in New Bern, he was known here primarily due to his purchase and reconstruction of the Simpson house at 226 East Front Street. Later known as the Simpson-Oaksmith-Patterson House, this unique house has been the focus of more stories and traditional history than any other structure in New Bern.

Per the National Register of Historic Places, in 1810, Samuel Simpson purchased the original portion of the house which stood at the southeast corner of Pollock and East Front Streets. In 1843 a huge fire destroyed a good portion of the homes on Pollock Street and it appears that Simpson’s federal style brick house was rebuilt between 1843-1846. (Sandbeck, Peter, The Historic Architecture of New Bern and Craven County, NC Architecture pgs.108-109, Tryon Palace Commission 1988). The house remained in the Simpson family until 1860 when it changed hands. During the Civil War, the house served as a Provost Marshal’s office and jail. Appleton and Augusta Oaksmith purchased the home sometime in 1874 and after 1884 began operating the Vance Academy, a boarding and day school, in the house.

Advertisement for the Vance Academy in the Simpson-Oaksmith House after house was renovated (NBHS files)

Between 1884 and 1887, Appleton Oaksmith began remodeling this house in a perplexing – if not bizarre – style. In 1888 George Nowitzky visited New Bern and described the house in this manner:

“The Greatest Architectural Curiosity in the South. It is formed by one of New Bern’s oldest brick buildings (one has done duty as a jail), transformed into such a remarkable combination and blending of dormers, balconies, pinnacles, fantastic-looking tower, railings, human, griffin and dog heads as to make it a veritable architectural puzzle. No one knows what it was intended for, and the owner, apparently believing it is nobody’s business, has failed to enlighten them.”
(Green, John III, A New Bern Album, The Tryon Palace Commission, 1985 pg. 137)

The house was referred to by many as “Blackbeard’s House” as there were rumors of a secret tunnel allowing the pirate to smuggle treasure. Blackbeard died long before the house was built, but the rumors persisted. Many speculated that Appleton Oaksmith used the secret tunnel for smuggling purposes. Some said that the house was fashioned after Morro Castle in Havana, but why, no one knew.

The storied house reflected Oaksmith’s unconventional character. Appleton Oaksmith was an ambitious man, with vision, boldness and daring -- yet his ethics were questionable. He was a sea captain, writer, munitions supplier, soldier of fortune, slave trader, politician, blockade runner, entrepreneur, railroad speculator, and some said, a pirate.

Oaksmith was born in Portland, Maine in 1827 to literary and accomplished parents. Armed with fluency in four languages and a passion for arts and science, at the age of 16 Oaksmith set sail for China. Over the next few years he ventured to South America, the Caribbean and Africa while trading goods. He heavily financed military expeditions in Cuba and Nicaragua from 1855-1856 and lost a great deal of money. He dabbled in the magazine business, railroad speculation, paper mill ownership, and even Tammany Hall politics.

In 1861, Oaksmith was arrested, imprisoned, and convicted of slave trading. He was jailed in Boston but escaped from prison in 1862 with the help of friends who bribed the guards. He hid in his grandmother’s home in Maine for a year where he fell in love with his cousin, Augusta Mason. This was problematic as he was married since 1855 to Isotta Rebecchini, an Italian musician who bore him four children.

Oaksmith sailed to England where he spent years in exile. Despite his fugitive status, he became a sea captain and blockade runner for the Confederacy, sailing from England to Texas. He was almost captured in 1864 when his ship was boarded by the Union Navy, but he managed to escape and return to England.

Oaksmith’s personal life was as tumultuous as his checkered career. He filed for and obtained a divorce from his wife Isotta in 1866 without her knowledge. He then coerced her into giving up custody of their four children, vowing she would never see them again if she did not sign papers. Isotta reluctantly complied, but Appleton still allowed no contact with the children. He then married his cousin Augusta in Canada in 1867, with whom he had an additional eight children.

On a trip back to the US, Oaksmith landed in Beaufort, NC to make repairs to his ship. While there, he attended an auction and successfully bid $11.25 for property west of Morehead City, known as Becton Place. Oaksmith sailed back to England but finally in 1873 returned with his wife and children to make Carteret County their home. He hired locals to reconstruct a home from a building that had been a Union Army barracks. He purchased another 300 prime acres which includes nearly all of present-day Atlantic Beach and a portion of Pine Knoll Shores. He put all the property in the name of his wife and her sister, calling his vast estate Hollywood.

With the stigma of the slave-trading affair hanging over him, Oaksmith resolved to clear his name. Using an alias, he met with President Ulysses Grant. Oral history has it that after a short meeting, Grant was swayed to sign the pardon. When the President asked why his visitor pleaded so earnestly for this man, the audacious Oaksmith smugly replied, "Because I am Appleton Oaksmith."

In 1874 Oaksmith ran for the state House of Representatives from Carteret County which he won, serving one term. While in office, the visionary Oaksmith hatched many development plans for the county. He recommended dredging Beaufort Harbor and the Neuse River. He tried to acquire Fort Macon to serve as a resort hotel but when that failed, he then planned to develop the Atlantic Beach area into a seaside resort. Oaksmith was not able to obtain backing for his ambitious plans.

Business failures, sickness, and personal tragedy mark Oaksmith’s last years. On July 4, 1879 he set sail for Beaufort on an outing in the family boat with six of his children, four girls and two boys ranging in age from 5-21. The boat capsized. None of the children could swim and the four girls tragically drowned. Son Ralph, age 17, told the Sheriff that his father had tried to drown them all, an accusation which Oaksmith vehemently denied. Authorities believed Oaksmith’s account and Ralph left home, never to return.

After the loss, Oaksmith became reclusive; his mental and physical health declined. Suffering from unbearably painful malaria attacks, seizures, and even paralysis, he spent several years between home and NY hospitals. On October 29, 1887, in NY, Appleton Oaksmith died. His body was returned to Carteret County by train.

The New Bern Daily Journal of October 30, 1887 wrote:

“… In many respects Captain Oaksmith was a remarkable man. A true history of his life would doubtless make an interesting little volume.”

Photo of Simpson-Oaksmith House taken by photographer William Garrison Reed shortly before renovations by Oaksmiths (photo NBHS).

His widow Augusta Oaksmith sold the whimsical brick home in New Bern and it changed owners many times thereafter. In 1974, “The Greatest Architectural Curiosity in the South” was unceremoniously demolished, leaving today a gravel parking lot across from the Galley Stores and Marina gas pumps. Thus ends a very fanciful chapter in New Bern history.

Categories : Announcements

This Month in New Bern History – June 2020

Posted by Mickey

· June 20, 2020

by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society

New Bern is the site of many significant “firsts” – first provincial convention in America held in defiance of British orders, North Carolina’s first capital, first postal service, first free public school, and first black-owned bank. During the month of June in the year 1749, New Bern was the site of a major new institution that had a profound cultural and political impact on the future of the Old North State.

Prior to the mid-eighteenth century, information and news in North Carolina were passed through word of mouth and handwritten records. As the population grew and towns formed from rural areas, the provincial government found the handwritten, incomplete and error-filled colonial laws inadequate. After voting to revise the laws, the Assembly hired James Davis of Williamsburg, Virginia, and on June 24, 1749, Davis arrived in New Bern to become North Carolina’s first public printer.

Davis had likely apprenticed under William Parks, at that time Virginia’s first and only printer. The printing press Davis brought with him to New Bern from Williamsburg was the first to be used in North Carolina. He initially set up shop on Pollock Street, but later moved to the southwest corner of Broad and East Front Streets. In 1749, Davis printed the first official publication for the colony entitled The Journal of the House of Burgesses of the Province of North Carolina.

Davis was also responsible for printing the colony’s first currency. In 1751 he finally completed the revisal of the colonial laws. While completing his public printer duties, out of financial necessity he supplemented his income by private printing. In 1751, Davis began publishing the first newspaper in the colony, the North-Carolina Gazette, with the motto, "With the freshest advices, foreign and domestick," which he produced until 1760. Davis started another newspaper in 1764, called The North Carolina Magazine; or, Universal Intelligencer, but it only lasted four years. In 1768, he resumed publication of The North-Carolina Gazette, which continued to be printed until 1778.

In 1753, Davis published a book, A Collection of Many Christian Experiences, Sentences, and Several Places of Scripture Improved, written by Reverend Clement Hall. This book was a first in several categories: the first book written by a native of North Carolina and the first privately printed, non-legal book published in the colony. Davis served as North Carolina’s public printer for almost thirty-three years and published over one hundred documents in that time.

While he was a prolific printer, Davis also wore many other public hats. In 1753 he became a member of the county court, an office he held for over 25 years. In 1754 he was elected Sheriff of Craven County, leaving that position after ten months upon his election to the Assembly. He was later appointed New Bern Postmaster and served as a justice of the peace from 1768-1778. Davis was a supporter of the American Revolution and during this period was appointed to numerous influential political positions representing New Bern and Craven County. He reached the zenith of his political career with his 1781 appointment to the Council of State, North Carolina’s powerful executive branch.

James Davis’ appointment in New Bern as the state’s first public printer ushered North Carolina into a new world of information sharing between the state and the rest of the world, brought its citizens unprecedented access to news and ideas, and bound together the colony’s patchwork of isolated rural areas into a single political entity. He died in New Bern in 1785 and is buried at Christ Episcopal Church. Inscribed on his gravestone is the following:

Established the art of printing in the Colony of North Carolina,1749
Public printer to the Colony and the State
Published first book, first newspaper and first magazine in North Carolina
Member of the Council of State
Of the General Assembly
Of the Provincial Convention
Of the Provincial Congress
And of the Committee of Safety for the County of Craven and Town of New Bern
Judge of the Admiralty Court
Justice of the County Court
Sheriff of Craven County
Postmaster and Contractor to convey the public mails from Suffolk to Wilmington
Printed currency for the colony

Categories : Announcements, This Month

American Dream Leads to New Bern

Posted by Mickey

· May 22, 2020

by Jim Hodges
Curator, New Bern Historical Society

“Boston Millionaire to Locate Here,” read the headline in the New Bern Weekly Journal on this day in May 1914, declaring that Dr. Earl S. Sloan was planning to build a winter home in the area. Today this announcement would probably not attract much attention, but in 1914 – obviously worthy of note. This is a life journey personifying the American dream, where a motivated individual with natural entrepreneurial and marketing skills as well as keen business savvy can accumulate great success and wealth. This is the story of Dr. Earl Sawyer Sloan.

The Andrew Sloan family emigrated from Ireland after the American Revolution and eventually settled in Zanesfield, Ohio. Andrew Sloan was a horse harness maker who had a certain ability with horses which allowed him to pursue this skill and become a self-taught veterinarian. Doc Sloan was also known for his strong-smelling brown formula that was effective in reducing joint pain and inflammation for overworked horses.

Earl Sawyer Sloan, the third of five children, was born September 8, 1848, in Zanesfield, Ohio. Although he did not attend more than the elementary grades, he learned to read and write and developed a great appreciation for books. He was apprenticed as a harness maker at the age of fifteen, but in 1871 joined his brother Foreman in St. Louis, Missouri. Earl carried with him a supply of his father’s horse liniment and with Foreman, who was engaged in the buying and selling of horses, they peddled the concoction throughout the area. This time period marking the heyday of the horse in American life, the Sloan liniment was in great demand.

Sloan's 1898, courtesy baybottles.com

As the story goes, by accident it was discovered that the liniment was beneficial not only for the horses but humans as well – consequently it was advertised as “good for man and beast.” The essential ingredient is chili pepper (capsicum, a topical analgesic) and its external use was once recommended for everything from a stiff neck to bruises, sprains, strains and mosquito bites. The formula was refined and patented about 1885 and the business grew rapidly due to Earl Sloan’s fondness for newspaper advertising. In 1900 Earl, who was now married, moved his manufacturing operations to Boston in 1904. The business was incorporated in 1904 as “Dr. Earl S. Sloan, Incorporated.” Apparently the title “Doctor,” although never formally or academically achieved, gave him and his product more credibility and increased sales. By 1907, sales were reported throughout the United States as well as South America, Australia, Europe and Canada. In 1913 Dr. Sloan sold his company - including offices in Ontario, England, Australia, and Amsterdam - to William R. Warner & Co. Of interest, W. R. Warner & Co. merged into Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical in 1955, which was eventually acquired by Pfizer in 2000.

In the late 19^th and early 20^th century, it was a practice of wealthy northerners to build substantial residences in North Carolina and other more climate friendly areas to serve as second homes. Although Dr. Sloan considered several locations including Asheville and Pinehurst, he eventually selected New Bern. He acquired 440 acres of land from John W. Stewart and an additional 25 acres from the Craven County Commissioners, located on the north side of the Trent River about 2 miles from downtown New Bern. The Stewart property was known as the Colonel Ransom estate, thus Sloan called his plantation Ransom Farm. New Bern native Robert F. Smallwood was hired as the architect and local contractor John F. Rhodes was hired to supervise construction.

Sloan Estate ca. 1929. From "A New Bern Album," John B. Green III

Built in 1914, the Dr. Earl S. Sloan House was a “large and well appointed example of Colonial Revival residential construction with Mediterranean and Tudor Revival influence. The two and a half-story brick building has a main block and flanking pavilions under low, hipped slate roofs. The long axis of the home runs parallel to the Trent River. The interior of the house exhibits carefully crafted cypress and hardwood woodwork with chestnut trim and mahogany varnished hardwood veneer doors.” Not too bad for a man who started his career hawking horse liniment door to door.

It is not clear how much time Dr. and Mrs. Sloan actually spent at Ransom Farm. He died in 1923 leaving the property to his widow, who sold Ransom Farm in 1928 to the New Bern realty firm of N. E. Mohn and Company. In 1933 the property transferred to U.S. Senator O. F. Glenn of Illinois, who renamed it Trent Pines. Senator and Mrs. Glenn intended to use Trent Pines as a winter home; however, their plans never materialized. From 1942 to 1968, the property was operated as the Trent Pines Club, a popular inn and yacht club. It was then purchased by Robert P. Holding, Jr., Chairman of First Citizens Bank, who renamed the estate Miles Away. Mr. Holding died in 1979 and the property passed to his son Frank R. Holding who continued the restoration of the house.

Sloan's Liniment, early 20th century. Still available today

The house is recorded on the National Register of Historic Places and is a standing tribute to the success of Dr. Sloan and the vibrant history of New Bern and Craven County.

Sloan’s liniment is still sold today. Over 135 years later, the packaging still carries Earl Sloan’s likeness on the label.

Categories : Announcements, This Month

This Month in New Bern History – May 2020

Posted by Mickey

· May 19, 2020

U.S. Colored Troops Recruiting Poster, Wikipedia

At the Vanguard of History
by Bernard George

One hundred fifty-seven years ago this month, New Bern, North Carolina was the site of an event that would dramatically impact the conduct of the Civil War and provoke a major societal shift across our young nation. In 1863, the United States War Department created the Bureau of Colored Troops, organized to oversee and direct the historic incorporation of black troops into the Union army. On May 17 of that year, thirteen Union officers and a civilian recruiter arrived in New Bern to organize the “African Brigade,” the country’s first official major military unit largely made up of African American escaped slaves, then known as contraband.

This daunting military and social experiment would settle once and for all the unanswered question of the time, “Can the slave be trained to intelligently and heroically fight as well as his white counterparts?” By the end of the Civil War the answer was a resounding “yes,” as United States Colored Troops (USCT) fought and died in every major campaign of 1864-1865 except Sherman's invasion of Georgia. As further evidence of the military value of black troops to the war efforts, on March 13, 1865 the Congress of the Confederate States of America passed and President Jefferson Davis signed into law General Order 14 allowing the enlistment of slaves with the promise of freedom.

Brigadier General Edward A. Wild

After being captured by Union forces in March 1862, New Bern became the headquarters for more than 14,000 Union soldiers. According to an early 1863 census, there were at least 8,500 black refugees or contraband seeking freedom in New Bern and three outlying camps. Many of the refugees became the original residents of James City, a planned freedmen community on the south shores of the Trent River. Due to the area’s large number of contraband, Col. Frank Lee, commander of the 44^th Massachusetts, predicted that “a brigade of colored men could be easily raised in North Carolina.”

When charismatic General Edward A. Wild arrived in New Bern in mid-May of 1863, he was accompanied by one of the most experienced and competent staffs of officers that would lead any of the 139 black regiments formed during the Civil War. Fresh from successful efforts to organize and recruit the famous black Massachusetts 54^th and 55^th Regiments, Gen. Wild was charged with raising four regiments of an “African Brigade” of 4,000 soldiers in the Department of North Carolina. With New Bern serving as the recruitment headquarters for this historic military undertaking, more than 6,000 African Americans enlisted in the Union army.

Colonel James Beecher

The first regiment raised by Gen. Wild was the 1^st North Carolina Colored Volunteers, commanded by Col. James C. Beecher, brother of author Harriet Beecher Stowe of Uncle Tom’s Cabin fame. Lt. Col. William N. Reed, the Regiment’s second in command, was a seasoned German-trained officer. Some sources describe Reed as a mulatto, although the army had an official policy prohibiting the appointment of black officers in command positions. Col. Beecher’s original staff also included Major John De Grasse, the first black surgeon admitted to a Medical Society in this country and one of only a few black surgeons in a Union regiment. An additional black officer, the Rev. John N. Mars, was selected to be the 1^st NCCV Regiment’s chaplain. Undoubtedly, the presence of black officers inspired many of New Bern’s young black men to enlist in the 1^st NCCV.

Dr. John Van Surly DeGrasse, courtesy Bay State Banner

By the end of the Civil War, over 190,000 black men served in the Army and Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war—30,000 of infection or disease. Black soldiers served in infantry and artillery and performed all noncombat support functions as well. Black carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters also contributed to the war cause.

The flames of racial prejudice cut short the majority of the heroic military careers of our nation’s first black Civil War leaders. Nevertheless, this grand experiment in New Bern helped sow the seeds of change that would one day allow all Americans to reap the benefits of full civil rights, and pave the way for the election of our nation’s first African American president.

Categories : This Month

New Bern Historical Society

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