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AUTHOR:  Unknown

I am the descendant of four Confederate privates on my mother’s side. I haven’t researched my father’s side yet. Amos Dunn, Nasrow Creech and Noah Parker were conscripted into the 5th NC State Troops on the same day in July, 1862. Two were in Co C and one in Co D. Their first combat was at South Mountain MD in September, 1862. Two days later they were fighting at Sharpsburg, Maryland where Amos was wounded. He returned to the regiment by December. All three continued to serve in the 5th until shortly after the Battle of Chancellorsville in May, 1863, when Noah Parker deserted. His military record ends at that point.

Amos and Nasrow fought in most of the major engagements with the Army of Northern Virginia until the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley in September, 1864. The Confederate forces under General Early were initially successful until General Sheridan rallied his retreating troops after a famous ride from Washington. The retreating Confederates suffered many casualties including Amos, shot in the head and captured, and Nasrow shot in the shoulder. Amos spent the rest of 1864 and early 1865 in the hospital in Baltimore and Point Lookout Prison in Maryland. He was exchanged in February, 1865. His wife  back in Johnston County died 10 days before Amos was released from Point Lookout. His war was over. Nasrow recuperated and rejoined the 5th in time to serve at Petersburg and to be surrendered with a tiny remnant of his regiment at Appomatox CH in April, 1865.

In the meantime, Ephraim Evans was conscripted in September, 1862 and joined the 40th NC State Troops (artillery) at Fort Fisher. He was occupied mainly in the construction of Fort Fisher until he was transferred along with the rest of Co I to Bald Head Island to help construct Fort Holmes. By August, 1864 he was dead from disease. His  final resting place is still unknown but he was probably buried at Fort Holmes and possibly washed out to sea. The children of the lighthouse keeper recalled seeing remains washed out of the creek bank near the light house in the late 1800s. They had been wrapped in blankets and placed in rough wooden boxes. His wife Elizabeth was left to care for 4 children. She had already lost a brother in the army, also to disease.

Fort Holmes was abandoned after the fall of Fort Fisher in January, 1865. Ironically, of my Confederate ancestors, two were wounded, one was captured, but three returned home. The only one to die in the army was never in action and died from an unknown disease. Had he lived he would have ended up at Bentonville with the rest of the 40th, just a few short miles from his home near Four Oaks.

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