Pvt Drewry A. Mewborn made it home to North Carolina

Drewry Aldridge Mewborn, son of Parrott Mewborn and his wife Mary Aldridge, was born June 14, 1840. Drew was declared unfit for duty twice due to poor eyesight. However, on October 21, 1862 he was enlisted as a private in Company C, 47th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, for the duration of the war. Three brothers — Joshua, Levi, and Parrott Mewborn, III — also served in the Confederate Army. During the winter of 1862, Drew served near Petersburg and Black Water Creek, Virginia. In 1863 he was with Gen. D.H. Hill and Gen. J.J. Pettigrew during their failed attempt to recapture New Bern and Washington, N.C. He contracted typhoid fever and bronchitis and was granted leave to recuperate at home near Jason. Drew rejoined his regiment in July of 1863 and remained with it until he was captured at Bristoe Station, Va. on Oct. 14, 1863. He was imprisoned at Point Lookout in Maryland. A warden from Connecticut showed an interest in him and loaned him books to read and study. Drew’s father, the Elder at Mewborn’s Primitive Baptist Church, farmed in Greene County, N.C. Parrott Mewborn visited Drew at Point Lookout and observed him serving rations. The prisoners were in poor condition and in need of blankets, shoes, clothing and food. Drewry was paroled and exchanged on March 4, 1865, but was recaptured during a 30-day furlough and taken to New Bern. After taking the oath of allegiance at the war’s end, he was released. Parrott Mewborn died April 26, 1864, before his sons — Drewry, Joshua, Levi, and Parrott Mewborn, III — returned home. His sons survived the war and returned to Greene County. After the war, Drewry Mewborn married Peninah Adeline Dixon, daughter of Richard and Mary Barrington Sugg, on Feb. 17, 1867 in Greene County. They had eight children: John, Henry, Manora, Benjamin, Joshua, Josiah, George and Levi Mewborn. Drewry farmed, and became an ordained minister of the Primitive Baptist Church on March 16, 1882. He served the church at the Meadow Meeting House in Greene County. He died May 9, 1928, almost 88 years old.