Collett Leventhorpe, the English Confederate: The Life of a Civil War General, 1815-1889This is the story of Collett Leventhorpe (1815-1889), an Englishman and former captain in the 14th Regiment of Foot. Leventhorpe came to North Carolina about 1843, settled there, and later served the Confederacy as a colonel in the 34th and 11th N.C. and brigadier general commanding the Home Guard in eastern North Carolina. Though he trained as a physician at the College of Charleston in the late 1840s, he never practiced and was a restless man, endlessly in search of fortune--before the war in the gold fields of North Carolina and Georgia, and after it in the pursuit of lost estates, art treasures and inventions. But he excelled first and foremost as a Confederate soldier. As a field commander he was never defeated in battle, and his record was marred only by his own rejection of a much deserved but very late promotion to CSA brigadier. He lies buried in the beautiful Happy Valley section of Caldwell County. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Rutherfordton and the Quest for Eldorado | 34 |
The Best Drilled Regiment 18611862 | 61 |
Pettigrew Pennsylvania and Prison 18631864 | 90 |
In the Service of His State 18641865 | 136 |
Wanderings Reconstruction Politics | 162 |
A Confederate Heros Day May 11 1896 | 204 |
Some CourtsMartial During | 210 |
Regimental Orders for Changes in | 220 |
Poems by General Leventhorpe | 226 |
General Collett Leventhorpe an Address | 232 |
Chapter Notes | 241 |
Bibliography | 273 |
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14 August Army arrived August battle BLP SHC brigade Bryan called Camp Captain cavalry charge Civil Clark Collett Leven Collett Leventhorpe Colonel command Company Confederate continued County Court death December early enemy engagement February Federal first force Gettysburg gold Hill History Home Guard Hoyle included James January John July June late later Lemuel letter Leventhorpe to Richard London Louisa Leventhorpe March Mary miles mining months moved named NCDAH North Carolina Northrop November o‡cer October orders Papers SHC perhaps Pettigrew Point Press Private probably Raleigh received Record Regiment remained reported Richard Jones river Rutherford Rutherfordton Samuel seems September Shotwell soon South Southern Thomas thorpe told troops United University Ursilla Bryan Valley Vance White Wilmington wounded wrote York young
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Page viii - I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill ; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Page 70 - Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous non-interference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall, by word, gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation.
Page 70 - As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subject to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans in return for the most scrupulous non-interference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall by word, gesture or movement insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States she shall be regarded...
Page 162 - Their entire system crumbled and fell about them in ruins — they remained unmoved. Tliey were subjected to the greatest humiliation of modern times : their slaves were put over them — they reconquered their section and preserved the civilization of the Anglo-Saxon.
Page 116 - I notified the general commanding of my movements, and was informed by him that, in case we found the enemy's force very large, he did not want a general engagement brought on until the rest of the army came up.
Page 127 - I am dying! I am dying! My poor wife, my dear children! what will become of you?' " Some were praying; others were uttering the most fearful oaths and execrations that despair could wring from their...
Page 127 - The road was rough and rocky from the heavy washings of the preceding day. The jolting was enough to have killed strong men if long exposed to it." "From nearly every wagon as the teams trotted on, urged by whip and shout, came such cries and shrieks as these: — "'Oh God! Why can't I die!
Page 115 - The only force at Gettysburg is cavalry, probably a detachment of observation. I am just from General Lee, and the information he has from his scouts corroborates that I have received from mine, — that is, the enemy are still at Middleburg, and have not yet struck their tents.
Page 136 - ... At the same time Brown was quarreling with the Administration as to who should name the officers of the Georgia troops. Zebulon B. Vance, the newly elected Governor of North Carolina and an anti-Davis man, said to the Legislature: "It is mortifying to find entire brigades of North Carolina soldiers commanded by strangers, and in many cases our own brave and war-worn colonels are made to give place to colonels from distant States.