NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction

Name: NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction
Address: 824 Branson Street, Fayetteville, NC, 28305, US
Telephone: +19108247360

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NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction

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The NCHCCWER will create extensive exhibits on the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras.

The overall goal of the NC Civil War & Reconstruction
History Center is to create a comprehensive portrait of North Carolina history that spans the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction periods. The Center builds on histories already told, using new records that have been since uncovered, patterns of data that have been newly seen, and recent scholarship. All of these things will make a valuable contribution to a new and more accurate depiction of this history that was unavailable a century ago. The NC Civil War & Reconstruction History Center, will tell North Carolina’s Civil War story from the top-down, and the ground-up. The history told here will focus on the human impact of the most traumatic period of United States history. At the same time, visitors should experience, and understand, the sweep of the state’s Civil War era history. Using current interpretive technologies, and anticipating trends that will be available at the time of its completion, the NC Civil War & Reconstruction History Center planning committee envisions a state-of-the-art institution that embraces a historic site, a facility that conveys the significance of its historic charter, and a digital dimension that extends its reach across the state of North Carolina. The Center shall serve as a primary Civil War era historical resource for all of North Carolina.

10/16/2026

“I want to see you all one time more in this life.”

On October 12, 1864, Thomas McDaniel wrote to his wife, Louisa, sharing the simple things he missed while away during the Civil War.

He asked her to send thread, pepper, sage and butter, complained about the poor quality of the beef he was eating, and expressed how much it meant to receive a letter from home.

But beyond those everyday requests was something much more personal: a husband longing to see his family again.

His letter offers a glimpse into the hardships, uncertainty and separation experienced by families during the Civil War.

Read his letter and discover the personal stories behind the history: https://nccivilwarcenter.org/a-letter-from-thomas-mcdaniel/

10/14/2026

Sometimes, it's the little comforts of home that mean the most.

On this day during the Civil War, Thomas McDaniel wrote to his wife with a simple request:

“I want you to send me something by Lieutenant [Jacob] Parleir if he can fetch it: I want some thread and pepper and sage and some butter if you can.”

It's a small but personal glimpse into everyday life during the war and the things soldiers missed while away from home.

Read more about Thomas McDaniel's letter: https://nccivilwarcenter.org/a-letter-from-thomas-mcdaniel/

10/12/2026

Before the Civil War, Lallister M. “Lal” White was a farmer, like so many others who would eventually leave their homes to serve in the war.

On October 7, 1863, White wrote a letter to his father, offering a personal glimpse into his life during the conflict. Just seven months later, he was killed at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in Virginia.

His letter is a reminder of the people and personal stories behind the history of the Civil War.

Read Lt. White’s letter to his father: https://nccivilwarcenter.org/lt-lal-whites-letter-to-his-father-october-7-1863/

10/09/2026

Every stone has a story.

On the grounds of the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, monuments and memorial paver stones honor individuals whose stories deserve to be remembered.

Among them is a stone dedicated to hometown hero Alexander McRae.

Discover the story behind his memorial and the history it preserves.

https://nccivilwarcenter.org/the-story-behind-the-stone/

10/06/2026

After being wounded at the Battle of Appomattox, John Murphy Walton of the 6th Regiment, North Carolina Troops, fled to avoid surrendering to Union forces.

Discover his story, submitted by his descendant Louisa Emmons, and learn more about his experience during the final days of the Civil War.

10/02/2026

The NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction is under construction in Arsenal Park in Fayetteville.

The Center has two main aims – the teaching of history as it is understood by peer-reviewed, university- and Smithsonian-level historians and documenting verifiable stories that are being gathered from families across the state about anyone who was in NC during that time. The history and the family stories will be combined to give a true picture of the American Civil War through the lens of an entire state.

The building that will house the Center is estimated to be completed in 2028.

But the Center isn’t waiting around.

Instead, the Center is making house calls. It’s sending out college professors to teach middle school teachers about what the Civil War was like in NC, or more accurately, what it was like in THEIR particular county/region in NC.

Historians know, for example, that far western NC was more Union, that the center, or Piedmont, was made up of Quakers and others who opposed slavery; and Eastern North Carolina was the site of more plantations that relied on the labor of enslaved persons.

The Center’s educational director, Michael McElreath, Ph.D., has gathered a team of professors, chosen for their expertise in particular regions. These symposiums have been held from Asheville to Greensboro to Elizabeth City to Wilmington to Durham to Charlotte to New Bern, to Richlands, to Morganton and to Lenoir.

And most recently, the Center made a stop in Washington, NC.

Here’s a story in the Washington Daily News about it: https://www.thewashingtondailynews.com/news/local-teachers-gather-for-civil-war-history-symposium-963731e0

10/01/2026

On May 4, 1857, Davy and Luke escaped from their enslavers in Virginia, just days after being sold at auction. Believed to be making their way home to North Carolina, the two men remained free a year later despite continued efforts to capture them. Read more at- https://nccivilwarcenter.org/reward-for-davy-luke-of-pasquotank-county/

09/22/2026

For Dr. William Stout, his Quaker beliefs and commitment to caring for his community shaped a difficult decision during the Civil War: paying another man to serve in his place.

Discover his story and learn how the system of hiring substitutes worked during the war.

https://nccivilwarcenter.org/quaker-doctor-paid-someone-serve-stead/

09/17/2026

No oysters? No problem.

During the Civil War, food shortages meant soldiers and families often had to get creative with the ingredients they had on hand. “Artificial Oysters” were one example—a simple dish made with eggs, flour, seasoning and whole-kernel corn, shaped like oysters and fried until browned.

It’s a small glimpse into how people adapted when food was scarce and even the most basic ingredients had to go a long way.

Would you give this Civil War-era recipe a try?

09/16/2026

In 1861, six young men from Halifax County answered the call to serve. Four years later, only two would live to surrender at Appomattox.

Their story offers a glimpse into the experiences of one family during the Civil War and the lasting impact of the conflict on those who served and the families they left behind.

Read the story of Lt. William Beavans, Company D, 43rd Regiment CSA https://nccivilwarcenter.org/the-story-of-lt-william-beavans-company-d-43rd-regiment-csa/

Address

824 Branson Street
Fayetteville, NC
28305

Telephone

+19108247360

Website

http://www.nccivilwarcenter.org/

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