Our Story: War & Reconstruction, 1860-1879

In 1861, just weeks after the firing on Fort Sumter, Caldwell County organized its first volunteer company. During the Civil War, men from the county formed five Confederate companies. One of those companies, Company A of the 22nd Regiment, was known as the “Caldwell Rough and Ready Boys,” and they fought at major battles including Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Other county men served in the 26th and 58th Confederate Regiments, the Junior Reserves, and neighboring county units, including some who fought for the Union.


Private Michael Criger, 22nd NC Regiment 
First Civil War Volunteer from Caldwell County
Source: Caldwell County Archives


First civil war volunteer from CC
Old St James Episcopal Church Stoneman Raid

In 1865, the Union cavalry under Major General George Stoneman conducted raids throughout western North Carolina, passing through Caldwell County several times. Fort Defiance was spared after an officer recognized the Masonic emblem on General Lenoir’s headstone, and St. James Episcopal Church was temporarily used as a prison and officers’ headquarters. During Reconstruction, former slaves received land at Mary’s Grove, and African-American communities emerged around the county including along Lower Buffalo, where schools such as the Buffalo Colored School were established.

In 1866, Hibriten Masonic Lodge #262 was formed, marking a revival of civic life. By 1869, visitors noted the county’s fertile land, abundant waterpower, and growing industries, including cotton and wool processing. In 1870, Marcus Gamewell, namesake of the Gamewell community, died, and African-American Baptists began organizing independent congregations

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St. James Episcopal Church, Site of Stoneman’s Raid 
Source: Caldwell County Archives Restored by Pam Smith Cooke

The county continued to build infrastructure and civic institutions in the 1870s. Rail service reached Lenoir in 1874, and Caldwell’s first newspaper, “The Caldwell Messenger,” began publishing in 1875. That same year, Berea Advent Christian Church was organized, the first of its denomination south of the Mason-Dixon line. Notable firsts included Caldwell County’s only official execution in 1876, the establishment of the state’s first circulating library, and the formation of a volunteer fire department in 1877. Davenport College, founded before the war, burned in 1877 but was rebuilt by the community and continued operations until merging with Greensboro College in 1933.


First Train to Lenoir
Source: Caldwell County Archives

First Lenoir Train

Our Story: A Time of Transition

The first volunteers to serve in the War Between the States
First parlor car on the CNW train to Lenoir Photo
Happy Valley Viewed from the Frith Property 1870s Photo

Sources: John O. Hawkins, “History of Caldwell County” and “History of Buffalo Cove;” Nancy Alexander, “Here Will I Dwell;”  Hibriten Masonic Lodge #262; Caldwell Heritage Museum; African-American Baptists in Caldwell County; and Gamewell History Museum.