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New Bern Public Li’brary
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PUBLISHED WEEKLY
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VOLUME 6
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1963
NUMBER 6
In New Bern and elsewhere
In the Southland, on this Con
federate Memorial Day, small
groups of remembering people
will visit cemeteries and pay
their respect to the hero who
fought under the Stars and Bars
In the War Between the States.
With each new generation,
those who pause to recall the
gray-clad soldiers who died for
the Lost Cause grow fewer In
number. Time not only heals
all things. It erases from the
memory of man the gallant
deeds of the past. In the North,
as In the South, the War Between
the States Is all but forgotten.
Viewed unemotionally at this
late date, the remarkable thing
about the Civil War was the Con
federacy’s survival over a
period of years. In fighting men,
the North outnumbered the South
three to one, and in wealth not
less than two to one.
According to Compton’s
Encyclopedia, the North too had
every type of Industry ■ within
its borders. Including 92 per
cent of the total manufacturing
of the nation and most of its
mineral resources. The South
was chiefly agricultural, with
an abnormal dependence upon
the production of cotton.
To the North fell most of the
United States Navy and most of
the merchant vessels that were
privately owned, thus making
high seas In the Interest of the
Union.
The North had more than
twice as many railroads as the
South, Including several lines
only lately developed that
tended to bind the Northwest
and the Northeast closely to
gether. Incidentally, the War
Between the States was the
first great war In which rail
roads furnished the chief means
of transporting troops and sup
plies from place to place.
The Civil War developed two
battlefronts, one In the East,
the other In the West. The
campaigns In the East were
fought mainly In Virginia and
Maryland, although anyone ac
quainted with New Bern’s and
North Carolina’s history knows
that Federal troops Invaded our
town and State.
Leading historians agree
pretty generally that the chief
factor In defeating the Con
federacy was not the Northern
armies but rather the Northern
blockade. Early in the war
Lincoln proclaimed a blockade
of the entire Southern coast
line, and by pressing every con
ceivable kind of vessel into
use the blockade became rea
sonably effective.
■ Less than an hour’s drive
from New Bern, Fort Macon
stands as a pathetic reminder
of the South’s valiant but hope
less attempt to withstand at
tack from the sea. Courage
wasn’t enough against the power
that the North was able to throw
at this and other forts erected
by the Confederacy.
Efforts on the part of the
South were unaballlng. The Con
federacy expected much from
the Merrlmac, an Ironclad ram
constructed at the Norfolk navy
yard, but the famous battle with
the Monitor put an end to these
hopes. Gradually the Union cap
tured the chief Southern ports
through which the blockade run
ners smuggled supplies.
New Orleans fell first, and
In 1864, Farragut took Mobile
harbor despite the strong de
fenses mustered there. Early
(Continued on Page 8)
AN EVENING OF SONG—New Bern High school’s
exceptional a capella choir, under the direction of
Donald Smith, will be featured next Wednesday and
Thursday nights, when the New Bern High school
chbmses present their ahnnal Pop Concert. Richtded
in the choir’s portion of the program are two composi
tions from “West Side Story’’ — “Maria” and “To-
nipht.” Hoagy Carmichael’s “Star Dust” and a Richard
Rodgers favorite from “Oklahoma” — “June Is Bustin'
Out All Over” — will be other crowd pleasers. The
girls glee club is singing favorites from Hie pens of
Straus, Rodgers and Bernstein, while the boys glee
club gets off to a rousing start with “We Sail Hie
Ocean Blue” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pinafore.”
REP'RESHMENT TIME—After an extended course de
signed to make them more charming and versatile,
these New Bern youngsters celebrate their graduation
with a tea in the Teen Chib at Union Point. The in
struction — one of many activities sponsored by the
New Bern Recreation Department — attracted mem
bers of the fair sex in the 11 to 14 age gpoup. Off
hand, we can’t think of any subject dearer than charm
to the ladies, whatever their age may be.—Photo by
John R. Baxter.
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