The 3rd North Carolina (Volunteer) Mounted Infantry (3rd NCMI) was an all-volunteer

mounted infantry Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', "Mounted rifles are half cavalry, mounted infantry merely specially m ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. The regiment was predominantly composed of Union Loyalists from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, but also included volunteers from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

and several other states. The 3rd NCMI, under the command of Colonel

George Washington Kirk __NOTOC__ George Washington Kirk was a soldier who served in American Civil War. Born and raised in Tennessee, he married Maria Louisa Jones in 1860. At the start of the war he served in the Confederate States Army, but his views were Unionist an ...

, became associated with unconventional and guerrilla-like tactics. Consequently, the regiment became known as Kirk's Raiders and the men were labeled ''

bushwackers Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there were large areas of contested land and few governmental resources to control these tra ...

''. The members of the regiment were also known as ''mountaineers'' because the majority of the men hailed from the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...

Western North Carolina Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains; it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United S ...

and

East Tennessee East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 count ...

Service

February 1864 - Formation

The 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry was formed by Special Order Number 44, on February 13, 1864, when Major General

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later served ...

ordered Major George W. Kirk to raise 200 men to; :''"... descend upon the rear of the rebel army under en. JamesLongstreet and destroy as much as possible of his stores and means of transportation ... u will move along the railroad into Virginia, damaging the road as much as possible by burning bridges, trestle-work, water tanks, cars, etc., and by tearing up the track ..."'' From June, 1864 until February, 1865, the 3NCMI was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 23rd Army Corps, Department of Ohio. From March, 1865 until August, 1865 the regiment was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, District East Tennessee,

Department of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

June 1864 - Raid on Camp Vance

Camp Vance, located near

Morganton, North Carolina Morganton is a city in and the county seat of Burke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,918 at the 2010 census. Morganton is approximately northwest of Charlotte. Morganton is one of the principal cities in the Hick ...

, and named for Zebulon B. Vance, a North Carolina wartime governor, was a training camp for Confederate conscripts. The 3rd NCMI easily captured the camp, but did not achieve its primary mission to destroy the railroad bridge over the

Yadkin River The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, po ...

north of

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

. They did destroy a nearby train, and inflicted significant damage to the engine. All buildings in the compound were destroyed, except for the hospital. Living up to their name as ''raiders'' a newspaper report at the time states the union soldiers robbed everyone present, stole all the horses and mules, and looted and divided the contents of the depot before burning it. It was also reported that many of those captured were able to escape while the Union troops made their retreat crossing the

Catawba River The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...

. Although the camp had been taken without a shot, several skirmishes ensued upon their retreat.

William Waightstill Avery William Waightstill Avery (1816–1864) was a North Carolina politician and lawyer. He served in the North Carolina House of Commons and State Senate prior to the U.S. Civil War. He represented North Carolina in the Provisional Confederate C ...

, a prominent North Carolina politician and lawyer, died from a wound he received in an encounter with Kirk's men shortly after the initial raid. On their way through Mitchell County, they burned the home and out buildings of the commandant of the local military district, Colonel John B. Palmer.

November 1864 - Bulls Gap

Was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring from November 11 to November 13, 1864, in Hamblen County and Greene County, Tennessee.

December 1864 - Red Banks

On December 29, 1864, the Third Regiment of North Carolina mounted an infantry under Colonel George W. Kirk, engaged about 400 Confederate Infantry and Cavalry under Lt. Colonel James A. Keith at Red Banks of the Nolichucky. Seventy-three Confederates were killed and thirty-two officers and privates were captured. The Union forces sustained only three wounded men. Tennessee Historical Marker 1A115 was erected to commemorate the incident.

March 1865 - Stoneman's Raid

In support of Major General George H. Stoneman's order to disrupt railroads in Southwest Virginia and North Carolina, Kirk and his men were assigned to hold Deep and Watauga Gaps near Boone, North Carolina. This was necessary to keep the mountain roads open for Stoneman's men when their mission was complete.

August 1865 - Discharge

The regiment was mustered out on August 8, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

There were 960 men (including at least one woman) in the 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry throughout the war. Sixteen were confirmed killed in action, and 23 were captured.Bumgarner.

Commanders

*Colonel George Washington Kirk (originally a Major, became Lieutenant Colonel; September 20, 1864, Colonel; March 14, 1865) *Lieutenant Colonel Robert W. Hubbard *Major William W. Rollins *Captain John W. Edwards *Captain Laban W. McInturff *Captain William W. Moore *Captain Robert J. Morrison *Captain John H. Ray *Captain Stephen Street * Captain William B. Underwood Killian, page 26.

Other notable unit members

* Malinda Blalock, one of the few female soldiers to fight in the war. She fought side-by-side with her husband, initially on the side of the South. When the opportunity arose, they joined Kirk's forces.

References

Bibliography

*Bumgarner, Matthew. 2000. ''Kirk's Raiders; A Notorious Band of Scoundrels and Thieves''. Piedmont Press, LLC. *Killian, Ron V. ''A History of the North Carolina Third Mounted Infantry Volunteers U.S.A; March 1864 to August 1865'', Heritage Books, Westminster, Maryland, 2008. *Tipton, A. Christine. 2000. ''Civil War in the Mountains; Greasy Cove, Tennessee''. Shining Mountain Publishers.

Citations and Notes

External links

The Civil War ArchiveThe Loyal Mountaineers of Tennessee
{{DEFAULTSORT:3rd North Carolina Volunteer Mounted Infantry Regiment Units and formations of the Union Army from North Carolina 1864 establishments in North Carolina Military units and formations established in 1864 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865