Mecklenburg County NcArchives Military Records.....Co. C., Thirty-Seventh N. C. Civilwar ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Guy Potts http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00017.html#0004214 January 20, 2008, 3:53 pm Co. C., Thirty-Seventh N. C. Charlotte Daily Observer 24 Sep 1905 The Old Potts Company - Organization 44 Years Ago As the anniversaries of the great events of the civil war come, the Confederate veteran becomes reminiscent. The times that tried men's souls will never be forgotten by those who participated in that gigantic struggle. We would not, if we could, forget those eventful days, and will teach our children to reverence and honor the boys who wore the gray. It is my purpose to tell Observer readers that forty and four years ago today, the old Potts Company, Co. C., Thirty-Seventh N. C., was organized at Mt. Zion church. Col. W.R. Myers, of Charlotte, came up and swore the boys into the service. Well do I remember the occasion; it was most solemn. We were drawn up in line - he passed down with Bible in hand and swore us in. We then realized that we were soldiers. It may be of interest to relate how and by what means the company was gotten up. The tocsin of war was resounding in the land - Big Bethel and Manassas had been fought and were signal victories to the Confederates - the whole Southland was ablaze with the war spirit. There were public meetings and big dinners, with fire-eating speeches, fifes and drums. The women of the land were even more patriotic than the men, urging, nay even pleading, with the young men to volunteer and defend out hearth-stones from the merciless invading foe, and woe be that able-bodied young man that refused to go to the front to defend his country. Those of today cannot realize the excitement and enthusiasm that prevailed everywhere. It was in this State of affairs that some of the leading young men of North Mecklenburg undertook to organize a company. Prominent among these were: Capt. J.M. Potts, J.L. Jetton, Samuel Withers, Dr. J.B. Alexander, J.S. Johnston and Thomas A. Wilson. Meetings were held at Zion church, Alexander's Academy and at the old Temperance Hall. After speeches were made by such men as Col. Ben Alexander, and a fine picnic dinner had been spread, a call would be made for volunteers. After 25 or 30 had been enrolled, we went into camp at Zion church, about the 1st of September. We occupied the cabins on the camp-ground - took our rations from home and the nearby women brought in some good things every day. A few days after we went into camp we held an election for officers, and elected J.M Potts, captain; Thomas A. Wilson, first lieutenant; J.L. Jetton, second lieutenant, and William B. Osborne, third lieutenant. We occupied a great deal of our time in drilling, Capt. Potts making a good drill master. After staying at Zion for some two weeks, we went home for a few days and the next place of rendezvous was at old Alexandriana school house. We were there a week and got many recruits. We then went back to Zion for a few days and went home preparatory to leaving for High Point, where we had been ordered. Early in October, we left for our destination, coming down to Charlotte in the morning. The two hotels here - Kerr's Hotel and the Mansion House, (now the Central) set us up to a nice dinner. We left for High Point about 11 p.m., went into camp, being the third company and as soon as ten companies were there, the Thirty-Seventh Regiment was organized with Col. C.C. Lee as colonel. It was then I was discharged on account of minority, much against my will, for we were having a good time then. I cannot follow the history of this company further. (I'll leave that for Dr. Alexander) but I do know that she did herself credit in many hard-fought battles. Only a corporal's guard survive. A great number fell in battle and died of disease, and quite a number bear marks of conflict. Of the original number who enlisted on the 16th of September, 1861, I can only recall the following who survive today: Lieutenant J.L. Jetton, Davidson; Lieutenant A.P. Torrence, Davidson; Thos. Gibson, Davidson; A.L. Stearns, Cornelius; John W. Goodman, Cornelius; Frank Carrigan, Cabarrus County; Thomas J. Kerns, Huntersville; J.C. Beard, Huntersville; Sam L. Hicks, Huntersville; Dr. J.B. Alexander, Charlotte; A.J. Hunter, Charlotte. There are other members of the company who survive but came in later. A.J. Hunter Sept. 16, 1905 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ncfiles/ File size: 4.9 Kb