Marker: Smith-McDowell house: Our businessman-soldier |
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SMITH-MCDOWELL HOUSE
★ ★ ★
Our Businessman-Soldier
After John Brown’s raid on Harpers
Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, new militia
companies were formed in the South.
Businessman William W. McDowell,
whose wife acquired this house from
her father’s and brother’s estates,
raised a company called the Bun-combe
Riflemen. After the war
began in 1861, the unit entered Con-federate
service as Co. E, 1st North
Carolina Infantry, under Col. Daniel
H. Hill. McDowell led his company
during the first land engagement of
the conflict in present-day Virginia,
the Battle of Big Bethel, on June 10,
1861. The 1st North Carolina played a key role in repulsing the 5th New
York Infantry’s attack on the Con-federate
left flank and was largely
credited with the victory.
Soon afterward, McDowell
fell ill and on July 2 was furloughed
home. In the summer of 1862, he
raised a company (the Buncombe
Farmers) that was incorporated
into the 60th North Carolina
Infantry under McDowell’s brother,
Col. Joseph A. McDowell. William
McDowell served in the regiment
first as captain and then as major
until after the Battle of Stone’s
River in January 1863. Back home
by 1864, McDowell became a Con-federate
treasury officer for the sale
of government bonds. After the war,
he continued in business until ill
health forced his retirement in 1870.
One of McDowell’s slaves,
George Avery, a 19-year-old black-smith,
enlisted with
McDowell’s encourage-ment
in the 40th United
States Colored Troops
in April 1865. The unit
guarded railroads in East
Tennessee and mustered
out in February 1866.
240
25
You Are
Here
Camp
Clingman
Enslavement
George
Avery
James McConnell Smith, an early entrepreneur
and one of the wealthiest and most influential
men in antebellum Asheville, constructed this Fed-eral
and Greek Revival–style dwelling about 1840.
His daughter, Sarah Lucinda Smith, married
William Wallace McDowell and acquired the house.
It remained in the McDowell family until 1883.
Avery returned to Buncombe
County and became superintendent
of the South Ashe ville Colored
Cemetery, which was first used as
a McDowell slave cemetery.
Receipt bearing McDowell’s signature, June 29, 1864
Capt. Wm. W. McDowell, Buncombe Riflemen, ca. 1859
George Avery,
Feb. 18, 1917,
age 71
1st North Carolina
Infantry battle flag
Major funding for this project was provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, through the Transportation Enhancement Program of the Federal Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century.
Object Description
| Title | Smith-McDowell house: Our businessman-soldier |
| Creator |
Civil War Trails, Inc. North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. |
| Date | 2008 |
| Subjects |
North Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 |
| Place |
Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States |
| Time Period |
(1860-1876) Civil War and Reconstruction |
| Publisher | Civil War Trails, Inc.; |
| Rights |
May be copyrighted. Submit permissions requests for further use to Civil War Trails, Inc http://www.civilwartrails.org/ |
| Type |
Text Sound |
| Language |
English |
| Format |
Information signs |
| Digital Collection |
Civil War Collection |
| Digital Format |
application/pdf audio/mp3 |
| Audience |
All |
| Full Text | SMITH-MCDOWELL HOUSE ★ ★ ★ Our Businessman-Soldier After John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, new militia companies were formed in the South. Businessman William W. McDowell, whose wife acquired this house from her father’s and brother’s |
Description
| Title | Marker: Smith-McDowell house: Our businessman-soldier |
| Creator |
Civil War Trails, Inc. |
| Date | 2008 |
| Subjects |
North Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 |
| Place |
Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States |
| Time Period |
(1860-1876) Civil War and Reconstruction |
| Publisher | Civil War Trails, Inc.; |
| Rights |
May be copyrighted. Submit permissions requests for further use to Civil War Trails, Inc http://www.civilwartrails.org/ |
| Type |
Text |
| Language |
English |
| Format |
Information signs |
| Digital Characteristics-A | 205 KB; |
| Digital Collection |
Civil War Collection |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Audience |
All |
| Full Text | SMITH-MCDOWELL HOUSE ★ ★ ★ Our Businessman-Soldier After John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, new militia companies were formed in the South. Businessman William W. McDowell, whose wife acquired this house from her father’s and brother’s estates, raised a company called the Bun-combe Riflemen. After the war began in 1861, the unit entered Con-federate service as Co. E, 1st North Carolina Infantry, under Col. Daniel H. Hill. McDowell led his company during the first land engagement of the conflict in present-day Virginia, the Battle of Big Bethel, on June 10, 1861. The 1st North Carolina played a key role in repulsing the 5th New York Infantry’s attack on the Con-federate left flank and was largely credited with the victory. Soon afterward, McDowell fell ill and on July 2 was furloughed home. In the summer of 1862, he raised a company (the Buncombe Farmers) that was incorporated into the 60th North Carolina Infantry under McDowell’s brother, Col. Joseph A. McDowell. William McDowell served in the regiment first as captain and then as major until after the Battle of Stone’s River in January 1863. Back home by 1864, McDowell became a Con-federate treasury officer for the sale of government bonds. After the war, he continued in business until ill health forced his retirement in 1870. One of McDowell’s slaves, George Avery, a 19-year-old black-smith, enlisted with McDowell’s encourage-ment in the 40th United States Colored Troops in April 1865. The unit guarded railroads in East Tennessee and mustered out in February 1866. 240 25 You Are Here Camp Clingman Enslavement George Avery James McConnell Smith, an early entrepreneur and one of the wealthiest and most influential men in antebellum Asheville, constructed this Fed-eral and Greek Revival–style dwelling about 1840. His daughter, Sarah Lucinda Smith, married William Wallace McDowell and acquired the house. It remained in the McDowell family until 1883. Avery returned to Buncombe County and became superintendent of the South Ashe ville Colored Cemetery, which was first used as a McDowell slave cemetery. Receipt bearing McDowell’s signature, June 29, 1864 Capt. Wm. W. McDowell, Buncombe Riflemen, ca. 1859 George Avery, Feb. 18, 1917, age 71 1st North Carolina Infantry battle flag Major funding for this project was provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, through the Transportation Enhancement Program of the Federal Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century. |
