Hello Group.... The below article will be of interest to many of you. Mark your calendars to visit Kinston on your next trip to N.C..... (invitation to all of our Locals and surrounding communities also :) while here, remember that one of the best genealogy resources .. next to the Archives... is located at Heritage Place, Lenoir Community College. Read on: Kinston Free Press http://www.kinston.com/ Memorial site and Civil War battlefield dedicated December 12, 2004 LaToya Mack staff writer Sam King said he and his brother, Wil, spent time as young boys playing on the grounds where the first battle of Kinston was fought, pretending to be soldiers in that battle. On Saturday, that battlefield was dedicated in Wil King's honor. History buffs and other interested parties gathered Saturday to celebrate the dedication of the First Battle of Kinston Battlefield and Wil King Memorial. Wil King died in 2003. He devoted much of his time to preserving Lenoir County's Civil War history. "He understood well what the past could mean to our future," said Jane Phillips, president of the Historical Preservation Group. "He felt strongly about people learning the true story about the Civil War - both the good and the bad." Completing the site took 18 months of planning. "We hope that we can preserve that part of the history and educate people about what happened here," said Lonnie Blizzard, chairman of the Lenoir County Battlefields Commission. The battlefield, at Meadowbrook and Harriet drives behind King's Restaurant, was where the first Union soldiers crossed Kinston. Former Lenoir County Commissioner Oscar Herring said it is important to celebrate Lenoir County's Civil War history. "This is an exciting day in Lenoir County," Herring said. "We must preserve our history because if we don't, it will be lost to future generations." The dedication honored all the men who fought in the Civil War - Confederate, Union, black and white. Kinston Mayor Johnnie Mosley encouraged the groups involved in preserving the battlefields to remember all groups in their efforts. "We have a diverse population," Mosley said. "We should be participating as a unit. Â. We must find a way to have all of us participating in the history we are preserving." Dale Theetge, commander of the N.Y. Sons of Union Veterans, said the men who fought in the war had a lot in common despite their differences. Dedicating the site is an important way to honor those who fought. "We need to remember that there were men who fought and died here and honor that memory," Theetge said. "As long as we do that, they will not have died in vain." Confederate representative Bob Tolar said visiting battle sites and honoring the memory of those who fought is not honoring war. "Other countries had civil wars. Â. What sets America apart is, when (the war) was over, it was over," Tolar said. "That's what makes America a great country. Â. America didn't just happen; it was people like our ancestors - North, South, black and white." LaToya Mack can be reached at (252) 527-3191, Ext. 273, or [email protected] © 2004 by Freedom ENC Communications. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced without written permission from FENC Communications. For questions or comments about this site please email [email protected] . *************************************************************************** Jewelle [email protected] [email protected] Researching: (Main Capitalized) BAKER, Barrow, BEAMAN, BLOUNT, Bonner, Bours, Braxton, CANNON, Carraway, COX, Chester, Dail, ELLIS, Faircloth, Gardner, HANCOCK, HARDEE, Hardison, Harris, Harper, Harrington, Heath, Hollyman (all sp), JACKSON, Johnson, Jones, Letchworth, Manning, McGLOHON (all sp), McGOWAN, McKeel, Mills, Mitchell, Mumford, PHILLIPS, Price, Shaw, Smith, Sumrell, Stocks, Stokes, Tyson, Vandiford, Walls, Walston, Weeks, Wilkerson, WINGATE, Wetherington, Worthington, plus ++++ GenealogyPITT Co NC Friends In Research (Serving all Eastern/Coastal NC Counties) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/genpcncfir http://groups.yahoo.com/group/genpcncfir/messages eMail scan by NAV & certified Virus Free