JAMES MORGAN LEVY

James enlisted as a soldier in the "Young Guards," Company H of the Georgia 3rd Infantry on April 25, 1861 in Covington, Georgia. He was 23 years old and working as a Silversmith. "Captain Levy stayed with the regiment until the surrender at Appomattox, having taken part in all of its engagements, which included those from South Mills, the seven days about Richmond, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, to Appomattox." (1)

James was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on August 15, 1837. His father, George, worked as a Carpenter and his mother, Jane Savage, a Seamstress. James had three brothers and a sister; Myers, John, George, and Julia.

In the early 1840s, the family moved west to Coosa County, Alabama. James' father died in Alabama in 1846 and by the mid 1850s, his mother relocated the family to New York City to be near her family. In New York, James and his brothers learned the jewelry, silversmithing, and watchmaking trades from their grandfather, John Y. Savage.

By the Spring of 1861, James, along with two of his brothers, John and George, moved south to Covington, Georgia and enlisted in Company H of the Georgia 3rd Infantry. Myers joined his brothers in the Confederate States Army a year later.

"The Governor of Georgia, J.E. Brown, called for troops on April 20, 1861. Troops for the 3rd Georga Regiment were called for 12 months of service at Augusta. The troops were armed, equipped and mustered into service. From Augusta, the troops were transferred by rail to Portsmouth (Norfolk), Virginia. The 3rd Georgia was the first Georgia regiment to arrive on Virginia soil. Portsmouth was the site of a major U.S. naval yard. " (3)

"On the 8th of May, 1861, the 3rd Georgia regiment was organized by the election of its field officers as follows: Ambrose Ransom Wright, Confederate Light Guards, Colonel." (2). Wright "was an attorney from Louisville, Georgia." (3)

"At Portsmouth, the regiment camped on the banks of the Elizabeth River. For two hours every forenoon, each company was drilled by its own officers. In the afternoon, Colonel Wright drilled the regiment on the extensive parade grounds in front of the camp. (3) "On the 19th of May, at night, an alarm was sounded that the federals would attach Suffolk. The 3rd Georiga was placed in box cars and carried to Suffolk that night. After spending the day at Suffolk, the regiment was returned to camp the following night." (2)

James Morgan Levy was elected 1st Sergeant on June 29, 1861, as "the regiment camped in tents outside the navy yard walls." (3)

"On August 28, 1861, the 3rd Georgia Volunteers receive orders to leave their encampment at the Gosport Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia and reenforce North Carolina troops defending Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, 120 miles to the south. Colonel Wright musters four of his companies who embark on to barges which are towed by the steam tugboat "Kaukee." The "Kaukee" steams through the Chesapeake and Albemarle canal and into North Carolina's Currituck Sound. Continuing south, the tug and barges enter and pass through Albemarle Sound, then steam through Croatan Sound on Roanoke Island's west side." (4)

"The Georgians are just south of the island when they meet sailboats heading north. The boats are captained by fishermen fleeing from Hatteras with news that the Confederate garrison there surrendered to Union forces on August 29th. Colonel Wright orders the tug captain to turn about and the Georgians head back towards Roanoke Island. He meets with the new commander of the North Carolina Naval Squadron, Captain William F. Lynch. Lynch commands a small flotilla of eight vessels called "The Mosquito Fleet," comprised of steam tugs mounting one or two cannon each." (4)

"The remaining six companies of the 3rd Georgia follow Colonel Wright south and wade ashore onto Roanoke Island September 1st. The entire regiment establishes "Camp Rescue" on the North end of the island. After conferring with the war department, Colonel Wright is given the go ahead to fortify the island.

There are not enough tools for all of the men in the 3rd Georgia to work at one time so they build the fort in company shifts. Constructed in ten days and mounting seven guns, it's called "Fort Bartow." The Georgians then build "Fort Huger" at Weir's Point. It's the largest work on the island with twelve cannon. Several thousand feet south of Huger they construct four gun "Fort Blanchard." The Georgians then throw up an eighty foot long earthwork astride the only north-south road on the island. Located at a place called "Suple's Hill," this work is erected to guard "Fort Bartow" from its rear. A small two gun battery is erected on the east side shore line of the island.

Two barges are rammed into the mud bank at Redstone Point on the mainland across the sound from Roanoke Island. Called "Fort Forrest," this makeshift emplacement mounts four cannon." (4)

"After starting construction on the earthworks, the Georgians move their encampment from the north end of the island to about halfway between the soon to be "Forts Huger" and "Bartow," establishing "Camp Georgia." (4)

"On September 26, 1861, Wright learned that the Federals had established camp at Chicamacomico on the Atlantic beach not far from the southern point of the island. Wright and Lynch decided to break up the Union camp.

Later in the day of the 1st of October, Captain Lynch with several gunboats and Colonel Wright's units steamed away for Chicamacomico around mid afternoon. On the way, a Yankee steamer, "Fanny," was intercepted and forced to surrender. The prize, with its cargo of provisions and clothing for the 20th Indiana Regiment, included two pieces of field artillery and about forty prisoners." (3)

"On the night of the 4th of October, Lynch set sail on barges towed by steamers with approximately 1,400 troops of the 3rd Georgia and the 8th North Carolina towards the enemy camp at Chicamacomico.

On the morning of the 5th, the federals came in sight. There were approximately 600 men of the 20th Indiana regiment. The Georgia troops landed on the beach while the North Carolina troops went south to cut the Yankees off before they could reach Fort Hatteras." (3)

"Colonel Wright made the attack on the Federals at 9 o'clock in the morning, by firing shell from two 10-pound howitzers from on board the transport, "Cotton Plant," when about one mile from the shore. As soon as the Colonel opened fire they began to retreat. When the colonel saw they were about to retreat, he embarked the guns of his three companies on board of a flat-boat, for the purpose of effecting a landing and putting chase after them. Company H, E, and N, were landed immediately." (5)

"The Georgians forced the Federals and local Unionist civilians to retreat for Fort Hatteras about 28 miles away. Union Colonel W.I. Brown ordered the 20th Indiana to abandon camp and retreat to Fort Hatteras. The men, many of them barefoot, grabbed only their rifles and ran in disarray south through the sand dunes behind the terrified civilian population from the town." (3)

"The 3rd Georgia Regiment ended up killing eight Union soldiers and taking 40 prisoners as they raced down the beach. The federals ran until midnight when they reached the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse." (3)

"Residents of Chicamacomico, after being routed from their homes by Confederate troops, preceded the 20th Indian Regiment as they escape southward towards Fort Hatteras. Their empty houses were pillaged and some were torched by marauding soldiers of the 3rd Georgia Infantry." (6)

"For 20 miles, the 3rd Georgia chased the Yankees on the beach. They made camp that night. " (3)

"Unknown to the Georgians, the North Carolina troops had run aground and failed to cut off the 20th Indiana. When they found out, around 1pm the next day, October 6, the 3rd Georgia began retreating to Chicimacomico. By this time, the Yankee, 9th New Jersey Zouaves gave chase to the Georgians as they withdrew about 18 miles northward. Along the march, the Georgians were bombarded by the U. S. steamer Monticello." (3)

"About daylight on the 7th, the troops, with a few prisoners and the spoils of the Federal camp, were loaded up on the outer banks. At dark on the 7th, they steamed back to Roanoke Island. Only one man of the 3rd Georgia died on the mission, perishing from excessive fatigue. This effort. by the Confederate troops under Wright became widely known as the Chicamacomico Races." (3)

"On the 13th of December, the regiment left for Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and then marched to Portsmouth. The men went into camp in the suburbs of the city away from the Naval Yard. They called this Camp Blanchard." (3)