Zebulon Baird Vance

Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13,1830--April 14,1894) was an American Civil War hero and three-time Governor of North Carolina. A prodigious writer, Vance became one of the most influential southern leaders of the Civil War and post-bellum periods.

Civil War

By the time the ordinance of secession had passed in May, Vance was a captain stationed in Raleigh, commanding a company known as the "Rough and Ready Guards," part of the Fourteenth North Carolina Regiment. That August, Vance was elected colonel to the Twenty-sixth North Carolina. The Twenty-sixth engaged in battle in New Bern in March of 1862, where Vance conducted an orderly retreat. Vance also led the Twenty-sixth at Richmond. The Twenty-sixth was ultimately decimated at the Battle of Gettysburg, loosing more than 800 of its original 900 members.

Related Topics:
Raleigh - Colonel - New Bern - 1862 - Richmond - Battle of Gettysburg

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In September of 1862, Vance won the gubernatorial election. In the Confederacy Vance was a major proponent of individual rights and local self-government, causing him to be seen as a maverick by the Confederate government. For example, North Carolina was the only state to observe the writ of habeas corpus and keep its courts fully functional during the war. Also, Vance refused to allow supplies smuggled into North Carolina by blockade runners to be given to other states until North Carolinians had their share. Vance's work for the aid and morale of the people, especially in mitigating the harsh Confederate conscription practices, inspired the nickname "War Governor of the South."

Related Topics:
1862 - Confederacy - Writ - Habeas corpus - Blockade runners - Conscription

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