150 years ago today Union forces under Ambrose Burnside made their assault onto Confederate held Roanoke Island, North Carolina.  They possessed overwhelming firepower against the Confederates and the defenders were almost all killed, wounded or captured.  One Confederate soldier stationed at Roanoke Island that day was Thomas P. Askew of Madison County, North Carolina.  The Battle of Roanoke Island would be the beginning of an odyssey for him which would culminate in a place which all Great Task readers are likely very familiar with.

Thomas Askew was born in North Carolina around 1844, making him 17 when the Civil War broke out.

We found him on the 1860 shown above living in a large household with many siblings and possibly boarders.  His family was evidently poor, and living in the Appalachian region of western North Carolina he would have fit the bill for a Unionist as were many men like him.  When the time came, however, he chose to enlist in the 2^nd North Carolina Infantry on July 4^th, 1861.  Thomas’ regiment was moved initially to Henrico County, Virginia, but when Burnside’s fleet left Hampton roads for Hatteras Inlet he was moved to reinforce the meager Confederate force in North Carolina.

During the Battle of Roanoke Island 150 years ago today, about 2,500 ill-equipped Confederate defenders tried to hold against a well-armed force of 10,000 federals supported by Naval gunfire.

Above:  The 9^th New York Infantry commanded by Col. Rush Hawkins storms Confederate works on Roanoke Island.  From Harper’s Weekly.

Broken by inferior numbers the Confederates began to retreat.  Thomas and the 2^nd North Carolina arrived as reinforcement late in the battle and were soon overwhelmed as well.  With few exceptions the entire Confederate force surrendered, and Thomas found himself in Union hands.  With most of the other POW’s Thomas was eventually sent to Elizabeth City, North Carolina where he was paroled and released on February 21^st, 1862.  He rejoined his regiment, which continued service in North Carolina until May of 1863.

When Robert E. Lee made preparations for the Gettysburg Campaign, many regiments from Southern Virginia and North Carolina were brought north to reinforce the Army of Northern Virginia.  The 2^nd North Carolina was one of them.  On July 1^st 1863, as a part of the North Carolina brigade of Junius Daniel, the 2^nd was badly mauled by the Union I Corps.  18 months after his capture at Roanoke Island, Thomas Askew was wounded in the fields west of Gettysburg and left to be captured by the Army of the Potomac.  Like many other Confederate POW’s, Thomas was sent to Point Lookout, Maryland.  It was there in January of 1864 that he died of dysentery from the poor sanitary conditions at the camp.  Thomas was buried in the camp’s cemetery, where his body remains today.