18th Century
- Spanish Invasion Collection, 1742 - 1748
Upon the outbreak of England's war with Spain, North Carolina raised four companies of one hundred men each to join other colonial troops in the siege of Cartagena (in present-day Colombia). In addition to the four hundred men raised for the Cartagena expedition, it was necessary for the colony to raise forces for the defense of its coast. Spanish attacks on North Carolina shipping and port towns were continuous from 1741 to 1748. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) ended the war in Europe and in America as well, and Spanish depredations along North Carolina's coast came to an end. The Spanish Invasion Collection is an artificial collection compiled by Archives staff. It contains claims, receipts, accounts, and muster rolls. (1 box)
19th Century
- Civil War Collection, 1860-1965
The Civil War Collection is an "artificial" collection of private papers and, to a limited extent, official records relating to the Civil War. The collection contains petitions for pardon, bounty payrolls, quartermaster department records (express receipts, vouchers, pay records, and supply and requisition records), disabled veterans' claims and correspondence pertaining to artificial limb companies, regimental and unit records, union regimental clothing books, regimental and unit records, muster rolls, correspondence and miscellaneous records. (ca. 93 boxes)
20th Century
- Korean War Papers, 1951 - 2009
Coming relatively soon after the end of World War II, the Korean War was a far-away, isolated conflict to an American public already weary from four years of war. However, the war had an impact on the state with nearly 800 North Carolinians dying in the conflict and thousands more injured. A great many soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines received training at North Carolina bases before deploying to Korea. Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, Elizabeth City Coast Guard Air Station, and Pope and Seymour Johnson Air Forces Bases trained thousands of members of the armed forces for service in Korea and other stations around the world. The Korean War Papers are an artificial collection relating to the participation of North Carolina and her citizens in the Korean War (1950-1953). The collection includes photographs, official military documents, personal correspondence, books, pamphlets, bulletins, individual service member biographical information, and miscellaneous other items. (2 boxes) - World War I Papers, 1903 - 1933
The World War I Papers are an artificial collection relating to North Carolina's involvement in World War I compiled by Archives staff, the North Carolina Historical Commission, and the North Carolina Council of Defense. The collection contains various records relating to North Carolina's involvement in World War I. Series include: County War Records, North Carolina Council of Defense, Military Organizations, Liberty Loan Campaign, Local Draft Boards and Recruiting in the State, Private Collections, Compiled Individual Service Records, The Food Administration Papers, Fuel Administration Papers, Organizations, Publications, Photographs, Miscellaneous, and Maps. The World War I Papers are part of the Military Collection. (ca. 456 boxes, 5 volumes.) - World War I Papers. Posters, ca. 1914 - ca. 1920 (pdf)
This collection contains 496 posters which illustrate both civilian and military viewpoints of World War I. The collection is arranged thematically into fifteen series. The first two series, the Fred V. Owen and T.S. Davidson posters, contain original drawings by local North Carolina artists. The posters in the remaining series are prints created by state or national organizations that feature the work of well-known artists such as James Montgomery Flagg, J.C. Leyendecker, and Howard Chandler Christy. The posters serve a variety of functions, but primarily they encourage viewers to support organizations, such as the Red Cross or the YMCA; to conserve resources, such as food and fuel; to contribute to the war effort, such as by purchasing bonds; or to enlist in the armed forces. Many of the posters contain patriotic symbols like Columbia, Uncle Sam, eagles, and the American flag. Images of soldiers, sailors, and marines, as well as, airplanes, ships, and tanks are also featured prominently. While the majority of posters contain positive images which invoke patriotism, service, and duty, others depict negative images of Kaiser Wilhelm and German soldiers as savage, brutal "Huns."(64.0 oversize flat folders) - World War II Papers, 1939 - 1947
The State of North Carolina provided over 370,000 men and women to serve in all theaters of the war and in all branches of the military. Just as in the First World War, the largest number of North Carolinians served in the United States Army, but sizeable numbers served in the Navy, Army Air Corps, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. On the home front, tens of thousands of Tar Heel civilians aided the war effort by working in vital war industries, purchasing war bonds and stamps, producing food, working in important state and federal positions, and by working in various family and troop support activities such as the United Services Organization (USO) and the American Red Cross. A Collector of War Records was appointed in October, 1942 to coordinate the State's efforts in collecting and preserving the records pertaining to North Carolina and its citizens, and their part in World War II. This collection is a result of those efforts and contains general correspondence concerning the war effort, recruiting propaganda, camp publications, diaries, and other publications. The collection also includes information about war activities in North Carolina counties; out-of-state war record activities; various Private Collections; and the records of the Office of Civilian Defense and of the United War Fund of North Carolina. (ca. 395 boxes) - World War II Papers, Private Collections Series, Greatest Generation Project, 1918 - 2011
These papers were collected by the Wilson County Historical Society to capture the stories and materials of World War II veterans from Wilson County. The files were originally contained in nine 3½-inch 3-ring binders, copies of which were also to be filed in the Wilson County Public Library and the academic libraries at Barton College and Wilson Technical Community College. John N. Hackney, Jr., a veteran of World War II, and Betty Ray McCain, former secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources, were the primary collectors of the materials. The collection includes files concerning 268 World War II soldiers from Wilson County, as well as 30 veterans from nearby counties, mostly friends and relatives of Hackney. These files contain copies of personal reminiscences; enlistment and discharge papers; cards and letters; orders; photographs; newspaper clippings; obituaries; correspondence with the project coordinators; and a few compact disks. Some original wartime materials are also included in the veterans' files. Miscellaneous records include project correspondence and publicity; information concerning similar projects in other states; lists of soldiers; unit histories; publications; files concerning four World War I soldiers from Wilson County; and a small cache of original records from World War II. (9 boxes, 3.6 cubic feet.)
Last Modified: 03/14/2013