A historical regional field near the Lenoir and Jones county lines may be compromised for a future endeavor.
The Department of Transportation is looking to expand U.S. 70 in an attempt to lessen traffic jams, but some of the routes selected could run through the Battle of Wyse Fork — the last mass capture of Union soldiers during the Civil War.
In the early hours of March 8, 1865, Confederate forces, led by Gen. Robert F. Hoke, surprised Union soldiers with their strategy and captured 900 men. Although the Union recovered enough to win the battle two days later and the Civil War ended a month later, the significance of the battle is why Lenoir County Battlefield Commission president Lyle Holland is adamant on preserving it.
“North Carolina, in my opinion, never took appreciation in its civil rights past,” Holland said. “The state was a main source when it came to shipping supplies and weapons to Confederate soldiers in Virginia as well. The Wilmington-Weldon Railroad was known as ‘Lee’s Lifeline.’ ”
According to Lenoir County Commissioner J. Mac Daughety, who has worked on getting the bypass done, a route will be picked in late 2014 or early 2015 and the construction may begin as early as 2017.
“When you do a bypass, specifically one of this magnitude, you have a group that sits down and makes a selection from several criteria,” Daughety said. “We have a merger team that looks at a variety of things such as potential routes, the community, schools, fire departments and natural environmental resources.
“Rerouting the historic landmark has been taken into consideration as well as communities. I forwarded emails to the senior lead project manager and we’re going to try to look out for folks as best as we can when it comes to the Civil War battlefield.”
Daughety also said there were up to 360 routes considered at one point, before the committee narrowed their choices.
“When I came on board, there were southern routes that had been looked at for a while, and then we checked out some northern routes,” Daughety said. “We conducted interviews with folks and narrowed it down to seven. In the interim, we’ll have two public hearings a year, where anyone can give their opinion and feedback. Our next one will be around March and by then, we’ll have two or three routes in consideration. We’ll have to circumnavigate areas we want to protect.”
Lonnie Blizzard, who is on the Lenoir County Battlefield Commission and is also a Civil War expert, agreed to a bypass, but has his own preferences — and they might be a surprise to some.
“I would like to see a southern route for future economic development, which that side needs,” Blizzard said. “If there are parts that lost its integrity as far as history is concerned, I don’t see a major problem with it. If the DOT will recognize any portions of the battlefield it may have to cross and provide adequate mitigation measures, that’s good, but I would rather have them avoid any part of the battlefield with interpretive value for historical purposes.”
Holland didn’t want anyone to think he was against the bypass; instead, he wanted to ensure it wouldn’t take away from the historical significance of the field.
“I don’t have a problem with the bypass,” Holland said. “I’m just concerned with the placement of it. We’ve been concerned about it for 12 years. They can have all of these meetings but I believe they’ll do what they want to do.
“We want to preserve history and do something to encourage people to visit. From an economical development centerpoint, that’s where were coming from. I don't want to give the impression of being against the bypass. As far as we’re concerned, you’re still moving traffic, just not moving through a historic site. The letter fully expresses our concern.
With the bypass possibly running through one of 12 tour stops in the Kinston-Lenoir County Civil War Trail, Holland felt like he needed to leave a reminder as to the importance of the landmark.
“We don’t want them to forget the significance of what happened here,” Holland said. “Heritage tourism is a big business. People come out here looking for ancestors and drive to the sites, then stay in hotels and eat in restaurants. We want people to come visit for the history of Kinston as well.”
Lucy Marston, Director of Kinston-Lenoir County Visitors and Information Center, said the DOT seems keen on trying not to cause problems with the battlefields.
“My understanding was that whether the bypass goes north or south, the plans I’ve seen joins at Highway 70 in the Wyse Fork battlefield,” Marston said. “The battlefield is where it is and the bypass is coming. If the DOT will preserve as much integrity as they possibly can, it would be a step in the right direction for us. So far the DOT has been very good trying to help, and preserving the best they can, asking local opinions where they could.”
Marston also believed the DOT would reward the efforts of those protecting the integrity of Wyse Fork.
“Lenoir County and the battlefield committee have invested a lot of time, energy, money, blood sweat and tears for property obtained and sights preserved,” Marston said. “We see a lot of people in the Visitors’ Center who are interested in Civil War history. The DOT will work with them in efforts for progress. That’s what we need to hope for.
Pride of Kinston director Adrian King said he has seen some of the maps the DOT has created, but doesn’t know which route would be selected.
“I’ve seen a northern and southern route,” King said. “I don’t know which one the DOT will settle on. The route isn’t chosen, but conventional wisdom says to take the southern route. I understand Lyle and others raising flags about sites being affected by construction, no matter which route it takes.”
King was also a bit wary about the bypass being built, saying that they’re not friendly to towns.
“The bypass would deprive traffic from downtown businesses and we’re a little worried about that,” King said. “Roads to and from downtown are very important. Right now, there’s a plan to have four bridges taken down within the next three years, which affects downtown, and now you add a bypass as an inhibition. This is why we’ve been working so hard with the billboard campaign to attract consumers.”
No matter what direction is being taken, Holland wants to deliver an unbiased report on the Civil War history of Wyse Fork without worrying about the integrity of the field being compromised.
“We don’t take sides, in contrast to some organizations,” Holland said. “We just want to tell a story.”
Junious SmithIII can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.