In the Now — Thursday, April 22, 2021

Cow Pen Landing
Cow Pen Landing. Today is Earth Day. Scroll down for more.

Good morning, New Bern Now readers. Today is Earth Day. Here’s what’s happening.

Today’s Weather

Via National Weather Service

Sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight, clear, with a low around 37. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Friday, patchy frost between 7 and 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.

Friday night, partly cloudy, with a low around 49. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.

Weekend peek: Showers Saturday, mostly dry Sunday.

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Today’s Calendar

Via New Bern Now Calendar

  • 22nd: New Bern Earth Day Celebration, 12:00 p.m. – 3 p.m. Presented by New Bern Now. Call 252-259-6853.
  • 23rd – 24th: VFW Big Yard Sale & Bake Sale Event at 3850 Butler Rd., New Bern. Presented by VFW Post 2514. Call 252-288-2207.
  • 24th: Stuff The Truck, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Carolina Colours – at the Pavilion Parking Lot. Presented by Habitat for Humanity of Craven County. Call 252-633-5512.
  • 24th: History of Ancestors: U.S. Colored Troops 35th Regiment Community Event, 12:00 p.m. – 3 p.m. on the Big Field at Craven Terrace. Presented by Tryon Palace. Call 252-639-3592.

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In the News

Via New Bern Now

New Bern’s Earth Day is April 22 from noon – 3 p.m.

We have a terrific lineup of local and state individuals, civic groups, nonprofit organizations, and businesses who are donating their time to celebrate this special day with us. See the list of Speakers and the timeline here.

Joining me in co-hosting the show are Jane Maulucci, The Reactive Voice, from 12 – 2 p.m. and Kathy Morrison, New Bern Historical Society, from 2 – 3 p,m. Both are members of New Bern Now’s Podsquad.

More here and here.

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Today in History

Via North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Fayetteville Arsenal Surrendered, 1861

A sketch of the Fayetteville Arsenal
A sketch of the Fayetteville Arsenal

On April 22, 1861, the U.S. Arsenal at Fayetteville surrendered to a force of state militia troops roughly a month before North Carolina seceded from the Union.

At the time of the firing on Fort Sumter 10 days earlier, the Fayetteville Arsenal was guarded by a company of the Second U.S. Artillery. On April 22, the U.S. soldiers were confronted with a large force of nearly 1,000 state militia troops reinforced with artillery.

Former Governor Warren Winslow, acting as agent for then Governor John Ellis, negotiated the surrender of the post, which allowed the federal soldiers to leave with their equipment but forced them to turn over the arsenal’s equipment to the state. By April 27, the Union artillerymen were able to get transportation to Wilmington, and by May 7, the company had arrived at Fort Hamilton in New York City.

During the Civil War, the arsenal manufactured small arms for the Confederacy with machinery shipped there shortly after secession from Harpers Ferry, Va. One of the arsenal’s better-known products was the “Fayetteville Rifle,” a copy of the US 1855 rifle.

Union Major General William T. Sherman captured the arsenal in March 1865 and had the installation destroyed.

A circa 1860-1880 composite image of the Confederate Cabinet now held by the N.C. Museum of History
A circa 1860-1880 composite image of the Confederate Cabinet now held by the N.C. Museum of History

On April 22, 1865, the Confederate Cabinet held the first of a series of meetings in Charlotte to determine their final official actions as an organized government. The Confederate Cabinet began its journey south on April 2 , when Confederate General Robert E. Lee recommended that the Confederate Capitol, Richmond, should be evacuated due to the advance of Lieutenant General U.S. Grant’s Spring Offensive.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his fellow cabinet members traveled first by rail to Greensboro. On April 12, President Davis conferred with Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston and other officials concerning potential surrender negotiations with Major General William T. Sherman. The Cabinet then moved south to Charlotte, and arrived there on April 19.

Davis and his cabinet held their final meetings in the Branch office of the Bank of North Carolina on Tryon Street, which served as the final center of the Confederate government. Faced with the inevitability of defeat, Davis adjourned his government, and planned to escape southwest overland to Mexico, where he could establish a government in exile. On May 10, Davis and his wife, Varina, were captured near Irwinville, Georgia.