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The Family That Just Knew!
Will Be Honored at Dedication on
Historic Battlefield
There are some
people that understand that having historical events happen on their land is
something special. At least one such family lives in Lenoir County. For
generations the Vause Family has lived along the area of Neuse Road. On
their land are earthworks that were built during the Civil War and is part
of the Wyse Fork Battlefield. Jack Vause told members of the Historical
Preservation Group a few years ago, “His father before him would never do
anything to destroy the earthworks because it was a part of history and I
feel the same way.” The Vause Family just knew it was important not to
destroy this significant piece of property with ties to past.
Tony Kelly and
Donny Taylor went to visit Mr. Jack Vause sometime during the year of 2002
and ask Mr. Vause if he would consider selling the earthworks part of his
property to the Historical Preservation Group. HPG expressed a desire to
preserve this historic part of the battlefield that still possessed the same
integrity that it did over 137 years. After some thought Jack and Rebecca
Vause agreed to sell. Lou Ella Vause and her son Michael were approached to
sell a portion of their property. They agreed and liked the idea that the
property would forever be preserved.
The
Historical Preservation Group received grants from the National Park Service
and the Center for Civil War Living History to purchase the 57 acres of land
that was home to pristine earthworks. Research indicates that this property
was once part of Camp Southwest, a Confederate Military Installation and
also part of the area where the Junior Reserves held one of the Confederate
lines during the Battle of Wyse Fork. After the last mass capture of Union
soldiers during the Civil War at the Battle of Wyse Fork, the prisoners were
brought to this area, disarmed and put on the train to Richmond for
imprisonment. John Vause was right. The property
was truly a piece of history worth preserving.
Because of the
Vause Family’s vision to preserve the earthworks for generations, the Lenoir
County Battlefields Commission and the Historical Preservation Group will
pay tribute to them at 1 o’clock on March 8, which is the 143rd
anniversary of the Battle of Wyse Fork. During a dedication ceremony a stone
marker will be unveiled to memorialize and honor the Vause Family at the
Camp Southwest site near the earthworks.
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