American Civil War
Battle of Wyse Fork

The Family That Just Knew!

 Vause Family 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 the  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 most of the  integrity that it had over 137 years ago.  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 that adjoined John and Rebecca's land.  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 of 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  paid tribute to them at 1 o’clock on March 8, 2008 which was the 143^rd anniversary of the Battle of Wyse Fork. During a dedication ceremony a stone marker was unveiled to memorialize and honor the Vause Family at the Camp Southwest site near the earthworks.