To some Asheville may appear to be just another small, southern city, but when one digs beneath the present in the past, you discover an area with a rich history. During the Civil War era, Asheville was home to a major battle, and many generals. Three generals of this war who marched through Asheville, James Green Martin, Thomas Lanier Clingman, and Robert B. Vance, were buried here.

     Brigadier General James Green Martin was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on February 14, 1819. After graduating 14^th in his class from West Point, he served on the Maine frontier as a lieutenant in the artillery. He retained this position until the war with Mexico. There, he took part in the battle of Monterey, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Churubusco. After losing his right arm, he resigned from the military and on June 14, 1861, he offered his services to North Carolina. He was appointed adjutant-general of the State. At his proposal, the first blockade-running ships were employed to bring supplies from Europe. On September 28, 1861, he was given the honor of being made commander in chief of the state forces, with rank of major-general of militia. After raising 12,000 more men than his state’s quota, he applied for duty in the field, and was promoted brigadier-general in the provisional army. In the fall of 1863, he organized a brigade and went to a camp near Wilmington. During this command, he successfully attacked and drove the Federals from Newpoft. In 1864 he was called to Petersburg where once again his gallant brigade defeated the enemy in the battle of Howlett’s House. His men carried him around on their shoulders, shouting,” Three cheers for old one wing.”[1] This surprised him as he was not used to affection from his men. Soon after, his brigade was assigned to Hoke’s division, and on June 3, 1864, he led his men in a revolt against

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the Unions attack. As General Lee relied on Martin’s troops. he transferred them to Petersburg, Virginia,  where they displayed great courage, discipline, and fortitude.

      The strain of war and exposure to the element caused a decline in Martin’s health and forced him to move to a command in Western North Carolina, whose headquarters was in Asheville. As Martin prepared to leave the army of northern Virginia, General Lee complimented Martin when he said, “General Martin is one to whom North Carolina owes a debt she can never repay.”[2]  Not long after leaving the military, General Martin found himself the owner of a significant amount of property. He took up the study of law, and had a successful practice in Asheville, until his death on October 4,1878.[3]

     Another important general, Thomas Lanier Clingman was born on July 27, 1812, in Huntsville, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina, as well as from Hinsboro where he obtained a law degree.. In 1835 he was elected to the legislature and began a career in politics that gained national prominence.[4] After moving to Asheville in 1836, Clingman ascertained a heightened sense of fame and was elected to the state senate. He speedily assumed leadership in the Whig party and in 1843 was elected unanimously to Congress where he served in the lower house. In 1858 he was appointed United States senator. He attained a position of leadership in national

affairs and took part in many famous debates in Congress.[5] On January 21, 1861, Clingman withdrew from Congress and was selected to bear assurances to the Confederate Congress that North Carolina would enter the Confederacy. Although he was nearly fifty years of age he volunteered for the military and was elected colonel of the 25^th infantry; eight months later he was promoted to brigadier-general. His principal services

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were in command of the defense of Goldsboro, Sullivan’s Island, and Charleston; the attack on Newburn, the defeat at Drewry’s Bluff, the repulse of the Federal attack on Petersburg, the battles of Weldon Railroad and Cold Harbor, where he was wounded. Because of his injury he was unable to rejoin his command until just prior to the surrender of the Confederacy  at Greensboro.[6]

      Thomas Clingman was a very diversified man. In 1864, after the war was over Clingman was elected to be  a delegate to the national Democratic convention. In the department of science, he was quite distinguished, just as he was in law and war. He discovered gold, built railroads, meddled with light bulbs, and promoted a patent medicine with a tobacco base. During his exploration of the North Carolina mountains, he established they contained the highest peaks of the Appalachian range, one named for him came to be called Clingman’s Peak. Clingman, also, published several books which included his public addresses. Though a man of many talents, his unselfish services did not provide him with the comforts of life. His later years sadly illustrated  how the world can forget great deeds accomplished by formidable young men. Clingman died in Morgantown, November 3, 1897, and was moved back to Asheville to be buried.[7]

      In addition to Martin and Clingman, one of the most famous generals of Asheville was Brigadier-General Robert B. Vance who was born on April 28, 1828, in Buncombe County, North Carolina. He received an old field school education, which met the basic educational needs such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. After completing his education, he engaged in mercantile and agricultural pursuits.

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He was elected clerk of the court of pleas and quarter sessions for his native county in 1848, but after a term of eight years, he resigned from office. [8]

      After the outbreak of war, he organized a company by the name of Buncombe Life Guards, which was assigned to the twenty-ninth regiment of infantry. He was unanimously elected its first colonel. The regiment mainly served in garrison duty on the railroads of

East Tennessee until February 1862, when it took part in the defense of Cumberland Gap. Vance and his regiments also took part in the attack at Tazewell, Baptist Gap, and Frankfort before once more returning to Cumberland Gap in October of the same year. During the battle of Murfreesboro, Vance gallantly took command of the brigade after the death of the brigade commander. Later Colonel Vance contracted typhoid fever, and while in this condition, lost his regiment and received his commission as general. When he returned to duty, he was assigned to service in Western North Carolina. On January 14,1864, he was captured at Cosby Creek, thus ending his military career.

He experienced the life of a prisoner of war while in prison camps at Nashville, Louisville, Camp Chase, and Fort Delaware. [9]

      Vance was paroled in March 14,1865, and began his conspicuous career in the Congress of the United States, as a representative of the eighth district. He declined

renomination but took an active part in the democratic campaign of that year. The following spring he was appointed assistant commissioner of patents by President Cleveland. He attained prominence in the Masonic order as grand master for North Carolina, in the Methodist church as delegate to general conferences and the ecumenical

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conference in London in 1881, and as a lecturer and author.  In 1889 Robert B. Vance retired to Alexander, North Carolina (near Asheville) where he died

November 28, 1899. [10]

      These three generals contributed greatly to the Confederates advances during the Civil War. Brigadier-General James Green Martin was continuously under fire, was never driven from a position, and never failed in an attack.[11] General Thomas Lanier Clingman shaped and shook North Carolina politics for years. He was also revered as the booster of science and industry for the Carolina mountains.[12] General Robert B. Vance surpassed his common schooling and courageously defeated the Union, as well as obtained political power.[13] These heroic Civil War generals graves can be located in the Riverside Cemetery

in Asheville, North Carolina. These men provide meaningful answers about the influence of Asheville during the Civil War.