News From the Department
Saving Site Of The Bloody Battle Of Goldsborough Bridge
For more information contact Si Lawrence, III at 919-581-1041, Eastern Civil War Office
( GOLDSBORO) – An important Civil War battlefield will soon become more visible and accessible, thanks in large part to a group of volunteers tentatively named the Goldsboro Bridge Battlefield Association (GBBA).
The battlefield is the site of the battle of the Goldsborough Bridge, where on Dec. 17, 1862, some 2,000 Confederate forces attempted to stop Union Gen. John Foster’s 12,000 troops from destroying a vital railroad bridge. The bridge, located south of the city over the Neuse River, was a key position for both Union and Confederate forces.
The proposed Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield Association was formed by local attorney and historian Randy Sauls. He and other GBBA volunteers are trying to develop and preserve the battlefield in cooperation with Wayne County. The county owns more than 32 acres where the battle took place.
To date, the battlefield boasts a Civil War Trails marker and a gravel parking area near the intersection of Old Mt. Olive Road and US Hwy. 117. The marker was obtained with locally-raised donations and grant funds from the Civil War Trails program. Trails recently cleared by Sauls and volunteers will soon allow visitors to view earthworks and the railroad bridge that is currently over the Neuse River.
Plans call for additional historical markers at the site that will describe interesting details about the 1862 battle. According to Sauls, earthworks also will be surveyed, preserved, and interpreted, to educate all about the bloody engagement.
The GBBA will hold a dedication ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 17, the 144 th anniversary of the Battle of the Goldsborough Bridge. Members are hoping additional volunteers will join the effort to recognize and preserve the battlefield. The group is working to obtain non-profit status and hopes to raise private donations.
Jeff Bockert, Civil War specialist at the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Eastern Civil War Office, said the battlefield plays a key cultural and heritage tourism role in North Carolina, especially with its easy access along the new Hwy 117 Bypass. Its proximity to the Civil War sites of Bentonville Battlefield, CSS Neuse, and Fort Fisher make location of the battlefield a central stopping point for tourists and Civil War enthusiasts.
For more information about the GBBA, contact Si Lawrence, III, at the Eastern Civil War Office, 919-581-1041 or email si.lawrence@ncmail.net. The Eastern Civil War Office is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.
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