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NAVIGATION
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McFarland & Company,Inc., Publishers
"The 4th North Carolina Cavalry in the Civil War"
A History and Roster
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In April 1862, the Civil War was entering its second year and North Carolina
was rallying to supply more troops for the Confederacy. The Partisan Ranger Act,
passed by the Confederate Congress on April 21, prompted local leaders to recruit
companies of irregular soldiers for service in the Confederate Army. Seven such
companies were banded together into a regiment to form the 4th North Carolina
Cavalry: a true cross-section of North Carolina, it contained soldiers from
the largest urban areas and smallest rural areas from fifteen counties.
This history of the 4th North Carolina Cavalry is based largely on
primary source material?theofficial records, letters, diaries and recollections
of the soldiers. The 4th North Carolina saw action in North Carolina,
Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and was a part of General Lee?s
Army of Northern Virginia. The roster comprises a large part of
the book and provides biographical,genealogical and military information
about each soldier.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 1, 2003
4th NC CAVALRY BOOK WINS AWARD
Morehead City, NC - The North Carolina Society of Historians held its 62nd Annual Awards Banquet on November 1, 2003 in Morehead City, NC. Awards were presented in several categories relating to local, regional, or statewide history. Neil Raiford of Whiteville, NC won the Willie Parker Peace History Book Award for his book The 4th North Carolina Cavalry in the Civil War. McFarland and Company Publishers of Jefferson, NC (www.mcfarlandpub.com or 1-800-253-2187) released Raiford?s book, the only one about the regiment, in April 2003. It contains a complete history of the 4th NC Cavalry based on primary source materials. In addition, the book contains a 1,338-soldier roster that is full of biographical and genealogical information about each member. The unit had recruits from over 15 NC counties including Anson, Bertie, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Camden, Caswell, Columbus, Currituck, Duplin, Hertford, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Rowan, and Wilson. The Judges? Collective Comments about the book include: ?Mr. Raiford has done an exemplary job with this book from cover to cover. Each page was eagerly turned to reveal an amazing text, fascinating visuals and helpful information for genealogists and historians alike. The text is reader-friendly, interesting, well written, has a wonderful layout, and reflects a monumental amount of detailed research. The roster of troops caught our attention, and even though none in our group had any connection to any soldier listed, lengthy discussions were had about interesting facts attached to some of their lives. The book includes a list of missing troops; a notes section that seems to be very complete; a marvelous bibliography section; and an equally marvelous full/name/location/subject index. Anyone having a tie to the 4th NC Cavalry is very fortunate as Mr. Raiford has provided them with a poignant source from which to draw.? The North Carolina Society of Historians was established in 1941 to collect, preserve, and perpetuate North Carolina?s rich history. The Willie Parker Peace History Book Award is given by the Society each year to encourage people to write and publish the history of a North Carolina county, institution, group, craft, or individual. Raiford?s second book entitled Shadow: A Cottontail Bomb Crew in World War II, about a B-24 crew, will be released by McFarland next summer. He is currently working on his third book, which will be a regimental history of the 20th NC Infantry.
For additional information regarding this excellent historical text by Neil Raiford
please contact:
302 pages $39.95 illustrated case binding (7x10)
Photographs, maps, notes, appendix, bibliography, index
ISBN 0-7864-1468-5 2003
Available from publisher at www.mcfarlandpub.com or 1-800-253-2187
Also from www.amazon.com or www.bn.com
McFarland & Company,Inc., Publishers
Box 611
Jefferson, North Carolina 28640,USA.
Telephone (336) 246-4460
Fax (336) 246-5018
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/
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"Shadow
A Cottontail Bomber Crew in World War II"
A History and Roster
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This is the poignant and exciting story of a statistical anomaly, a B-24 bomber crew that completed 50 combat missions in World War II. This crew was part of the famous 450th Bomb Group, which was nicknamed the “Cottontails” because of their white rudders. As part of the 15th Army Air Force, they flew strategic bombing missions out of Manduria, Italy (in the heel of the boot) and struck strategic targets which were out of the reach of the 8th Army Air Force bases in England. The group lost 1,505 airmen in only a year and a half—the equivalent of losing their effective flying strength three times over. The book’s title comes from the crew’s bomber, Shadow, which in turn was named for the pilot’s black cocker spaniel that flew with them on training missions.
Based on interviews with the surviving crewmembers and their families as well as extant archival source material, the book details the childhood, training and post-war life of each of its 13 principal characters. Chapter One is a discussion of each man’s boyhood years and Chapter Two provides details of the training that each received. In Chapter Three, the original crew of ten (Crew #4-N-33) was formed in Clovis, New Mexico. An assignment for training in Clovis and in B-24s meant that the crew had been designated for heavy bombardment. Chapter Four includes a description of the four main objectives for the crew, one of which was to participate in POINTBLANK, the Combined Bomber Offensive, which called for the destruction of German fighter aircraft plants, ball bearing plants, oil refineries, rubber plants, munitions factories, sub pens and bases. Details of the structural components of most missions are provided in Chapter Five. The crew completes its first missions in Chapter Six. In Chapter Seven, “Shadow” completes its last after taking enemy fire, and Chapter Eight introduces a new plane, Sleepy Time Gal. The book’s Epilogue contains information about the post-war lives of the crew.
About the Author
Neil Hunter Raiford is also the author of The 4th North Carolina Cavalry in the Civil War (2003). He lives in Decatur, Alabama.
For additional information regarding this excellent historical text by Neil Raiford
please contact:
ISBN 0-7864-1906-7
120 photographs, maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
248pp. illustrated case binding (7 x 10) 2004
$39.95 Available for immediate shipment.
Available from publisher at www.mcfarlandpub.com or 1-800-253-2187
McFarland & Company,Inc., Publishers
Box 611
Jefferson, North Carolina 28640,USA.
Telephone (336) 246-4460
Fax (336) 246-5018
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/
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A tale begun in other days, when summer suns were glowing ~
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