Battle of Whitehall re-enactment set for Seven Springs festival
By Turner Walston
Published in News on April 18, 2006 1:45 PM
SEVEN SPRINGS -- A re-enactment of the Civil War Battle of Whitehall will be held June 10 when the town of Seven Springs celebrates its Old Timey Days festival.
More than a century ago, Seven Springs was known as Whitehall. During the Civil War, Union troops en route to attack Goldsboro stopped to battle Confederates defending the town and the gunboat CSS Neuse that was being built there.
Bobby and Karen Mozingo, the organizers of the festival, told board members that the re-enactments of the battle for the bridge will be held at 2 p.m. in the afternoon and again after nightfall. The original battle involved a nighttime bombardment by Union cannon and a fire that observers said could be seen for miles.
In a related item, Mozingo asked the board to consider re-naming E. River Street to Gen. Beverly Robertson Street, after a Confederate cavalry general. Board members asked for time to consider the proposal. Mozingo said he would like to see signs at the town limits recognizing the site of the Whitehall battlefield.
In other business, town board members voted to use Powell Bill funds to repair the town's flower beds. The town will ask Tim Coble to repair its lawn equipment.
On Saturday at 6 p.m., Seven Springs will host Lower Neuse Riverkeeper Larry Baldwin, who will speak at Whitehall Landing. Baldwin and Upper Neuse Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks are paddling 270 miles from Durham to the Pamlico Sound.