Photo (from left): RCWRT President Ted Kunstling, Doug Blizzard, Skip Riddle, Stacey Jones, and Dennis Harper.

At the November meeting of the Raleigh Civil War Roundtable, the organization recognized and honored the efforts of the Save Wyse Fork Battlefield Commission with the annual T. Harry Gatton Award.

The Raleigh CWRT has presented the T. Harry Gatton Award each year since 2008, except for 2023. A generous endowment by Mary Gatton in the memory of her late husband funds the award to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the understanding of and appreciation for the American Civil War.

The award’s namesake, Thomas Harry Gatton, was born March 10, 1918, and was a native of Iredell County, NC. He graduated from UNC at Chapel Hill and served in the US Navy during World War II, achieving the rank of Lt. Commander.

Gatton was a former newspaper editor and radio station director. He served on numerous boards, authored 10 published banking histories, and was chairman of the NC Historical Commission. He was the recipient of numerous awards including the Christopher Crittenden Cup for the preservation of NC history. He died July 28, 2001.

Although the Gatton Award is typically presented at the roundtable’s January meeting, the Save Wyse Fork Battlefield Commission received the award in November. The award was presented “in appreciation of the tireless efforts of the [commission] to preserve and protect from destruction by the highway commission and development the most critical heart of the sacred ground where 21,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought March 8-10, 1865, suffering 2,645 casualties as the American Civil War neared its end in North Carolina.”

This year’s Gatton Award marks the first time the Raleigh CWRT recognized the efforts of an organization with this honor.

Noted Civil War historian Ed Bearss received the first Gatton Award to recognize his significant contributions to the understanding of and appreciation for the American Civil War through his tours, talks, and books, as well as his tireless efforts in support of the preservation of countless Civil War battlefield sites and the memory of those who fought and died on them. For 10 years, Bearss was the main speaker for the Gatton recognition ceremony.

Several honorees have hailed from Kinston and Eastern North Carolina. In 2020, Kinston-native Donny B. Taylor received the Gatton Award for his outstanding leadership as Site Manager of Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site from 2000-2019.

Since the state first acquired 51 acres in 1957, the protected ground at Bentonville has grown to more than 2000 acres of the most significant portions of this 1865 battlefield. Much of this extraordinary growth occurred during Donny’s tenure, with the support of the Civil War Trust (now American Battlefield Trust) and other organizations.

Kinston-native David Waller, who attended North Lenoir High School and N.C. Wesleyan College, received the Gatton award in 2013. Waller is known as “The Civil War Grave Hunter” for his efforts at locating and photographing more than 700 grave sites of Civil War generals and other notables.

David has shared his passion in dozens of presentations to schools, history and heritage groups, churches, and other organizations. He also has been featured on radio and television programs, as well as newspaper articles on topics related to the Civil War. David has led many tours of historical sites as well.

In 2017, the Raleigh CWRT honored Beaufort-born Wade Sokolosky, who graduated from East Carolina and is a 25-year U.S. Army veteran. Wade was recognized for “his important efforts to study, preserve, and share the Civil War heritage of his native North Carolina.

His research and publications have added to the understanding of some of North Carolina’s most significant military engagements, and he has willingly and freely shared his knowledge with students of the Civil War by lecturing, leading battlefield tours, and extending fellowship.” Wade is no stranger to Kinston and Lenoir County.  He and Dennis Harper have conducted dozens of tours of the Wyse Fork Battlefield.

Goldsboro-native Randy Sauls received the Gatton Award in 2018. He earned his bachelor’s degree in American History in 1979 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, in 1983, his Juris Doctorate from the Campbell University School of Law.   Randy is a licensed attorney and legal counsel and managing member of Sauls Title Company LLC.

Randy is a long-time student of Civil War history who has shared his knowledge by leading tours of its fields of battle and by speaking around North Carolina. As founder and president of the Goldsboro Bridge Battlefield Association, he has played an instrumental role in the preservation and development of this historic site, the 1862 Goldsboro Bridge Battlefield.

The Raleigh Civil War Round Table was formed on March 12, 2001, and is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. The current number of members as of Sept. 1, 2024, is 138.

The Save Wyse Fork Battlefield Commission has joined this prestigious list of serious scholars who have sought to preserve both the memories and battlefields of the American Civil War. The award shows others outside this area have recognized and appreciated those efforts.

Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. You can contact him at mparker16@gmail.com.