Weary Clyburn (1841 – 1930) was an African-American who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and was a special aide to General Robert E. Lee.
On July 18, 2008, the city of Monroe, North Carolina and the Sons of Confederate Veterans honored Clyburn as an African-American Confederate hero.[1]
Biography edit
At the outbreak of the war, Weary was a slave on the plantation of Frank Clyburn in Lancaster County, South Carolina. Frank Clyburn's son Thomas joined the Confederate Army at age 19. Weary ran away from the plantation to join Thomas, who had been his close friend since boyhood, in the army.[2]
Thomas served in Company E of the Confederate Army's 12th regiment, and Weary served as his bodyguard.[3] On two separate occasions, Weary saved Thomas' life by carrying him from deadly fighting to a safe place.[4]
In 1926, Weary was declared eligible to receive a Confederate veteran pension after he produced letters confirming he had served in the Confederate Army. Weary's name had also been spelled "Werry" or "Wary" in documents of that period.[5]
Notes edit
- ^ Harrington, Cliff. (2008, July 19). Confederate hero was slave: Memorial honors his role in Civil War, including as aide to Lee. The Charlotte Observer [1]
- ^ Harrington, op. cit
- ^ Hardy Michael C. (2007, August 16). Entry on blog: "North Carolina and the Civil War."
- ^ Harrington, op. cit
- ^ Harrington, op. cit