Letter: Morrisville remembers 

     June 14 marked a significant event in Morrisville. The Town Council voted to approve a historic marker 
relating to the role the town played during the last days of the Civil War. 

     In mid-April 1865, approximately 4,000 soldiers skirmished in the small town located in between what 
is now RTP and Raleigh on Rt. 54. In addition to the skirmish, a letter from Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, the 
commander of the remaining Confederate forces, passed through the lines to Gen. Kilpatrick and ultimately 
Gen. William T. Sherman, the federal commander. This letter was the initial correspondence that requested 
an armistice and later terms for the surrender of the remaining Confederate forces. 

     [N&O columnist Dennis Rogers wrote about the 1865 events and the effort to obtain a marker in his 
June 12 column "Marking history in Morrisville."] 

     Not surprisingly to local historians, the N.C. State Historic Marker Commission rejected the proposal, 
holding that North Carolina has enough Civil War markers. Their failure to recognize Morrisville's 
historical importance was not taken lightly by the Town Council, which voted unanimously to approve the 
procure-ment of the historic marker that will be located near the skirmish site. 

     The man responsible for pleading the case for historical preservation is Ernest Dollar of Raleigh. His 
interest in North Carolina history should be an example on how to preserve history and the marker 
commission should take notes. All history is important, not just popular history! 

     TONY DURAN 

     Carrboro