Before the coming of modern medicine, people living near the swampy coastal areas of North Carolina were frequently plagued by diseases that left many sick and dead. One of the worst of these was yellow fever. Carried by mosquitoes, the disease was a mystery to doctors until 1898. That was 36 years too late to save the hundreds of Wilmington residents who perished in the deadly outbreak of 1862. While the Civil War raged throughout the country, and Union warships stood offshore to stop the blockade runners making for the Confederate port at Wilmington, the city was full of soldiers and speculators, sailors, slaves and citizens. Before the yellow fever epidemic ended in November, a full third of Wilmingtons population would be dead. This is the story of a baffling illness that killed more often than not, and of the people who came together to weather the storm of death it brought. This new title in The Young Readers Series of North Carolina History is a perfect way to teach youngsters about a dramatic episode in N.C. history, as well as a super way for adults to acquaint themselves with the topic!

Author: Jack E Fryar Jr