by Edward Ellis, Special Correspondent
Look up ‘multifaceted’ in a dictionary and John Dalton Whitford’s picture should be there. A true New Bern Renaissance man, Whitford’s contributions spanned civil governance, military service, railroad leadership, and historical scholarship. The records show he excelled in all of it.
Born here in 1825 – 200 years ago – to Hardy and Mary James Clark Whitford, he was elected mayor of New Bern when barely 21 years of age. During his tenure, he initiated significant infrastructure improvements, including fixing streets, draining ponds, filling creeks, constructing brick sewers—some of the first underground aqueducts in North Carolina—and erecting the shell-rock wall to protect Cedar Grove Cemetery from the livestock that once roamed freely through town.
At age 29 in 1854, Whitford was elected president of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company, overseeing its operations until the Civil War disrupted its activities. He also served as a director of the North Carolina Railroad Company, which operated trains between Goldsboro and Charlotte. After the war, he was re-elected president of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad and played a crucial role in reducing the company’s debts, allowing stockholders to see a profit.
Whitford’s military service began with the New Bern Light Infantry. He was among the first volunteers for the Confederate army and served as a captain, major, and later colonel. He survived the Battle of New Bern in March 1862 and subsequent stormy engagements around Kinston and other parts of eastern North Carolina. Whitford was also responsible for transporting troops and munitions and served as the state agent for purchasing cavalry equipment and other war materials. His effective leadership earned him a complimentary letter from General Robert E. Lee.
After the war, he was also a historian, documenting the Civil War era and contributing to the understanding of North Carolina’s history during that period. As would be expected, his primary focus was New Bern. Historical musings, crafted from his rambles around the town he knew and loved, make the Writings of John D. Whitford one of the many highlights of the public library’s Kellenberger Room website.
Upon his death at age 85 on September 13, 1910, he was laid to rest beside the substantial Whitford family monument inside the shell-rock walls of Cedar Grove.