Interesting article today on North Carolina Miscellany blog. The article tells of a true Northern soldier (not one of our home-grown Yankees) who took a little trip through the South, including North Carolina, in 1868. What I find interesting is how this former soldier was treated by the former Confederates. Several months ago, I had a good argument with an acquaintance on this very subject. His premise was that the vast majority of Southerners, following the war, would have rather bushwhacked this chap than give him a carriage ride, or three cheers. Do I doubt that there were some in the South that hated those from the North? No, not one bit. However, to not help someone in need, or to not stretch out the hand of friendship to a passerby, is a strictly un-Southern attitude.
This brings to mind another conversation that parallels the thought above. At one of our recent round table talks, the conversation turned to commanders of the local home guard companies here in western North Carolina. Two of those commanders, the ones for Watauga and Yancey Counties, were forced to relocate after the war. I wonder how many of the others were forced to move out of the area after the war? I know that Watauga County’s Home guard commander, Harvey Bingham, had to leave because of the way he enforced state and Confederate laws. Bingham did return for a short time, but later settled in Iredell County where he ran a law school.
Just random thoughts for today.
You can check out the article at North Carolina Miscellany here.
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