Thomas F. (hardtack) -
A very interesting book on the partisan warfare waged in the East Tennessee and West North Carolina mountains from 1861-1865 and beyond. This was truly a bloody land where it was sometimes difficult to tell who your enemies were, even with a score card.
A great many people in North Carolina, especially in the western part of the state favored the Union. In fact, North Carolina didn't vote to 'secceed' from the Union until AFTER the Civil War began, and it might have not secceeded if the state's governor hadn't already decided it was going to, no matter what the people wanted. But that information isn't covered in this book. I've always found it fascinating North Carolina's almost 50-50 split on the Federal Union vs. the Confederacy still resulted in that state sending more men to fight in the Confederate Army than any other state.
The first part of the book seems somewhat disjointed with the author relating incidents seemingly unrelated to each other. Only after the middle of the book do these incidents become related and make a fine story.
Many died due to local feuds, over revenge for other killings, or just for loot. While many others died because men no longer cared who they harmed. Confederate and Union army deserters often banded together to fight local authorities. Or they joined with local bandits. Oftimes there were no moral issues involved. The only result of all this was the residents of this area suffered terribly.
You have to read the book to adequately understand what happened. And some of the actions committed under the Confederate and Union flags were simply crimes against humanity. What few regular army units---from both sides---existed seemed to be unable to make a difference. When all was over and done with, and the War ended, the killings kept right on happening.
It makes for very interesting reading.
I did notice one interesting mistake. On page 62, the author had William Thomas, the leader of one Confederate unit, enjoying special status as "...Thomas was blood-related to ex-President Zachary Taylor whose daughter happened to be married to Jefferson Davis." However, this was related to something occurring in 1862. But Jefferson Davis had married Taylor's daughter in late Spring 1835, and she died three months later, or 27 years before the incident related. By 1862, Jefferson Davis was married to another woman.
A great many people in North Carolina, especially in the western part of the state favored the Union. In fact, North Carolina didn't vote to 'secceed' from the Union until AFTER the Civil War began, and it might have not secceeded if the state's governor hadn't already decided it was going to, no matter what the people wanted. But that information isn't covered in this book. I've always found it fascinating North Carolina's almost 50-50 split on the Federal Union vs. the Confederacy still resulted in that state sending more men to fight in the Confederate Army than any other state.
The first part of the book seems somewhat disjointed with the author relating incidents seemingly unrelated to each other. Only after the middle of the book do these incidents become related and make a fine story.
Many died due to local feuds, over revenge for other killings, or just for loot. While many others died because men no longer cared who they harmed. Confederate and Union army deserters often banded together to fight local authorities. Or they joined with local bandits. Oftimes there were no moral issues involved. The only result of all this was the residents of this area suffered terribly.
You have to read the book to adequately understand what happened. And some of the actions committed under the Confederate and Union flags were simply crimes against humanity. What few regular army units---from both sides---existed seemed to be unable to make a difference. When all was over and done with, and the War ended, the killings kept right on happening.
It makes for very interesting reading.
I did notice one interesting mistake. On page 62, the author had William Thomas, the leader of one Confederate unit, enjoying special status as "...Thomas was blood-related to ex-President Zachary Taylor whose daughter happened to be married to Jefferson Davis." However, this was related to something occurring in 1862. But Jefferson Davis had married Taylor's daughter in late Spring 1835, and she died three months later, or 27 years before the incident related. By 1862, Jefferson Davis was married to another woman.
