Fighting for Slavery

More than one out of four of Tennessee's confederate generation remembered class strife.

"Those who didn't owned slaves hated those who did," declared an upper class Madison Countian. He further stressed that "Antagonism was mostly the fault of the non-slaveholders."

Fred A Bailey, "Class and Tennessee's Confederate Generation," The Journal Of Southern History Volume LI, No.1 (February 1985): 49.

Social Class and Confederate desertions

Defeats and deprivations contributed to significant attrition among Tennessee soldiers. At the war's end thousands were removed from active service by wounds, by imprisonments, or by desertions. Only a handful of the veterans confessed to military infidelity. In 1865, however, many were absent from their units on furlough, searching for horses, or, in what was probably a euphemism for desertion, "cut off from their companies."

... Among those who filled out the questionnaire only about 50% of the poor, the non-slaveholding yeoman, and the slave owning yeoman, surrendered with an active command. In the war's last Spring, 70% of the wealthy remained faithful to the Rebel crusade.

Fred A Bailey, “Class and Tennessee's Confederate Generation,” The Journal Of Southern History Volume LI, No.1 (February 1985): 52, 53.

Poor Soldiers

"A renter had no chance to save anything," remonstrated William Beard, "slave holders were the only men that could make enough money to do anything."

William Eskew complained that "Th[e]re was no chance for a young foreman for his wages was so low... [He Was] discouraged by the Slaveholders."

George V. Payne even accused the planter class of keeping the poor down "so they could make slaves of them,” and A.J. Ferrell wrote with bitterness: "if [the wealthy] had not owned slaves as a working man I... could have secured better wages."

Fred A Bailey, “Class and Tennessee's Confederate Generation,” The Journal Of Southern History Volume LI, No.1 (February 1985): 36.

Black man identified as veteran in Texas

... was found here.

Help needed- Ozarks Afro-American Heritage Museum

The Ozarks Afro-American Heritage Museum is a repository of local Afro-American culture, with an ever-growing collection of interesting artifacts that testify to lives richly lived by our ancestors in southwest Missouri.

The OAAHM is supported entirely by visitor donations. The OAAHM is in serious fiscal difficulties, and needs help. Donations of any size would be deeply appreciated. Visit them online at www.oaahm.org

See this video about the curator, a descendant of the slaves who worked the land...

Secular Right on "Empire of Liberty"

from the Secular Right blog, a few thoughts on his reading of Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815...

Around 1850 the South was an export driven economy based on trade, in particular with Great Britain. By this time New England the whole Northeast had shifted toward a more diversified economy, and native manufacturers militated for the tariffs which their forebears would have scoffed at. Additionally, around 1800 New England was the redoubt of orthodox Christianity. The South was the domain of more easy-going religion, and outright heterodoxy among its social & political elites. Finally, one of the most interesting things to note is that it was in the Southern states that Francophilia during the period of the French Revolution was strongest!

There's a lot to be discussed here. I have not heard of this book. Thanks to Secular Right for this short overview, it sounds like interesting reading. If I were not in the middle of some other reading at the moment, I would look at this book with great interest.

View an original Declaration of Independence- one day only

For One Day Only Visitors Can See Rare Copy of the Declaration of Independence for Free at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond.

On Saturday, October 24, from 10 am to 3 pm, the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) will display one of only twenty-six known original printed copies of the Declaration of Independence.

Ordered by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, these printed copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed the next day to the thirteen states, King George in England, and George Washington to be read to the soldiers of the Continental Army.

Contact: Jennifer M. Guild, Media Relations Specialist
(804) 342-9665
jguild@vahistorical.org

Read article here...
http://www.vahistorical.org/news/pr_doi.htm