Rebel With A Clue

Crossing The Line

2012-05-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

How do you feel about your Confederate Heritage, and exactly how do you feel about living in America, or “Occupied America” depending on which state you are in?

Studying Confederate and Southern History I find that my roots are deep within the South, I am proud of the sacrifices my forefathers made to protect our homeland during the War Between The States and I pray to never disgrace theirs or my Heritage.

But at this point in our existence how can I disgrace the actions of my ancestors who fought in all the other wars since the Civil War ended? Occupied or not these men and women also made sacrifices to protect our homeland.

The WBTS is argued from many different directions, the cause also has many views depending on what you were taught, but for the sake of this post we will not get into the cause nor who was right or wrong, we need to look at where we are right now and if we are proud of who our ancestors are.

We all had many who fought as Rebels or “Johnny Rebs” during the Civil War and others who were the so called “Billy Yanks”, but since that war ended these bloodlines have actually fought together on the same side, for the same cause, are we crossing the line if we are proud of those who fought since then, and are we crossing the line if we say we are not proud, and only teach the Civil War era, our history included this era but a lot has happened since.

I had a wise man once tell me that if you want to teach Confederate History, you have to dress in attire of today rather than Civil War era clothing or be labeled as “Living in the past”, with this said are we living in the past if we refuse to acknowledge the sacrifices of our family who are still to this day fighting to protect our freedom, or am I crossing the line because I am proud that I come from a long line of people who will make a stand to protect us from terrorism, domestic or other.

You May Be A Racist

2011-10-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Are you a racist? Some people are and proud of this fact, but for the rest of us racism is not on our agenda.

We have discussed in the past the way people look at those who celebrate their heritage, if you are Black you have a history month and this is good, if you are Hispanic you also have a day to celebrate and we all join in to help you celebrate your heritage, history allows everyone to celebrate the independence of America with fireworks, hotdogs, and all that goes along.

We celebrate all of these occasions without the fear of the R word, but once you begin to talk about your Confederate ancestors the rebellion begins once again, those who do not know the truth immediately look at you as if you have lost your mind or either turn away, the race card is thrown out and your Rebel heritage is deemed racist.

If you are from the South you are sometimes deemed to be a racist who is still fighting the Civil War, and sometimes we are our own worst enemy when discussing these facts, I wont claim that I know all, but I do know when discussing facts in today’s time frame we should dress in today’s clothing, unless we are actually at a re-enactment or a program that calls for dressing in costume, for Gods sake don’t give them ammunition that says you are living in the past, we make ourselves look bad when we shoot ourselves in the foot like this.

In my opinion our government, the one who shouts for us to be fair to all, is the same one that will turn it’s back on those less fortunate just because of their status, color, and/or bank account value, this government is the same one that teaches our children to be just like them, this government is one we need to take control of and not allow their racist values to fall into our laps.

Taking control of the government is easier said than done, and with that said I am not trying to overthrow the government, I am suggesting that we overthrow ourselves, by taking a look in the mirror and asking that person what needs to be done to take charge of what is important.

Racism is not a hard one to figure out, most of us are prejudiced in our thinking but most of us do not actually hate anyone, there are a lot who hate anything to do with our Confederate heritage or anything else for that matter, and most of this mindset comes from lack of education on the subject of the Civil War, teach the truth but don’t waste your time and energy arguing with someone who is not listening anyway.

Pay attention to what you say and think before you speak, talk in a normal voice as more people listen to civil talk more so than shouting, teach your children all sides of every story so they can easily learn the truth by knowing each side, even if you have to home school it will be worth it to make sure your child is being taught the truth.

You don’t have to be a racist to teach Confederate Heritage, but if you choose to look down on someone due to their skin color or where they are from…You May Be A Racist.

The Southern Side

2011-09-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

The argument has been made in the past that Southerners should "Put away the Confederate flags and the pictures of Jefferson Davis" because "The heritage that Southerners so desperately cling to is one of racism, ignorance, and religious fanaticism" and that we are trying to create a "backward looking, close minded nation"

I was born, raised and educated in the South. I am looking toward the future, not trying to re create the past, but I know the past is an important part of our lives because without it we wouldn't be here. I am proud of the fact that my forefathers stood up for what they believed in, and passed that trait down to me. Racism is something I don't agree with and will not tolerate, Ignorance I feel I am trying to address and correct by teaching and learning the Truth that I was taught by my elders in spite of the version of history taught in our public schools, if I am a fanatic because I am from the South and believe in God, so be it.

I will continue to teach the truth of my ancestors, and remember where I came from while looking to the future. If this makes me backward looking and close-minded, I'm sorry you feel that way but that’s just me. You have to know where you came from to know where you are going. You have to believe in and Love God because without him we would not be here.

There is always more than one side to any story and wars are no different, in any war the history of it is the one written by the winning side and in the War Between the States the Union side of the story is taught in our schools, I have heard from students writing papers on the Civil War that Abraham Lincoln had to declare war on the Southern states to Free the Slaves, and how Southerners fought so hard to keep them, and that after the war the South had nothing left but wounded pride and that Lincoln had to force The South to treat the slaves with respect. OK this is one side but what about the Southern side, Are we not allowed to teach this side? The Confederate states are part of the USA today, “occupied states” so to say in my opinion, but still we are living by the laws of the land and celebrating the history of the states but what if part of your heritage is also from the Confederacy? This is the truth I speak of in my articles the lessons learned from my elders is where I see this truth. Slavery was a big part of life during this time but as I see it was an issue of the time but not the cause of the Civil War, slavery would have ended with or without this war, Lincoln himself stated, "The war is being fought for the Union, not slavery".

We allow our schools to teach their versions of history but we are supposed to keep the Southern side to ourselves. Our children being called down in school for showing pride in their heritage, a while back a boy in Ohio and one in Tennessee were made to feel wrong because they were proud, One for wearing a lapel pin of the Confederate Battle Flag, and one for wearing a t-shirt displaying the Confederate Flag with the statement "If this Flag offends you, You need a History lesson", he had wore it on Veterans Day, he explained that he has Confederate ancestors. So as I see it he has a right to be proud, and it was wrong to make him feel otherwise.

Why do we teach our kids to stand up for what they believe in and at the same time allow others to make them feel ashamed for doing so? Why can't people from the South be proud of where they are from without being accused of racism? Why is our history distorted to the point that our children are not learning the Truth of our forefathers at school? And why are we the ones that are "out of line" when we stand up for our kids by teaching them the truth? We should be able to do this without fear of being accused of something we are not

Our Children are the Leaders of the future. If we don't teach them the truth and the proper way to lead now in a Godly manner, then how can we expect them to lead and teach the truth to their Children without fear of confrontation from people trying to teach them otherwise?

Calling Names

2011-09-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

What’s in a name? And why do we worry so much about names we are called?

Over the last several years during my genealogical research I have been so proud of the history behind all the names in my family, I have had members from both my Paternal and Maternal side of the family in every war and skirmish since our forefathers started this country, I had members fight for the Confederacy during the War Between The States and were condemned after it was all over for standing up for God, Family, and the Country they formed against the one they had seceded from, the country they formed was the Confederate States of America and consisted of thirteen states, I also had members fight in the Revolutionary war and were praised for standing up for God, Family and the country they fought to preserve which also consisted of thirteen colonies, This formed the United States of America, now with this said, how is it right to stand up for yourself against the taxation and lack of representation of your “Government” one time and then later in history you do the same thing again, but this time you are condemned for doing so. I may be getting a bit off track here but the similarities and differences in the American Revolution, which was noted as the American War of Independence and the Civil War, which is noted as the War for Southern Independence causes so many different names. This is material for a whole other post so for now I will get back to the subject of names.

Since the beginning of this site and my opinions being shared I have heard and been called quite a few names and I would like to go over a couple of them:

Racist: is the biggest one that seems to be thrown around, The “R” word is one that I assume is to cause shame and make me look bad, Wikipedia’s definition of racism reads: Racism is the belief that the genetic factors which constitute race are a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

OK going by this definition I can’t see where I have ever promoted any particular race over another nor have I ever suggested racial differences being the cause of anyone being superior to another, so with this said explains why I have no tolerance for those who try to throw shame on others when they obviously are only trying to divert attention away from their own racist agenda.

White Apologist: I have heard this one several times from different people and although I know what they are trying to say I just can’t understand their mindset. To apologize for something is to be sorry for the action and attempt to make amends for a wrong doing, to be an apologist I suppose is to be someone who is in charge of apologizing, to be a white apologist is to be of a particular race and be in charge of apologizing. Seriously what I think these people are accusing us of, is trying to make others feel better by apologizing for the actions of those who are trying to separate the races, I know there is a difference in races but I don’t think we should be forced to hate one another due to these differences, there have always been different races and we have always lived together so to say, I am not saying we have always treated each other with total respect but I do think some of us have always worked together in an attempt to get along.

Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest is quoted as stating to a political and social group comprised of black southerners in Memphis, Tennessee on July 4th 1875: “I assure you that every man who was in the Confederate army is your friend. We were born on the same soil, breathe the same air, live in the same land, and why should we not be brothers and sisters.” Now does this make him a white apologist or does it show that people really want to live together in peace without hating one another due to race. My opinion on this name is the same as the “R” word above, it is only an attempt to divert attention from your own racist/white apologist actions.
I could go on and on but you can see where this is going to end up, I have been chastised and degraded, accused and blamed, praised and commended for many of my articles in the past, these comments have come from Politicians and Chamber Members, Teachers and Professors, Grand Dragons and NNACP members, Friends and Family and of all the names coming out of this, I see a similarity that crosses the line attempting to be drawn between the races. Those people who are calling names rather than discussing an issue have run out of answers and are trying to divert the attention away from themselves, those people who are yelling rather than talking in a normal voice are attempting to cover you because they have run out of comments and are trying to divert the attention away from themselves again, and those people who know in their heart that they are wrong because they are stirring that kettle of hate will be the first ones to call those who are teaching a subject a bit differently than they are the “R” word—why? It is only an attempt to divert the attention away from their very own hateful agenda.

Be careful when accusing someone of being something they are not, make sure you have all your facts together before making these accusations and for God’s sake don’t make assumptions on a name without knowing the person or what they stand for, these actions are what causes problems and when we use our heads in an attempt to actually learn something rather than make someone look bad then it’s a pleasure to breathe that same air.

Only One Who Fought

2010-10-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is one I originally posted on my other blog Jimmy's Opinion, I hope you enjoy it.

He was born in Culpeper County Virginia in 1764 and moved with his family into North Carolina where they settled in what is now Guilford County in about 1770, less than ten years later he turned out as a volunteer in Surry County, NC under Captain A Bostick and was placed in the charge of a Captain Shepherd at the Courthouse there, he remained nearly two weeks before being discharged and allowed to go home before beginning his service in the Revolutionary War.

He was drafted to join Colonel Charles Porterfield’s Light Artillery under the charge of Captain Brashears who was wounded and died at the Rugeley's Mills Battle in Camden South Carolina on August 16 1780, so at the age of 16 he was involved in the Battle known as Gates Defeat and saw his first Captain die. He served a tour of three months out of the State of North Carolina and upon returning home he substituted in the place of another man who was also from Surry County N.C. Under the command of Capt Edwin Hickman he went with General Nathanael Greene to the South where he was wounded and put into the hospital or else he would have been in the Battle at Eutaw Springs SC on Sep 8th 1781 where his General was defeated, this was also the last major engagement of the war in the Carolinas. He remained until the army returned over the Congaree River when he joined them and went Northward to where he was discharged at a place about thirteen miles South of Salisbury NC.

On his return home he was drafted and turned out again as himself for about a month before being sent home only to be called out again this time in the scouting service for another three months, This last mentioned service he performed he found his own horse and was in the service as a Horseman although there is no evidence to prove this fact, other than the testimony of those who served with him according to his pension application dated March 12th 1833 in Pickens District South Carolina where he had moved at the end of the Revolutionary War.

He was sixty nine years old when he applied for this pension for his service to the United States during the Revolutionary war; his pension was approved on May 16th 1833 at the age of 70 his pension of a $20.00 Annual Allowance began and he lived for another ten years before his death in what is now Pickens County, South Carolina.

This is only one of the fine men who fought, suffered and sacrificed to give us the freedom we still fight for and defend today, take a moment to remember what men like this man went through to assure us of the privileges we now enjoy and possibly take for granted. I gathered this information from this mans pension records and what drew me to this particular man is the fact that he is my 4th Great Grandfather who was born with the same name I proudly carry today.

A New Look

2010-10-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

For the past few years I have shared lessons that I have learned here on Rebel With A Clue, the subject matter was strictly on Southern Heritage and The War Between The States, I am not changing my outlook on these subjects but feel it is time to celebrate the rest of my heritage also.

From this day forward I will discuss our heritage and family histories as they come up, The Revolutionary war was a big one also, and I have shared a story on Jimmy’s Opinion about one of my Ancestors who fought this war, I will repost it here in a few days, The WBTS I will not forget about but there are many more of our people fought in other wars and others who continue to fight today who need mentioning also, So with this said from now on this will be a place for these men and women too, even though the US is an occupied country from a Confederate standpoint, other of my ancestors have fought in every war since so in my opinion I can no longer overlook them to stick to one subject as life is a whole lot more than just one period of time.

I will continue to moderate comments for a time due to the obvious reasons, I will not allow our site to be degraded with comments from those who disagree and cannot do it in a civil manner, I do have the right to refuse those comments, if you disagree then do so in the same manner as if you are talking in front of your Mom, and don’t link up a site as a source to prove your statement, if you really want me to add a link to your blog then just ask, I don’t mind a link in a comment now and then but when you load down a comment with links to your own blogs then don’t expect it to show up on mine.

I have had a lot of supporters in the past on this site and a lot of people who followed along have helped contribute to the content, I hope you will stay on for the new look and direction of our site because the lessons are still in the same direction as always, I am still teaching and learning about God, Family, and Country without being tied to a single period in time, stepping back and using a quote from Confederate President Jefferson Davis, "The contest is not over, the strife is not ended. It has only entered upon a new and enlarged arena."

So pull up a chair and come along for the ride.

The Civil War

2010-10-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

The History of the Civil War and our Southern Heritage have been clouded for years in our public schools, slavery was an issue but not the reason for the Civil War it was actually fought for economic reasons, most Southerners did not own slaves so why would they fight to preserve it. The Confederate Battle Flag stands for Pride and Heritage in the South not hate and racism.

Cause of The War for Southern Independence
The Civil War was a war of aggression against the South. The Northern states had the majority of the industrial capabilities and depended on raw products from the South to survive. The Southern states grew tired of high tariffs and over taxation without sharing in the revenue received by the Northern states from Southern products.

The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was the beginning of the secession of seven states in the South. South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded from the union and formed The Confederate States of America. The Confederate states were able to trade directly with other nations with a much lower Confederate tariff. Rather than fairly compete with the low Confederate tariff by lowering the federal tariff, The Lincoln Republicans and their Northern financial backers chose instead to destroy the Confederacy by force.

One of the first things Jefferson Davis did after assuming office as president of the Confederate States of America was to send a peace delegation to Washington, D.C., in an effort to establish friendly ties with the federal government. The Confederacy offered to pay the South’s share of the national debt and to pay for all federal installations in the Southern states. Lincoln rejected all Confederate peace offers and insisted that federal armies would invade the Southern states if they didn’t renounce their independence and recognize federal authority.

The Confederate government attempted to negotiate the withdrawal of a small federal garrison that occupied Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on December 26, 1860. Lincoln decided not to withdraw the garrison. Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Lincoln issued a call-up of 75,000 troops to put down what he claimed was a "Rebellion" in the South. Four more Southern states joined the Confederacy Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Lincoln sent federal armies into the South. Kentucky and Missouri joined the Confederacy even though their efforts to secede had failed.

Slavery was not the issue for The War of Northern Aggression (aka Civil War); Lincoln himself stated, "The war is being fought for the Union, not slavery". In 1862 in Tennessee a squad of Union soldiers captured a lone, ragged and underfed Confederate soldier. It was obvious that this Confederate soldier owned no slaves and was a worker of the land himself.

The Union soldiers asked the Confederate "What are you fighting for?"

The Confederate soldier simply replied, "I'm fighting because you are down here".

The Confederacy did not want to go to war. Simply put The War for Southern Independence was fought by The South to preserve their God given right to govern and defend themselves as provided under the Constitution. The North losing the Southern States and allowing them their independence would mean economic disaster for the North. This would never be tolerated and would be stopped by whatever means necessary! The war was not fought to end slavery; the war was fought because Lincoln refused to allow the South to go in peace.

Flags of The Confederacy
The Bonnie Blue was the first unofficial flag of the Confederacy. It can be traced back to 1810 and was used as a symbol of Southern Independence. Sometimes used as a flag of secession. The Bonnie Blue served as the unofficial flag of the Confederacy until the Stars and Bars replaced it.
The First Official Flag of The Confederacy (The First National or Stars and Bars) was used from March 1861 to May 1863; the seven stars represent the original seven states, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. This flag was replaced because it closely resembled the Stars and Stripes used by the union making it hard to distinguish on the battlefield.
The Second Official Flag of The Confederacy (The Second National or Stainless Banner) was used from May 1863 to March 1865, The ANV Battle Flag or Southern Cross was placed on a white background to set it apart from the Stars and Stripes. The thirteen stars represent the original seven states plus four more that joined us, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The two remaining stars represent Kentucky and Missouri who joined us although their efforts to secede had failed.

The Third Official Flag of The Confederacy (The Third National) was adapted in 1865, a broad band of red was added to the end of the flag because when hanging limp the solid white background resembled a flag of surrender. This is the Adopted Flag of The Confederate States of America.

The Confederate Battle Flag "The St. Andrews Cross" flew from 1863 throughout the Confederacy, The Battle Flag was designed as an official banner to distinguish it from the Stars and Bars on the field of battle, and it flew proudly over every battlefield.

The Confederate Navy Jack or Southern Cross was used as a navy jack beginning in 1863, Although it was not actually a National Flag of the Confederacy, This is the most recognized Flag of the South which many people misquote the name as The Stars and Bars. The Confederate Battle Flag or Southern Cross brings a sense of Pride and Heritage to the South. Let's keep her flying.

LW Lusk, 1st SC Cavalry

2010-02-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

My third Great Grandfather Leroy Worth Lusk was born in Oconee County, South Carolina to Nathan and Rosannah Capehart Lusk on Tuesday May 10th 1831 at about four in the morning according to his Family Bible. Leroy farmed in and around Salem, Oconee County, South Carolina, he married Jeanette A Rogers daughter of James and Mary Swafford Rogers on February 5th 1856 and had three children before the start of the Civil War. Jeanette was born June 16th 1840 in Oconee County, SC.

Leroy Worth Lusk mustered into Company F, 1st Regiment South Carolina Cavalry as a Corporal and was a 2nd Lieutenant by the end of the war.

The First South Carolina Cavalry Regiment as formed in October 1861, and served in South Carolina until it was assigned to Gen. Wade Hampton's Brigade, under Maj. General JEB Stuart and moved to Virginia in the fall of 1862, this regiment fought in numerous battles including Chambersburg, Fredericksburg, Brandy Station, Upperville, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, Kelly's Ford, and Mine Run. Ordered south to defend their native state and surrounding areas in the fall of 1864, the First South Carolina Cavalry was prominent in the defense of Savannah and the Campaign of the Carolinas. After four years of honorable and gallant service, the First South Carolina Cavalry was included in the surrender of the Army of Tennessee in April of 1865.

In the midst of the war on March 9th 1863 my Great Great Grandmother Mary Roseanne Lusk was the first of seven more children born to Leroy and Jeanette. They lived and raised their family in Oconee County on the same land where generations of Lusks have lived. Jeanette died on March 16th 1905 and was laid to rest in the Henry Lusk Family Cemetery; Leroy died about 4 years later on May 9th 1909 and was also buried in the Lusk Family Cemetery.

Leroy’s Grave was marked with only a stone and funeral home marker until Tom a cousin of mine obtained a memorial stone for Leroy W Lusk from the Veterans Affairs Dept., he and a couple more cousins chipped in money to provide a stone for Jeanette also and set the stones in September 2008.

Thank You Tom

Black Confederate History

2010-02-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Black Confederates? This shouldn’t be a question but seems something hard for a lot of people to believe true. How many Black soldiers actually served the Confederacy in the War for Southern Independence? Sources show anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000, even if we estimate about 65,000 Southern Black Confederates with upwards of 13,000 in the face of the enemy during combat goes to show the importance of these men for the Confederacy.

The Victors version of history gives us a different story and if we believe their version then we fall into the impression that the war was fought over slavery and the blacks that stood on the Confederate side were forced into a situation they didn’t want to be in, well I believe that all Confederates were forced into a situation they didn’t want to be in and the Cause of the War Between the States was more economic rather than to free the slaves.

Black Confederates were made up of both free blacks and slaves; the Confederate Congress did not approve blacks to be officially enlisted as soldiers (except as musicians), until late in the war. But in the ranks it was a different story. Many Confederate officers did not go along with the mandates of the politicians they enlisted black men with the answer to a simple question "Will you fight?" this was an easy answer as the reason they wanted to fight was the same as any other Confederate Soldier, they were from the South and defending their homeland was a must.

In 1861 noted black abolitionist Frederick Douglass reported, “There are at the present moment many Colored men in the Confederate Army doing duty not only as cooks, servants and laborers, but real soldiers, having musket on their shoulders, and bullets in their pockets, ready to shoot down any loyal troops and do all that soldiers may do to destroy the Federal government and build up that of the rebels.”

Historian Ervin Jordan, explains that "biracial units" were frequently organized "by local Confederate and State militia Commanders in response to immediate threats in the form of Union raids". Dr. Leonard Haynes, an African-American professor at Southern University, stated, "When you eliminate the black Confederate soldier, you've eliminated a part of the history of the South."

Black History Month celebrates the importance of blacks in American history, let’s not forget the importance of the black men and women who also sacrificed for their homes and families as much as the white, Hispanic, Indian and other races who also stood with them on the side of the Confederacy during the War Between The States.

Civil War Generals

2010-01-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

Quotes by Gen. Robert E Lee
January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870

"Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less."

"We made a great mistake in the beginning of our struggle, and I fear, in spite of all we can do, it will prove to be a fatal mistake. We appointed all our worst generals to command our armies, and all our best generals to edit the newspapers."--1863

"Our country demands all our strength, all our energies. To resist the powerful combination now forming against us will require every man at his place. If victorious, we will have everything to hope for in the future. If defeated, nothing will be left for us to live for."

"We could have pursued no other course without dishonor. And sad as the results have been, if it had all to be done again, we should be compelled to act in precisely the same manner."--- Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee was born January 19, 1807 in Westmoreland County, VA.

At the beginning of the secession movement Lee did not agree with the political and economic arguments for Southern independence. Though, unfortunate as the choice was, if pressed to choose between fighting for Virginia or for the Union, Lee realized the decision would be simple. Lee's loyalties proved to be on the side of the South.

On April 18, 1861 Lee was offered field command of the United States Army. On the following day, he received word that Virginia had seceded from the Union; he submitted his letter of resignation from the United States Army on April 20. Three days later, Lee accepted the position of commander of Virginia forces. From this point onward, Lee's identity became linked to the Confederate cause. At the age of 55, on May 31, 1862, Robert E. Lee was assigned to command the troops, which he named "The Army of Northern Virginia". During the Civil War he worked closely with Jefferson Davis, J.E.B. Stuart. He is best known for his victories in the Battle of second Manassas (second Bull Run), and the Battle of Chancellorsville. Named General-In-Chief of all Confederate Armies on February 6, 1865, his tenure in this position was cut short by his surrender to General Grant at the Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, thus ending the Civil War.

After the war, Lee returned to Richmond, he was indicted for treason though never brought to trial. Lee died on October 12, 1870. Robert E. Lee was buried in Lexington and remembered as an educator, a soldier, and a Christian gentleman who lived his life with dignity. Lee has been compared to General George Washington in terms of the respect he earned from his soldiers, his region, and the nation.

Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
(1824-1863)

Thomas J. Jackson is one of the most revered of all Confederate commanders. A graduate of West Point in 1846, he had served in the Mexican War, earning two brevets, before resigning to accept a professorship at the Virginia Military Institute.

At the beginning of the Civil War he resigned from VMI and was commissioned a colonel in the Virginia forces and dispatched to Harpers Ferry where he was active in organizing the raw recruits until relieved by Joe Johnston. Leaving Harpers Ferry, his brigade moved with Johnston to join Beauregard at Manassas. In the fight at 1st Bull Run they were so distinguished that General Barnard Bee dubbed both the brigade and its commander “Stonewall”. The 1st Brigade was the only Confederate brigade to have its nickname become its official designation. That fall Jackson was given command of the Valley with a promotion to major general.

In the invasion of Maryland, Jackson was detached to capture Harpers Ferry and was afterwards distinguished at Antietam with Robert E.Lee. He was promoted after this and given command of the now official 2nd Corps. It had been known as a wing or command before this. He was disappointed with the victory at Fredericksburg because it could not be followed up. In his greatest day he led his corps around the Union right flank at Chancellorsville and routed the 11th Corps.

Reconnoitering that night, he was returning to his own lines when he was mortally wounded by some of his own men. Following the amputation of his arm, he died eight days later on May 10, 1863, from pneumonia. Stonewall Jackson is buried in Lexington, Virginia.

Robert E. Lee wrote of him with deep feeling "He has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right arm."

Nathan Bedford Forrest

Born July 13, 1821 in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a farmer, real estate dealer, and slave trader. He had earned a fortune of app. 1,500,000 before the war started and spent most of this money during the war on such things as clothing his troops.

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a natural tactician who earned the praise of his enemies. Both Grant and Sherman feared this man who entered the Confederate forces a private and left a general. His formula for success was "get there first with the most men." His prowess as a cavalry leader and battlefield general earned him the envy of even his adversaries and the title, "Wizard of the Saddle," early on in the war. This title is the source of many arguments now.

On Dec. 24, 1865, six young Confederate veterans met in the law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones. The meeting resulted in the idea of forming a social club, a 1860s version of the VFW or American Legion. Their number quickly grew, and in meetings that followed, the men selected a name based on the Greek word "kuklos" meaning circle, from which they derived the name Ku Klux. Perhaps bowing to their Scotch-Irish ancestry, and to add alliteration to the name, they included "clan," spelled with a K. And so, quite innocently, a new social club called the Ku Klux Klan was created to provide recreation for Confederate veterans.

When Forrest was elected Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan in 1867 at the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, he wasn't even in town. He was elected in absentia. The best research shows that Forrest never "led the Klan," never "rode with" the Klan, nor did he ever own any Klan paraphernalia. The only known order that Forrest issued using his famous name and perceived authority was for the KKK to disband in 1869, which it finally did in 1871. History shows that Nathan Bedford Forrest never was a part of the KKK but his unproven "brief association" with the Klan will forever raise questions about one of America's greatest tactical minds.

When the war ended, Forrest was virtually broke, having spent most of his estimated pre-war fortune of $1.5 million outfitting his troops. He spent his time between business ventures in Memphis and his farm in Mississippi. He died in Memphis, Tennessee on October 29, 1877.

The Story of the Roswell Mill Workers Deportation

2007-12-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

I found the following story on The Roswell Mills Sons of Confederate Veterans page, I would like to see more information on these Women and their families. This is just another example of the Hardships that Shermans March to the Sea inflicted on the Good People of the South.

On July 5, 1864, Federal General Kenner Garrard's cavalry reached Roswell and finding it undefended, occupied the city. General Garrard reported to General William T. Sherman on July 6, 1864 that..."there were fine factories here, I had the building burnt, all were burnt. The cotton factory was working up to the time of its destruction, some 400 women being employed."
Former Associate Dean of Emory University, Webb Garrison writes of the destruction of the Roswell Mills. He says..."incidents of this sort occurred repeatedly throughout the Civil War. Had the usual attitudes prevailed, the destruction of the industrial complex would have ended the matter. That it did not was due to the temperament and inclination of the man (Sherman)."
What General Sherman did next would shock good people in the North and create a mystery that has endured to this day. On July 7, 1864 Sherman reported to his superiors inWashington..." I have ordered General Garrard to arrest for treason all owners and employees, foreign and native (of the Roswell Mills), and send them under guard to Marietta, whence I will send them North."

On July 7, 1864, Sherman wrote to General Garrard:..." I repeat my orders that you arrest all people, male and female, connected with these factories, no matter the clamor, and let them foot it, under guard, to Marietta, Then I will send them by cars to the North."
A northern newspaper correspondent reported on the deportation...." only think of it! Four hundred weeping and terrified Ellens, Susans and Maggies transported in springless and seatless army wagons, away from their loves and brothers of the sunny South, and all for the offense of weaving tent-cloth.

On July 10, 1864, General Thomas reported the arrival of four to five hundred mill hands, mostly women, in Marietta. Other documents indicate that an undertermined number of children accompanied their mothers. Webb Garrison writes of the womens' arrival in Marietta:...." for the military record, that closed the case in which women and children were illegally deported after having been charged with treason." He further writes..."had the Roswell incident not been followed immediately by major military developments, it might have made a lasting impact upon opinion. In this century, few analysts have given it the emphasis it deserves."

In conclusion, Dr. Garrision writes...."The mystery of the Roswell women, whose ultimate fate remains unknown, is one of major importance in its own right. Even more significant is its foreshadowing of things to come."

The mystery of the Roswell women is made up of four to five hundred individual tragedies. Most of these stories are lost to history; however, two of the men involved in the proposed monument are either related to or descended from mill workers. Wayne Bagley of the Roswell Mills Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is related to Adeline Bagley Buice. Adeline was a pregnant seamstress working at the Roswell Mills while her husband was off to war. Deported north with the other women, she went all the way to Chicago. Left to fend for herself as best she could, it would be five years before Adeline and her daughter would return to Roswell on foot. Adeline's soldier husband returned to Roswell. In time, thinking her dead, he remarried. Adeline's grave, in Forsyth County, is maintained with a special marker by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Wayne Shelly is a member of the General Nathan B. Forrest Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Rome, Georgia. His grandmother was a teenage mill worker and her mother and grandmother also worked at the Roswell Mills. All three were charged with treason and deported. The mother died on a train between Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee. The grandmother died on a steamship on the Ohio River, after being carried aboard in a rocking chair. Wayne's grandmother married a Confederate veteran in Louisville, Kentucky. The two tried to make a new life in Indiana; however, the deporation had ruined the health of the young mill worker and a doctor advised that she would not live through another Indiana winter. The couple moved south to Cartersville, Georgia.

The War Between the States was without question Roswell's moment on the stage of world history. If Roswell has a history, it is surely in part the mill worker' story.

NOTE: Webb Garrison's quotations are from his book Atlanta and the War. He has written articles for "The Atlanta Journal" on the Roswell women and is a leading expert on the incident.

Salutatory To The South by Louise Nettles

2007-11-23T08:18:00.002-08:00

I was born on April 12, 1861, in the Harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, and the Constitution of the Confederate States of America is my Birth Certificate.

The blood lines of the South run through my veins, for I offer freedom that each State should regulate her own affairs, according to its best interest. I am many things and many people.

I Am The South.

I am millions of living souls, and ghosts of thousands who died for me. I am the Farmer-made soldier who did not turn his back during Pickett's Charge. I am the Rebel Yell that was heard across many of my rolling fields, protecting our homeland.

I am Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson: I stood at Fort Sumter and fired the shot heard through our young nation. I am Longstreet, Hood and Patrick R. Cleburne. I am General's Johnson, Beaugard and President Jefferson Davis.

I remember how we fought in Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Vicksburg, and Atlanta. When duty called I answered and stayed until it was over. I left my heroic dead in Chickamauga, in the fields of Shiloh, on the bloody hills of Mannassas and the mountains of Kennesaw.

I Am The South.

I am the Mississippi River, and the cotton fields of Alabama and the piney woods of the Carolinas. I am the coal fields of Virginia and Kentucky, the Florida coast and the Louisiana bayou. I am Richmond, the Capitol of the Confederacy. I am the forest, field, mountain, and rivers. I am the quiet villages and the cities that never sleep.

I am the Heritage that's been forgotten, the dying memory of a way of life that is being still. You see me in the twilight and hear me in Dixie, as the past continues to fade away each year.

Yes, I Am The South, and these are the things I represent.

I was conceived by force, and God willing, I'll spend the rest of my days remembering my birth. May I always possess the integrity and the courage, and the strength to keep my Heritage alive, to remain a Loyal Southerner and stand tall and proud to the rest of the world.

Do not forget who we are, what we are and where we came from.... This is my goal, my hope, my prayer.

(Thanks Rick)

Southern Memories

2007-11-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

Memories of growing up in the South brings a feeling of comfort to me. While living in other parts of the country, I have come to realize that there are quite a few things about the South that make it unique. Where else can you find the type of hospitality that you receive in the South? People in the South always make you feel at home, they use terms like yes sir, no sir , yes mam, no mam, and use these type of terms in a polite manner, They talk to you, never Down to you, and will always tell you "Y'all come back now you heah" and mean it when they say it. Southerners are proud and honorable people, They will inform you (if you don't already know) that the War for Southern Independence (aka The Civil War) was fought over States Rights and not Slavery, The Confederate Flag is a symbol of Honor and Pride and not Hate, Our Southern Heritage is important to us and we will discuss it with you as long as the Truth is being told and we will steer you away from the "facts" that the schools are trying to teach our children on how the Confederate States of America was formed and the reason why secession was our only choice.

Cooking a big meal for you is a task made to look easy by most Southerners. Southern Fried Chicken and Gravy, Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Okra, Pinto Beans & Cornbread, Collard Greens, or even some Poke Salad, and a big ole glass of Sweet Tea is a good start to a wonderful meal you will never forget. And if it happens to be Breakfast you want Grits is a staple you just can't pass up. The way I enjoy Grits is mixed all up in my Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, and you just have to mix in a little Red Eye Gravy or Coffee Gravy and be sure to add the Salt and Pepper. Any Southerner knows that it just ain't right to add sugar into your grits, You don't want to mess up the flavor by mixing in something that just don't belong. A cup of Luzianne Coffee (with chicory) is the perfect "beverage" for this Breakfast meal.

Things to do in the South is an easy thing to figure out. Just do what makes you happy, Simple as sitting back under the Magnolia tree, listening to the whippoorwills, the rain crows (mourning doves) and watching the Kudzu grow and trying to figure out a way you haven't already tried to stop it. Going out for a ride in the mountains for the simple reason that you want to pick some Muscadines cause it's been a while since you had some.or setting up a Coon Hunt, not cause you really want to bring home a Raccoon but because you just want to get together with a few friends and let the dogs run for a while. As I said earlier The South brings me a true feeling of comfort. We believe in God, Family and Friends, Being polite to others whether you know them or not, Working hard to get the things you need or want, and Praying hard that your decisions are the right ones to help your kids grow up and live as they should. Gimme a RC Cola and a Moon Pie, A Shady spot under the Magnolias on a hot humid southern summer day, Give my kids the wisdom to appreciate what The Good Lord has given them, and help them to grow up happy. Gimme a chance to teach them the truth about their heritage and help them be proud of who they are and who they are gonna become. Oh yea and one more thing!

Y'all Come Back Now Ya Heah!!

William Cooper and Elizabeth Lawrence

2006-01-19T20:32:00.001-08:00

I have my Cooper family traced back to Warwickshire, England. My 9th Great Grandparents were a cord winder at St Georges, Southwark in London England named William Cooper, he was born about 1675 in Warwickshire, and Elizabeth Lawrence who was born about 1679 also in Warwickshire, England.

Their son Marcome Cooper was born in Warwickshire, England around 1699. Marcome married a lady from Warwickshire named Sarah. Marcome and Sarah Cooper had at least 2 sons. One of these sons was my 7th Great Grandfather David D Cooper.

David D Cooper and Elizabeth Wilder

David was born in Nash County, NC around 1725. In 1747 he married Elizabeth Wilder. Elizabeth was born in 1726 at Edgecombe, Nash County, North Carolina.
In 1751 David bought 100 acres of land in Edgecombe, North Carolina from a Joe Wilder evidentially a relative of Elizabeth’s but I am not sure how at this time. David sold this acreage for a profit of 23 pounds in 1755 and moved with Elizabeth and the first three of their ten children to Thickitty in the Spartanburg District of South Carolina, where David worked as a mineral prospector.
David and Elizabeth Cooper lived the remainder of their years in this area. David wrote his last will and testament on March 17th 1792, his exact death date I do not know, he was buried in Thickitty. Elizabeth Cooper died sometime after 1805 in Gaffney, Cherokee County, South Carolina. The town and county names are different but knowing this area and how area names did change I am almost positive Elizabeth and David are still together.

Sion Cooper and Mary Brantley
My 6th Great Grandfather Sion Cooper was born in Thickitty, Spartanburg District, South Carolina in 1760 to David and Mary Cooper. Sion married a girl from Virginia named Mary Brantley. They were around 18 years old when they married and were living in the Pendleton District of South Carolina by the time their first child Ansel Cooper was born on June 16th 1779. Sion and Mary Coopers second son Alexander Cooper is my 5th Great Grandfather he was born in 1781.
Sion and Mary Cooper farmed for a living, they raised ten children on 132 acres of land where they made a home near the waters of Cane Creek in the Pendleton District of South Carolina. Sion passed away on March 6th 1831 and Mary died February 8th 1852.

On August 21st 1854 Judge W.J. Parsons of O.P.D., Pickens District, South Carolina ordered that the 132 acres of land owned by Sion and Mary Cooper to be sold by the Sheriff of Pickens District in January, and proceeds divided among Rahab Fields, Warren Cooper, Davis Cooper, Nancy Cooper, Hannah Cooper, Matilda Cooper, Elizabeth Starky, and Robert F. Morgan, Legal heirs of Sion Cooper. Some of the names mentioned as legal heirs are actually Grandchildren of Sion due to the deaths of some of his children. Some of the children were sons Ansel, Alexander, and Vincent Cooper and daughters Delilah Ferguson and Sally Cooper.
Warren Cooper and Nancy Young

My 4th Great Grandparents Warren and Nancy Cooper were both born in 1821. Warren is the son of Alexander Cooper and was one of the Grandchildren named along with his brother David/Davis in Sion Coopers will.

Warren Cooper married Nancy Young in Pickens District, South Carolina in 1845, together they raised 8 children of their own and one adopted son named Franklin Simmons in present day Easley, South Carolina. They lived and farmed next to Warrens brother Davis A. Cooper who was married to Elizabeth Hunnicutt.

Davis and Elizabeth had six children of their own when Davis was killed on August 20th 1862 during a battle near Columbia South Carolina in the Civil war. Davis was a Private in Company F, 22nd Regiment of the South Carolina Infantry Rifles when he died. He was brought home and buried at Porters Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Pickens County. Elizabeth received a class 3 Confederate widows pension for his service starting in 1901.

After Davis’s death his brother Warren volunteered for service as a private in Company I, in the 3rd Regiment of the South Carolina Reserves from1862 to 1863, and after that he again volunteered and served this time in Company B of the 1st South Carolina State Troops from 1863 through 1864.
In 1901 at the age of 80 Warrens wife Nancy did go into Easley and apply for a widows pension for his service to the Confederacy, this class 4 application was approved with no questions asked.

William Milton Jameson and Dorcas P Couch

2006-01-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

William Milton Jameson married my 4th Great Grandmother Dorcas P Couch around 1844. Dorcas Couch was born in Pendleton District, South Carolina on October 5th 1825 to John Couch Sr. and Mary Ann Prather (Mary Ann Prather is a First Cousin to General Andrew Pickens). William and Dorcas raised six children together, four sons and two daughters. After Williams death at Spotsylvania, Virginia during the Civil War Dorcas did remarry, she married James M Robinson and was living with him and her son William C. Jameson in Easley, South Carolina during the 1880 census. Dorcas died on October 2nd 1904 and was buried in the Jameson Family Cemetery in Pickens County, South Carolina.

William Chastain and Margaret Ann Jameson

William and Dorcas daughter Margaret Ann Jameson was born in Pickens District, South Carolina in 1852. Margaret married William Chastain the Great Grandson of John Chastain Sr. (the first minister of the Oolenoy Baptist Church). William and Margaret moved to Eastatoe District in Transylvania County, North Carolina and had three daughters. William died sometime after 1880 and Margaret in 1887 leaving their three minor daughters behind. Records are scarce on exactly where the children lived but they were shown on county records in Pickens County, South Carolina at the time of Margarets death.

William Davis Cooper and Mittie N. Chastain

The youngest of these three girls Mittie N. Chastain was born in Transylvania County, North Carolina on October 22nd 1876 just a short time before her mothers death. Mittie is my Great Great Grandmother; she married William Davis Cooper around 1900 in Pickens County, South Carolina. William was born in Pickens County on October 8th 1877 to Stephen Elbert Cooper and Florence Stansell.
William and Mittie raised 5 children in Pickens County, most likely in the town of Easley. Their son William Oscar Cooper is my Great Grandfather. This brings us back to Granny and Papa Cooper.

William Davis Cooper died on June 8th 1951 and Mittie Chastain Cooper lived until October 12th 1954. They are both buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Pickens County, South Carolina.

History Of Pickens County, South Carolina

2006-01-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

The Cherokee Indians lived in this region long before the American Revolution. It was the Cherokee's choice to side with Great Britain during the war for independence, which led to the loss of their land in what is now the northwest corner of South Carolina.

In 1789 Pendleton County was created from the lands which were lost by the Cherokees, at the time this also included the old Ninety-Six District. From 1791 to 1795 Washington District was carved out of the old Ninety-Six District, this included the Pendleton County area. The Washington District was an area composed of present day Greenville, Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties.

In 1798 Washington District was divided into Greenville and Pendleton Districts, and in 1826 Pendleton District was divided into Pickens and Anderson Districts.

A final change was made to the area when the old district system was dismantled in 1868. Anderson District became Anderson County, and Pickens District was divided into Pickens County and Oconee County, giving us present day Greenville, Pickens, Anderson, and Oconee Counties.

Oconee County, located in the northwest corner of South Carolina on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, takes its name from a Cherokee word meaning "land beside the water." Several Revolutionary War heroes moved to present day Oconee County after the war, including Andrew Pickens 1739-1817, Robert Anderson 1741-1813, and Benjamin Cleveland 1738-1806.

Anderson County and its county seat, Anderson, SC was named for Revolutionary War General Robert Anderson.

Pickens County, the town of Pickens and Pickensville, SC were named for Revolutionary war hero General Andrew Pickens.

William Henry Pickens (my 8th Great Grandfather) was born in Ireland in 1669. He married Margaret Pike in Ireland around 1692. Margaret was born there around 1672. They migrated to America bringing along with them their 8 children who were born in Ireland they landing in Pennsylvania in 1719. At Least 2 of their sons moved to South Carolina after a brief stop in Virginia, One being my 7th Great Grandfather Robert Pike Pickens and the other his Brother Andrew Pickens the Father of General Andrew Pickens the one Pickens County was named for. General Andrew Pickens was a lifelong friend of General Robert Anderson they lived near each other and fought in the Revolutionary war together. General Andrew Pickens Granddaughter Mary Martha Barksdale Pickens married Robert Anderson III the Grandson and namesake of General Robert Anderson. So by marriage these families are staying together while keeping these counties together also.

Another famous name to share with you is John Caldwell Calhoun Vice President of the United States to President John Quincy Adams in 1825-1829, and Vice President to President Andrew Jackson in 1829-1832. He was born in Abbeville District, South Carolina in 1782 and is buried in St. Philip's Churchyard in Charlestown, SC. His Brother in Law John and General Andrew Pickens wife Rebecca are Brother and Sister. Oh yea and did I mention that his mansion Fort Hill still stands on the campus of Clemson University, That is in you guessed it Pickens County, South Carolina.

Jameson Family

2005-12-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

William Jameson Sr. (my 6th Great Grandfather) was born on Dec 17 1737 in Ireland. In about 1750 William immigrated from Northern Ireland to America. William arrived in present-day Spartanburg County, South Carolina around 1760 near what is now the city of Landrum, South Carolina and settled along what came to be called Jameson's Mill Creek at the headwaters of Pacolet and Tyger rivers. William married Margaret Westmoreland sometime before 1763, (She was born on Apr 11 1743) and raised five daughters and one son with her. Around the late 1780s to 1790 they moved to Pendleton District in present day Pickens County and settled just north of Easley, South Carolina.

William Jameson Sr. owned and operated a Brandy Mill and was also a Farmer, Tanner, and Brick maker. He served in the military as a Private in the Spartan Regiment under Colonel Benjamin Roebuck during the Revolutionary War. He died on Dec 23 1818 in Pickens County, South Carolina and was buried in Freeman-Jameson-Westmoreland Cemetery, the grave is actually located on privately owned land near Cross Roads Baptist Church in Pickens County, SC. Margaret died on Jun 22 1823 in Pickens County, SC. She was also buried in the Freeman-Jameson-Westmoreland Family Cemetery with her husband William.

Their only son was my 5th Great Grandfather William Jameson Jr. he was born on Oct 12 1786 around the time they moved to the Pendleton District of South Carolina. William married Rebecca Fowler daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth Fowler. Rebecca was born in 1787 in Pendleton District, SC. In 1820 The Jameson Family Cemetery was established by William Jameson Jr. after the death of his parents, The Jameson Family Cemetery is still in use today it is located about 2 miles North of Easley, South Carolina.

William and Rebecca were the parents of eleven children who did a lot to shape the history of this area of the South and sacrificed a lot for the sake of the Confederacy. They had nine sons of which seven fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Three of these sons died in the war. Their oldest daughter Frances had both a son and a son in law killed in action during the Civil War. Their second oldest Madison Jameson the father of six daughters and four sons lost two sons and a son in law in battle and had one son James Madison Jameson who was not old enough for military service at the beginning of the Civil War but served in the cavalry during the last year of the war, James did make it home. Wilkerson “Wilkie” Jameson their third oldest died before the war started and sad to say three of his sons were lost in the war also.

William Milton Jameson their fifth child and my 4th Great Grandfather was a Private in Company E of the 2nd Regiment South Carolina Infantry Rifles, he was killed in action during battle on May 12 1864 in Spotsylvania, Virginia. His brother Carroll Jameson served with him in the same unit died of “sickness” sometime around 1864 in Dacusville, SC close to his home. Their brother Wesley Jameson was a Private in Company A 65th Regiment of the Georgia Infantry died on Jun 18 1864 from wounds he received during actions leading up to the Battle of Kennasaw Mountain in Georgia which was fought on June 27, 1864.

Joshua Jameson child number seven mustered in to Company G, 22nd Regiment South Carolina Infantry as a Sergeant, he was promoted to Captain before his discharge on October 15, 1862 due to poor health. He was purportedly appointed Colonel at the close of the war and was always known as "Colonel Jameson" after the war. He farmed in Pickens County and was also County Commissioner, and Magistrate in Pickens County, South Carolina. He died on Dec 10 1906 in Anderson County, SC and was buried in Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery in Easley, SC. McElroy Jameson the ninth child in this family was a Corporal in Company A 20th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry. McElroy served until the end of the war, he returned home and lived until 1908. He was a Farmer and is buried in the Jameson Family Cemetery.

William Jameson Jr. died on Apr 4 1850 in Pickens County, South Carolina. He was buried in Jameson Family Cemetery in Easley, South Carolina, Rebecca died on Aug 13 1851 and was buried next to her husband.

John Wesley Reid and Mary Roseanne Lusk

2005-12-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

My Great Great Grandmother Mary Roseanne Lusk lived with her parents Leroy and Jeanette Lusk on the family farm in Oconee County, South Carolina until she married my Great Great Grandfather John Wesley Reid. John lived on the next farm over from her brother Nathan Ashmore Lusk and wife Martha.

In 1880 John was about 20 years old and was raising his 10 year old younger Brother Archie Thomas “Arch” Reid, Both their parents Joseph and Mary Smith Reid had died after the 1870 Census (Joseph in about 1871, and Mary in about 1875) leaving John to take care of the Farm and his Brother “Arch”. John was shown as a Farmer and Head of Household on the 1880 Keowee, Oconee County Census with the only other occupant of the household being 10 year old brother Arch Reid.

John Wesley Reid was born on January 11th 1859 in Oconee County, South Carolina and married Mary Roseanne Lusk in about 1884, They farmed in and around Salem, South Carolina, and raised 11 children of their own after bringing up Arch.

Archie Thomas “Arch” Reid grew up to be an upstanding member of the community, with the help of learning Family values and the Love of God from John and Mary. Arch married the Reverend Daniel and Bethany Littleton’s daughter Amanda in about 1886 and raised four children with her. They farmed in the area of Salem and later Arch became a state constable and a city policeman in Westminster, South Carolina. Arch and Manda are both buried at West View Cemetery in Walhalla, South Carolina.

I’m thankful that these Family traits and Values were passed down to us through the influences of John and Mary Reid. My Great Grandmother Ellen Reid “Granny Cooper” John and Marys daughter made sure those family values lived on, and I pray that these values never die.

Mary Roseanne Lusk Reid passed away on May 7th 1937 in Salem, South Carolina. She was buried at the Salem Church of God Cemetery in Oconee County, South Carolina. John Wesley Reid died September 29th 1939 and was buried next to his wife Mary.

Henry Lusk

2005-12-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

Henry Lusk my 5th Great Grandfather was born in Augusta County, Virginia on February 27th 1751 to James and Eleanor Lusk. He served during the Revolutionary War for the Colonies from 1780 to 1783 under Captains William Strain and Andrew Pickens as a quartermaster, lieutenant and adjutant. He was paid for the loss of a horse in 1780 by Captain Pickens for whom he served 273 days as a horseman and 25 days as a footman. Henry Lusk married Eleanor “Ellen” McKiddy in 1783 and raised 12 children with her. Henry and Ellen migrated to the Pendleton District of South Carolina in 1800 bringing with them their first 8 children including Nathan Lusk (my 4th Great Grandfather) They had bought land in the Abbeville District of South Carolina but ended up settling in the Pendleton District and Oconee County. Henry died at the age of 62 on March 30th 1813 and is buried in the Old Henry Lusk Family Cemetery, in Salem, Oconee County, South Carolina. Ellen lived until February 6th 1845 and is buried with Henry.

Nathan Lusk was born March 20th 1793, in Abbeville District or Anderson County, South Carolina, He married Rosannah Capehart daughter of Jacob Kiser Capehart and Margareta Rogers on February 2nd 1823 in Abbeville District of South Carolina. Rosannah was born in the Pendleton District of SC on January 5th 1800. Nathan and Roseannah lived in Walhalla, Oconee County, SC and raised 11 children there. Nathan was a Hatter and a Farmer by trade. Nathan died on January 28th 1872 a couple months shy of his 79th birthday, He was buried in the Old Henry Lusk Family Cemetery. Rosannah lived another 20 years she passed away at the young age of 92 on June 9th 1892, she is buried next to Nathan in the Old Henry Lusk Family Cemetery in Oconee County, SC

Nathan and Rosannahs son Leroy Worth Lusk (my 3rd Great Grandfather) was born in Oconee County, South Carolina on Tuesday May 10th 1831 at about four in the morning according to his Family Bible. Leroy was a Farmer in and around the Salem, South Carolina area. He married Jeanette A Rogers on February 5th 1856 in Oconee County, SC and had three children before the start of the Civil War. Leroy Worth Lusk mustered into Company F, 1st Regiment South Carolina Calvary as a Corporal and was a 2nd Lieutenant at the end of the War. In the midst of the war on March 9th 1863 my Great Great Grandmother Mary Roseanne Lusk was the first of seven more children to be born to Leroy and Jeanette. They lived and raised their family in Oconee County on the same land where generations of Lusks have lived. Jeanette died on March 16th 1905 and was laid to rest in the Old Henry Lusk Family Cemetery, Leroy died about 4 years later on May 9th 1909 and was also buried in the Family Cemetery.

Lusk Family from Ireland to SC

2005-12-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

My 9th Great Grandfather Joseph Lusk was born about 1654 in the Ulster Province of Ireland. He lived there all his life, he died in 1722 and is buried there. His son John Joseph Lusk was born in 1671 in the Ulster Province of Ireland. John and his wife Elizabeth Hayes migrated to America with five sons including Nathan Lusk (my 7th Great Grandfather), they arrived in Lancaster County, Pa. and were living there as early as 1730 which sad to say is the same year John Joseph Lusk died in Pa.

Nathan was born about 1698 in Ireland and married Elizabeth Nevitt who was born in England, they migrated from Pa. to Augusta County, Virginia and raised seven children there. According to history the first Lusk's to settle in Augusta County, Virginia were Nathan and his brother John. The muster rolls of Augusta County, Virginia indicate they were in Captain Wilson's Company during the French and Indian War of 1742. Nathans son James Lusk (My 6th Great Grandfather) also fought in this war. Nathan died in 1748 in Rockbridge, Virginia.

James Lusk was born in 1719 in Augusta County, Virginia. James fought in the French and Indian war of 1742 with his father and later was wounded in battle during the Revolutionary war. James served with Andrew Pickens for whom Pickens and Pickens County, SC were later named (Andrew Pickens was a Revolutionary war General and also a 1st cousin 8 times removed of mine—but that’s a story for later). James married Eleanor Smith about 1740 in the Pendleton District of South Carolina (Which is now Pickens, County). James farmed on land acquired through land grants and raised nine children with Eleanor in the Old Lusk house, one of the oldest structures in what is now Salem, South Carolina in Oconee County. It still stands and members of the Lusk family still live on this land today.

British rulers used land grants to persuade colonists to move into new territories, including Upstate South Carolina, and later, the newly formed United States used land grants in payment for service in the Revolutionary War.

In 1765 three land grants from the English monarch King George III were given to James Lusk, "his heirs and successors," together with timber, waters, and with the privilege of "hunting, hawking and fowling," and "all mines and minerals, except reserving to the king all white pine trees and one tenth part of mines of gold and silver," according to the copy of the original grant. Land grant holders also had to promise to clear and maintain three acres for every one hundred acres of land granted by the king, and to pay three shillings sterling or four shillings proclamation money a year for every hundred acres. According to the land grant, if the rent was not paid, or the three acres not kept cleared, the land would revert to the crown.

James Lusk was killed by Indians on September 19th 1786 at Butchers Ford on the Keowee River in the Anderson District of South Carolina. Eleanor died November 5th 1804 in the Abbeville District of South Carolina.

Anderson Anthony Ellenburg Jr

2005-11-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

My Granddad Anderson Anthony Ellenburg Jr was born on August 19th 1921 in Pickens County, SC. He married Dorothy Louise Cooper the daughter of William Oscar Cooper and Ellen Reid. They had 2 daughters who still live in the Pickens area (One is my Mom). I always remember Papa Ellenburg as a quiet man, everyone that knew him called him Junior or Paul, I understand the name Junior but as of now the Paul part is still a mystery.

Last time I saw Papa he was sitting in his chair in a mobile home in Greenville, SC not saying anything much, he would take empty cigarette packs and crush them into a ball and toss them on the floor and laugh as his cat batted these empty packs around. Papa seemed to not have a care in the world, the day was passed watching him enjoy the antics of the cat with the cigarette pack while throwing out a little conversation once in a while, all in all it was an enjoyable day. One day in January of 1979 Papa was watching a church program on TV (something he never did) Louise his 2nd wife came in and changed the channel and said “Junior you never watch church on TV” Papa reached over changed it back and said “Aint nothing wrong with a little Preaching”. Papa died the next day and was buried in Central, SC. Granny Dot still lives with my Aunt in Easley, SC

William Oscar Cooper went by Oscar and was known as “Papa Cooper” was born to William Davis Cooper and Mittie N. Chastain in Pickens County on February 15th 1901 he married my Great Grandmother Ellen Reid “Granny Cooper” and raised 4 children with her in Easley, SC. Granny was born in Salem, Oconee County, SC on August 3rd 1904 to John Wesley Reid and Mary Roseanne Lusk. I remember as a young boy sitting on the porch and watching Papa Cooper walk by our house on his way to the Bi-Lo grocery store, it was a treat listening to him talk he always made sense and made you feel like you belonged, he always made his stories interesting. Papa died of a blood clot going to his heart on April 21st 1967 he was buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Gardens in Pickens County about 2 months before my 7th birthday and it seems like yesterday he was walking by the house on his way to Bi-Lo, Man I miss him.

Granny continued to live in their house and made sure the family continued to live and enjoy life in a Godly manner. She had a way when the time was right of popping off with a statement that really didn’t make sense to you but either told a story later or taught you a lesson when you least expected it. I remember a statement she made over and over while I was with her and it never made sense to me until after she died (wish now I had asked more questions then). For just about any reason she would come up with "It's a shame those Lusk boys had to go off and fight together" then she would say no more of it. If me and my brother were getting crossways about something "It's a shame those Lusk boys had to go off and fight together". I never knew who the Lusk boys were and she would tear up after the statement so I never asked.Granny died October 19th 1998 and while talking to family members about the Lusk Boys I found out Granny’s Mom was a Lusk. Now after doing some research I have found that her Grand dad, my 3rd Great granddad Leroy Worth Lusk was a 2nd Lieutenant in Company F 1st Regiment of the South Carolina Calvary during the Civil War. His brother Nathan Boone Lusk was a 2nd Lieutenant in Company G 12th Regiment of the South Carolina Infantry, Brother Erastus C Lusk joined 1st Regiment South Carolina Calvary, Company F of Hampton’s Brigade, as a private, and little brother Rufus B Lusk at age 16 joined as a Private in the 12th Regiment of the South Carolina Infantry, Company G and died of Pneumonia and Typhoid Fever in December of 1861.

There were 4 brothers James Leroy, William, David, and John they all were in different Regiments and some for a different state than the others. These 4 brothers were killed at the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) in Maryland. All 4 are listed as buried at the Battlegrounds among Confederate Unknown at Sharpsburg, Maryland. As you have guessed these 4 Brothers were Lusks, these 4 brothers were 1st cousins of the first Lusk Boys I mentioned. So which group was Granny speaking of? Probably both I figure.

Battlefield at Antietam Sept 17th 1862 the day the Lusk brothers died.

On October 21st 1998 Granny was buried next to Papa at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Gardens in Pickens County, South Carolina.

William Benson Ellenburg

2005-11-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

William Benson Ellenburg my 4th Great Grandfather and son of Martin was born in the Pendleton District of South Carolina in 1778 and died in Anderson County in April of 1845. He was the father of at least 16 children including my 3rd Great Grand father Eli Ellenburg. Eli was born around 1800 in the Pendleton District, He married Sarah Evatt around 1828 and raised 7 children with her. They Farmed in the Pickens County area of SC and lived here until their deaths sometime after 1870.

One of their sons was John “Anthony” Ellenburg my Great Great Granddad. Anthony was born on February 8th 1841 in Pickens County, SC. He was a Farmer and also fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He enlisted on March 5th, 1861 in Moodys Company, 12th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company G as a private and served until he was discharged at Appomattox, Virginia on the 9th day of April 1865. Anthony married Mary Ann Moseley around 1875 and raised 7 children with her. Mary died around 1890 and Anthony married Bertha Cantrell on September 27th 1891 and had 2 sons with her. Anthony applied for a Confederate Pension in 1919, His Confederate Pension application was approved signed and sealed on the 7th of April, 1919 by probate judge J B Newberry in Pickens County, SC. Anthony continued to live and Farm in Pickens County until his death on August 13th, 1920 at the age of 79. He is buried along with his 2nd wife Bertha at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Pickens County, SC.

Anthony and Mary Ellenburgs son Anderson Anthony “AA” Ellenburg (My Great Granddad) was born in 1880 and married Sara Annie Head (Daughter of John Wesley Head and Malinda Ellenburg) around 1904. AA and Annie raised 10 children in Pickens County including my Granddad Anderson Anthony Ellenburg Jr. AA died May 10th 1958 and Annie died November 5th 1971 they are both buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park and Gardens in Easley, SC.

John Wesley Head and Malinda Ellenburg are my 2nd Great Grandparents. John was born in Pickens County, SC on October 17th 1849 to Austin Head from Macon County, NC and Elvira Crow from Pickens County, SC. Malinda was born in Pickens County, SC to John Cannon “Jackie” Ellenburg and Celia “Cely” Butler on October 2nd 1851. John and Malinda married sometime around 1870 and farmed in the Eastatoe Township of Pickens County, SC where they raised 7 children. They remained here the rest of their lives. “Granny” Malinda suffered a Heart Attack and passed away on October 23rd 1932, the closeness of these two was realized when John passed away on December 12th 1932 actually just a little over a month after losing Malinda. His cause of death is listed as Heart Failure, Sounds like a broken heart to me. John and Malinda Head are buried at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Pickens County, SC.

Ellenburgs of Pickens County, SC

2005-11-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

OK now let’s look on my Moms side of the family for a while. My 10th Great Grandfather Jacob Eichelberger was born in 1595 in Brittnau, Caton Aargau, Switzerland he lived there until his death sometime after 1652, He married Verena Straub on Sep 30 1616 and raised at least 4 children with her including Hans John Eichelberger Sr. my 9th Great grandfather who was born in Switzerland in 1619.

John was married to Elizabeth Gerber in 1640 and migrated to Germany bringing with them their son Hans John Eichelberger Jr. who was born in Switzerland in 1658. John Jr. married Maria Barbara of Ittlingen, Baden, Germany they had at least 2 sons one of them was my 7th Great grandfather Phillip Frederick Eichelberger he was born in Ittlingen, Baden, Germany on April 17th 1693. He married Anna Barbara Dorners at a Lutheran Church in Ittlingen, Baden, Germany on November 11th 1714. Sometime after the birth of my 6th Great Grandfather John Frederick Eichelberger they migrated to Pennsylvania.

John married Anna Maria Kintz January 4th 1743 in York, Pa and their son Martin Ellenburg was born in Maryland in 1750 (Martin was the first of this branch of the family to be born in America and the first to use the name Ellenburg which is still used today) Martin moved with his parents to the Pendleton District of South Carolina (Which is now Pickens County) and this was the beginning of the Ellenburgs of Pickens County. There is still a large number of Ellenburgs living in and around Pickens County, SC and from what I can tell most are my Family.

Matthew Hendricks

2005-11-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

One of the people who helped Dr. Bill Edens rebuild was Matthew Hendricks. Matthew is the son of John O’Dell Hendricks (John is a 2nd cousin to my 2nd Great Grandmother Nancy Sutherland) and Rosa Keith (Rosa is the sister of Margaret Keith and Great Grand Daughter of Cornelius Keith). Don’t ya just love a story that keeps tying back to the beginning?

Matthew was born in Pickens County, South Carolina on October 4th 1842. Matthew mustered in as a Private for the Confederacy in Griffins Company, 4th South Carolina Infantry Regiment, Company H, under Captain R.Y.H. Griffin on April 11th, 1861 and served until his discharge in Salisbury, NC on April 12th, 1865. His pension application was signed and sealed by Judge J.B. Newberry in Pickens County, SC on April 5th 1919, and witnessed by W.B. Jones of Company H, 2nd South Carolina Rifles, and J.D.M. Keith of Company C, 4th South Carolina Calvary.

During the Civil War Matthew saw an old farm house he took a liking to near Manassas, Virginia. He took the measurements of the house and at the end of the war began construction on his own house. The materials for this house came from the Yellow Pines growing on his farm. These huge logs were carried to the sawmill by oxcart to be cut, the planks were then left to dry and were hand planed before Matthew would use them. From these planks Matthew built a 2 story frame house with a chimney on each end and another on the south wall where a huge kitchen is located. There is a long front porch across the front of the house supported by posts that Matthew designed himself. It is said that paint or varnish was not allowed on the hand rubbed pine interior by Matthew Hendricks. The furniture in the house was hand made of walnut and held firmly together by wooden pegs.

Matthew married Mary Jane Looper on March 22 1866 in Pickens County (The sister of Meredith Looper who also helped Dr. Bill Edens) Mary planted a Wisteria vine by the well and along with Matthew raised 8 children at what is now known as Wisteria Plantation. This house still stands north of Pickens, South Carolina in the Pumpkintown Community.

Mary died in 1926 and Matthew continued to be an active part of the Community. In 1943 the Last reunion of Confederate veterans was held at the home of Matthew Hendricks in Pickens County, SC, Matthew died on April 26th, 1944, 6 months short of being 102 years old. He is buried next to his wife Mary at the Oolenoy Baptist Church Cemetery in Pickens County.

William Elford "Dr. Bill" Edens

2005-11-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

William Elford “Dr. Bill” Edens (my 3rd Great Grand Uncle & Brother of my Great Grandmother Mary Ester Sutherland) was born in Pickens County, SC on January 8th 1800, He married Mary McClure and raised 11 children with her in a 2 story log home he built, They lived in this home until near the close of the Civil War. Dr. Bill died January 17th 1871 and is buried at the Oolenoy Baptist Church Cemetery in Pickens County, SC

During the Civil War, They lived in the Pumpkintown, South Carolina community. The story was that General Sherman and his men were marching across the country setting fire to homes and crops as they went. The Yanks were shooting all the Old Men as Rebels and burning everything in sight. In 1864 you could see that they were on their way by the clouds of smoke during the day and the glow in the sky at night. Seeing this and knowing what it meant, the older men were afraid and would plan to hide when they had word the Yanks were coming.

While passing through Pumpkintown, SC the Yanks turned their attention on William Elford “Dr. Bill” Edens. Dr. Bill had his hiding place picked out. It was a deep hole in the Oolenoy River with a cave in the bank screened with bushes and cane. When Dr. Bill heard the Yanks coming, he went down to the river and buried himself up to the chin in the water, leaving his wife Mary and son Samuel with the house. The soldiers asked where the old man was, but Mary refused to tell. They began searching for him and actually came along the river bank right by him, he moved his head back into the cave in the bank and they never saw him. When they couldn’t find him they went back to Mary and said they would burn down the house if she didn’t tell where he was, she still refused to tell.

Mary was ordered by the Yanks to feed them, she prepared a meal for them, and to show their appreciation, they lit a torch and set the house on fire. Dr. Bill, from his hiding place, could see the house, as he watched their home go up in flames and listened to his wife begging and screaming. The soldiers moved on leaving Mary and son Samuel to watch their home burn to the ground.

Dr. Bill, his wife Mary, and son Samuel were left to start over, they had to move in with their children who were married and had homes. Dr. Bill promised Mary that he would build a house that could not be burned. With the help of Meredith Looper, and Matthew Hendricks, he kept this promise. He used clay on his farm to make bricks, and built a house made with these bricks. The chimney was built in as part of the wall, the joists and timbers were hand hewn.

This house still stands. It is located about one-half mile west of Pumpkintown, SC on Table Rock Road.