We had a great time this past Saturday talking about Watauga County and the War. Chris Hartley, author of the new book on Stoneman's Raid, did a great job covering the events in and around Boone and Watauga County, while also setting the events into a greater context.
Then it was my turn: instead of focusing on Watauga County and the War as a whole (which I have done in the past), I chose to follow just two local men around. The two I chose to follow were Franklin and William Henry Cousins ( also spelled Cozzins). These two brothers both served in the 37th North Carolina Troops. Franklin was killed in the fighting at Second Manassas in August 1862, and William Henry as captured on April 2, 1865, just outside Petersburg. He survived his brief stay in the Federal prison, and then moved to Yancey County after the War. The truly remarkable part of this story is that both men were "free persons of color" - some of those elusive black Confederates.
I'll be speaking again in Watauga County at the library on September 20. The topic will be my new book, North Carolina in the Civil War. I hope you can make it.
No comments:
Post a Comment