The Civil War and Yadkin County, North Carolina: A History, with Contemporary Photographs and Letters; New Evidence Regarding Home Guard Activity and [Hardcover]

Frances H. Casstevens (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786402881 | ISBN-13: 978-0786402885 | Publication Date: November 1997

Located in the western piedmont of North Carolina, Yadkin County was hardly a hotbed of rebellion at the start of the Civil War. Many of the 1,200 men from Yadkin who served in the Confederate Army did so with distinction, but a number deserted. Some of these holed up in the Bond School House, and when the militia attempted to arrest them, four were killed and several others were wounded. This is a comprehensive accounting of how the county responded to the Civil War and the effect it had on Yadkin’s citizens, civilian and military alike.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"a labor of love.... We need more carefully documented stories of individual Confederate communities like this one...uncomplicated and straightforward" -- North & South

"does full justice to these battles...brings out how reactions to the Yankee invasions varied from island to island and why" -- Crossfire

"nicely published...features some striking photographs. ...well written, well organized, and ably researched" -- The Civil War News

"valuable resources for understanding the deeply personal nature and significant consequences of the Civil War as experienced by the citizens of Yadkin County" -- The Journal of Southern History

an account of how Yadkin County responded to the Civil War and the effect it had on the county's citizens" -- Carolina Country

About the Author

Retired from Wake Forest University Frances H. Casstevens, is also the author of “Out of the Mouth of Hell” (2005), George W. Alexander and Castle Thunder (2004), Edward A. Wild and the African Brigade in the Civil War (2003) and Clingman’s Brigade in the Confederacy, 1862–1865 (2002). She lives in Yadkinville, North Carolina. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786402881
• ISBN-13: 978-0786402885
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The war within the war in western North Carolina., January 29, 1999

By 

Victor M. Seiders (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Civil War and Yadkin County, North Carolina: A History, with Contemporary Photographs and Letters; New Evidence Regarding Home Guard Activity and (Hardcover)

A small western Piedmont county in North Carolina is the subject of this very unusual Civil War history. Written by a local historian with a rich knowledge of the county and its people, the book weaves the colorful threads of local characters and events into the big picture of the greatest war in our history. Battlefield stories and army life are recounted, partly in letters writen home by Yadkin soldiers in the field, but the most intriguing events are those that occurred on the home front. In a region of sharply divided loyalties, the woods of Yadkin County soon filled with "bushwhackers", men hiding out to escape concription into the Confederate army. The book tell of the locally famous shoot-out between some of these men and the Militia, of their arrest and the jail breaks that set them free, of executions by the Home Guard, and of the treks to Tennessee to join the Union army. In the last days of the war a Yankee Cavalry division led by George Stoneman rode through the county and Cassstevens treats us to previously unpublished stories of his famous raid.

More than a history, the book is also a genealogy. Appended lists name people who applied for pensions, men who served in the Militia, and men exempted from military service and why. A final appendix gives Yadkin men who served in the army with a summary of their service and, not infrequently, the names of their parents and other relatives. This book is for everyone with Yadkin County roots and for anyone interested in learning about the secret little wars within the Civil War.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have Book for Yadkin County Genealogists, April 23, 2007

By 

Michael L. Stine (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Civil War and Yadkin County, North Carolina: A History, with Contemporary Photographs and Letters; New Evidence Regarding Home Guard Activity and (Paperback)

This book was well researched, nicely written and contains wonderful facts and stories about Yadkin County, N.C. before, during, and after the Civil War. It presents actual letters from the people of that era giving their personal accounts of the horror of the Civil War and how Yadkin County residents coped with the changes that the Confederacy and War brought to them. If you are studying the family history of someone in or around Yadkin County, this book will really help you understand what your relatives went through in the early days of this section of our country.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Civil War And Yadkin County, North Carolina, March 25, 2010

By 

Michael Taylor "Michael Taylor" (Indian Trail NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Civil War and Yadkin County, North Carolina: A History, with Contemporary Photographs and Letters; New Evidence Regarding Home Guard Activity and (Paperback)

This book, as suggested by the title, focuses on Yadkin County's contribution to the Civil War. Among the topics covered include:

1. Geographical, Economic, and Religious impact on Yadkin County during the Civil War.
2. Battles that Yadkin County soldiers fought in.
3. The Bond School House incident.
4. Stoneman's Raid.
5. Results of the war in Yadkin County.

While all of the chapters were highly readable, I especially appreciated the service history of each Yadkin County man who fought in the Civil War. The summary gives a brief description of the person's enlistment and any applicable instances (wounded or killed in battle, captured, deserted, paroled, etc.). I found this to be particularly helpful as I had some great uncles who fought for the 28th NC regiment.

A very good read. Recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about Yadkin County during the Civil War.