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Visit The Book Page To Purchase Tom Perry's Books On Patrick County Virginia History.

"There is nothing new in the world except the history you don't know" -- Harry Truman

Sponsorships For The Free State Of Patrick webpage are available yearly for $25.

Thanks to our sponsors for 2007 The Wolf Creek Farm and the White Sulphur Springs.

Preserving history is the job of us all. I do not believe it is our government’s sole responsibility to preserve our heritage. It is particularly good to see individuals in Patrick County doing just this. George Charlie Cox of Martinsville and his many friends have undertaken to preserve the Turner Store and the Goblintown Grist Mill on the banks of Goblintown Creek in the Elamsville section of the “Free State of Patrick.”

In May 2004, George Cox showed me around the site talking about the 3000 pound mill stone recently lifted into place, a water course big enough to drive a car down the feed the outside wheel. Mister Cox, like myself, spent many pleasant days with the late Ophus Eugene Pilson on history jaunts around the region.

George’s brother, Jesse J. Cox, Jr., and Richard Edmonds, both deceased, worked on the project. Cox recalled fondly his late brother’s daily trips to the mill to feed the birds living around the structure. The very much alive Ronnie Haynes and Charles Norman continue to do projects within the mill. Ronnie is restoring a bolter a device used for separating chafe from the wheat. His family connections to the mill stretch back three generations. Clearly written on mill apparatus are his father and grandfather’s names.

Virginia Landmarks Register staff called the application from the Goblintown Grist Mill “the best researched sights” they ever received. Last year the mill was placed on National Register of Historic Places.

Turner’s Store built in 1902 stands nearby the mill. This historic treasure was not only a general store, but also the Goblintown Post Office. The building includes a fireplace from the Beaver Creek plantation in Henry County. A photo on the wall near the fireplace shows George and Irene Cox on their wedding day in 1948. As they were congratulated that day, we should congratulate and thank them today for preserving a part of Patrick County’s many faceted histories.

Click here for the website about the mill with writings by Irene Cox’s first cousin Jack Williamson.

While getting ready to do a book signing in Bassett on March 10, I was told of the passing of George C. Cox. I knew that something was wrong because George Cox would have been there otherwise. George was the type of person who would call me out of the blue to tell me he enjoyed something I wrote or something he saw on the webpage that he was interested in. While there are lots of jealous and petty people in this world, George Cox was one of the rare people who was positive, who would tell you that you were doing good work. He was one of the few people who read my proposal on a history consortium in Patrick County and commented on it and he commented on it positively. He will be missed.

George Charlie Cox died on March 9, 2007, at Memorial Hospital in Martinsville. He was born October 25, 1925, in Patrick County to Jesse James Cox and Mary Alice Wright Cox. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Steven Wayne Cox; two sisters, Lois Ellen Cox and Minnie Edmonds; and two brothers, Robert Albert Cox and Jesse Cox Jr.

In mid-1942, Cox went to work at Bassett Industries making Army truck beds. He joined the military on Dec. 31, 1943, and was assigned to the 258th Engineer Combat Battalion for the duration of World War II. He served in England, France, Holland, Luxemburg and Germany during the war and Okinawa and Korea afterward. He retired from the Army in June 1966 with more than 20 years of service. Afterward, he worked in quality control and in the Planning and Technical Service Department until he retired in 1984 with 15 years of service.

After retiring, he published the Cox Family History Book. In 1999, Cox and his wife bought the old Hall-Grist mill and grocery store, which they spent seven years restoring. Both buildings are listed on the National and State Register of Historical Places. Cox was a member of Chatham Heights Baptist Church.

He was a long-time member of the Patrick Henry Allied Families of Virginia, which honored him in 2006, and serves on its board of directors and as historian. He also was a member of the American Legion Pannill Post 42 for 39 years; Martinsville Elk’s Lodge No. 1752; the Martinsville Historical Society and the Martinsville Wrestling Boosters Club. He was president of the 258th Engineer Combat Battalion for 2005-06 and a member of that organization for 59 years.

He was accepted into the Colonel George Waller Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, and served on the Martinsville Planning Commission for four years. He also was a founder of the Martinsville-Henry County Honor Guard.

George Charlie Cox is survived by his wife of 58 years, Irene Caldwell Cox of the home; a daughter, Vera Ann Cox Dionne of Martinsville; a son, Charles Edward Cox of Jacksonville, N.C.; three sisters, Lucy Hopkins of Fieldale and Vera Rogers and Hazel Norman, both of Collinsville; a brother, Ervin Cox of Bassett; and seven grandchildren.

The funeral was held 2 p.m. on Monday, March 13, 2007, at Chatham Heights Baptist Church with the Reverend Mike Hatfield officiating. Pallbearers were Barry Amos, Richard Edmonds, Mike Rogers, Charles Cox, Andre Dionne and Madison Cox. Burial will be in the Cox Family Cemetery in Patrick County. George Cox rests today near Iraq War Hero Jonathan Bowling.

Memorial donations may be made to The American Legion, P.O. Box 1281, Martinsville, Va. 24114; Veterans Honor Guard, P.O. Box 1002, Collinsville, Va. 24078; or the Bassett Branch Historical Center, 3964 Fairystone Park Highway,, Bassett, Va. 24055.

I am a Life Member of the Patrick County Historical Society, a member on the Patrick County Genealogical Society, who held their January meeting at the Bassett Historical Center. I am a multiple contributor and purchaser of both recent books by the Patrick County Heritage Book Committee. At this moment, all three groups have large financial resources. I call on all three groups to support the building fund of the Bassett Historical Center.

I call on them to look beyond the provincial attitude of Patrick County only and see the Bassett Historical Center as “OUR” regional research library. Patrick County’s history does not end at the boundary line with Henry County or the state line with North Carolina. There are people all over the nation interested in Patrick County’s history and they come to the Bassett Historical Center. It contains the collections of Eunice Kirkman and O. E. Pilson. I view both the museum in Stuart and the Bassett Historical Center as not competing, but as partners in preserving our history. Why not work together so that people can visit and be a part of all the groups and facilities that preserve this common history.

In the last year, I have promoted the efforts of all three groups and offered web pages to two of the three. I purchased the books of all three groups and contributed material to all three recent publications of each group. I give copies of my writings to both facilities because I do not believe that one person or group owns this history. We all own this history and we have a responsibility to preserve and educate. I think of Mr. O. E. Pilson and where he would stand on this effort. He would support the Building Fund of the Bassett Historical Center and you all should as well.

Patrick County Material in the Bassett Historical Center Collection

O. E. Pilson Collection contains 1206 family files and 107 notebooks relating to Patrick County history.

Ruth Fair Morris Collection contains Patrick County family materials on Via, Koger, Burnett, Spencer, Corn, Shelton, Turner and others. http://www.brrl.lib.va.us/RuthFairMorris.htm

The Bassett Historical Center’s online catalog lists 146 books on Patrick County including census records from 1800 through 1930. Also included are records on Patrick County marriages, wills, deeds, tax lists, births, death, obituaries, cemetery records, order books along with military records on the American Revolution, War of 1812, Indian Wars, Civil War and the Spanish-American War.

The Bassett Historical Center is a repository for genealogy and regional history. Beginning in one small room in the basement of the present building, then the Bassett Public Library, with one filing cabinet and two shelves of books, the BHC has grown considerably since it merged with the Blue Ridge Regional Library in 1992. Through 2004, the number of patrons visiting increased 1359% (420 to 6129 patrons). Since 1998 an increase of 125% (2720 to 6129 patrons) a year occurred. Researchers from all fifty states and nine foreign countries (Canada, England, Italy, Luxembourg, South Africa, Switzerland, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan) have come to the library that serves the counties of Henry and Patrick along with the City of Martinsville. Of the 6, 223 patrons using the BHC in 2005 914 where from out of state, 800 where from other parts of Virginia and 831 patrons from Patrick County used the resources of the BHC.

The Bassett Historical Center contains over 9,496 family files, 2, 518 regional history files and 11,074 books. The library houses over 400 rolls of microfilm, 113 genealogical files are on computer and 139 CDs. The BHC answered nearly 300 letters and almost 2,000 emails in 2005.

The goal of this committee is to raise $800,000 to expand the Bassett Historical Center by 4, 195 square feet. This will double the size of the center allowing for new collections and a work room for the staff to better take care of the existing material. For those giving $1000, the committee will place a plaque with a maximum of 35 characters in a prominent place. Other levels of support and corresponding recognition are as follows:

For more information or to make a tax deductible donation contact the

Bassett Historical Center Building Fund

"With little fanfare, the Virginia General Assembly on Saturday, February 24, 2007, agreed to a resolution expressing "profound regret" for Virginia's role in sanctioning slavery and other forms of discrimination against blacks and American Indians. Without opposition, the House of Delegates and Senate passed two identical resolutions on an issue that briefly stirred controversy early in the legislative session. House Joint Resolution 728 and Senate Joint Resolution 332 were timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. The measures note "with profound regret the involuntary servitude of African and the exploitation of native Americans." They also call "for racial reconciliation among all Virginians."

"I'm humbled, as the great-grandson of a former slave, to have been able to be the chief patron of this legislation in this legislature, which had so much to do with the institution of slavery in times past," said Del. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico County. Sen. Henry Marsh, D-Richmond, sponsored the Senate resolution. The original resolution called for an apology for slavery. A controversy erupted last month when Del. Frank Hargrove, R-Hanover County, said an apology is unwarranted because today's Virginians had nothing to do with slavery. Hargrove angered some black lawmakers when he said black Virginians should "get over" slavery. But on Saturday, McEachin was celebrating unanimous approval of the two resolutions. "I think it speaks volumes about the good will of the members of the General Assembly," he said."

"Meeting on the grounds of the former Confederate Capitol, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously Saturday to express "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery. Sponsors of the resolution say they know of no other state that has apologized for slavery, although Missouri lawmakers are considering such a measure. The resolution does not carry the weight of law but sends an important symbolic message, supporters said. "This session will be remembered for a lot of things, but 20 years hence I suspect one of those things will be the fact that we came together and passed this resolution," said Delegate A. Donald McEachin, a Democrat who sponsored it in the House of Delegates. The resolution passed the House 96-0 and cleared the 40-member Senate on a unanimous voice vote. It does not require Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's approval. The measure also expressed regret for "the exploitation of Native Americans." The resolution was introduced as Virginia begins its celebration of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, where the first Africans arrived in 1619. Richmond, home to a popular boulevard lined with statues of Confederate heroes, later became another point of arrival for Africans and a slave-trade hub. The resolution says government-sanctioned slavery "ranks as the most horrendous of all depredations of human rights and violations of our founding ideals in our nation's history, and the abolition of slavery was followed by systematic discrimination, enforced segregation, and other insidious institutions and practices toward Americans of African descent that were rooted in racism, racial bias, and racial misunderstanding." In Virginia, black voter turnout was suppressed with a poll tax and literacy tests before those practices were struck down by federal courts, and state leaders responded to federally ordered school desegregation with a "Massive Resistance" movement in the 1950s and early '60s. Some communities created exclusive whites-only schools. The apology is the latest in a series of strides Virginia has made in overcoming its segregationist past. Virginia was the first state to elect a black governor — L. Douglas Wilder in 1989 — and the Legislature took a step toward atoning for Massive Resistance in 2004 by creating a scholarship fund for blacks whose schools were shut down between 1954 and 1964. Among those voting for the measure was Delegate Frank D. Hargrove, an 80-year-old Republican who infuriated black leaders last month by saying "black citizens should get over" slavery. After enduring a barrage of criticism, Hargrove successfully co-sponsored a resolution calling on Virginia to celebrate "Juneteenth," a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States."

House passes resolution to mark 'Juneteenth' Freedom Day

"The House of Delegates passed a resolution Thursday, February 22, 2007, calling for an annual celebration marking the end of slavery in Virginia, a measure crafted in the aftermath of a controversy about a separate resolution apologizing for state-sanctioned slavery. House Resolution 56 designates the third Saturday in June as "Juneteenth" Freedom Day, similar to other observances around the country marking the date in 1865 when slaves in Texas became the last to be notified of their freedom. Del. Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke, sponsored the resolution along with Del. Frank Hargrove, R-Hanover County. Hargrove came under fire last month when he criticized a separate resolution calling for the General Assembly to apologize for slavery. Hargrove was quoted in a newspaper article saying black Virginians should "get over" slavery, drawing rebukes from some black lawmakers. The resolution passed by a 97-1 vote, with Democrat Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake casting the lone dissenting vote. Asked why he voted against the measure, Spruill said, "All they were trying to do was pacify Mr. Hargrove."

Click Here To Learn More About Patrick County's African-American History

PRESERVING CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELDS

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070313/ap_on_re_us/historic_battlefields

CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST UNVEILS REPORT ON MOST ENDANGERED BATTLEFIELDS

( Washington , D.C. , 3/13/2007) – At a news conference this morning, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) unveiled its annual report on the status of the nation’s historic battlegrounds. The report, entitled History Under Siege, identifies the most threatened Civil War battlefields in the United States .

Joining CWPT President James Lighthizer at the news conference were three outstanding historic preservationists: Former Congressmen Charlie Wilson (TX) and Bob Mrazek (NY) and Dr. Libby O’Connell, Chief Historian of The History Channel. Wilson is the central character of the best selling book Charlie Wilson’s War, soon to be a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Mrazek is the author of the Civil War novel Stonewall’s Gold.

The top ten endangered battlefields cited in the report are as follows: Cedar Creek , Va. , Fort Morgan , Ala. , Gettysburg , Pa. , Harpers Ferry, W. Va., Iuka , Miss. , Marietta , Ga. , New Orleans Forts, La. , Petersburg , Va. , Spring Hill , Tenn. , and the Northern Piedmont region of Maryland , Pennsylvania and Virginia .

For a copy of the news release about the report, visit:

==> http://www.civilwar.org/PressReleases/PressDetail.asp?lngPressID=142

For a copy of the History Under Siege report (in Adobe Acrobat format), visit:

==> http://www.civilwar.org/news/topten2007/MEBR2007_online.pdf

For the latest news on battlefield preservation, visit CWPT's online newsroom at:

==> http://www.civilwar.org/news/

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Jim Campi or Mary Goundrey at 202-367-1861. A text version of the media advisory appears below.

----------------------------------------------------

For Immediate Release

March 13, 2007

CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST UNVEILS

REPORT ON MOST ENDANGERED BATTLEFIELDS

Former Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, descendant of Civil War soldier, and Former New York Congressman Bob Mrazek, noted Civil War novelist, join CWPT to announce report

( Washington , D.C. ) – An historic West Virginia village where the scenic Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet, a once rural crossroads town in Pennsylvania where the blood of 50,000 Americans was shed and a Tennessee battleground where weary Confederates paid dearly for their slumber are some of the nation’s most endangered Civil War battlefields.

At a news conference this morning, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) unveiled its annual report on the status of the nation’s historic battlegrounds. The report, entitled History Under Siege: A Guide to America ’s Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields, identifies the most threatened Civil War sites in the United States and what can be done to rescue them.

“The Civil War was the most tragic conflict in American history. For four long years, North and South clashed in hundreds of battles and skirmishes that sounded the death knell of slavery,” said CWPT President James Lighthizer. “Nearly 20 percent of America 's Civil War battlefields have already been destroyed—denied forever to future generations.”

Joining Lighthizer at the news conference was former Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, whose ancestor served with the 1st Alabama at Spring Hill , Tennessee , and former New York Congressman Bob Mrazek, a noted Civil War novelist. Wilson is the central character of the best selling book Charlie Wilson’s War, soon to be a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

In their remarks, both lawmakers expressed strong support for the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, the principal federal program for protecting historic battlefield land. According to Wilson , the program has been used to save more than 14,000 acres of hallowed ground nationwide.

Also participating in the news conference was Dr. Libby O’Connell, Chief Historian of The History Channel. O’Connell developed and oversees Save Our History, The History Channel’s campaign for historic preservation and history education.

History Under Siege is comprised of two parts: The first section cites the 10 most endangered battlefields in the nation, with a brief description of their history and preservation status; the second section lists 15 additional “at risk” sites that round out the top 25 endangered battlefields in the country.

According to Lighthizer, the sites mentioned in the report range from the famous to the nearly forgotten. However, all have a critical feature in common — each one is in danger of being lost forever, either fully or in part. The battlefields were chosen based on geographic location, military significance, and the immediacy of current threats.

Among the sites on this year’s list is Harpers Ferry, W.Va., famous as the site of John Brown’s abortive attempt to arm and liberate local slaves, but also the site of an important 1862 battle. From the heights that surround the sleepy village, Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson orchestrated one of the largest mass surrenders in American history. In August 2006, a consortium of Jefferson County , W. Va. developers crossed onto National Park Service (NPS) property and dug two 1,900-foot-long trenches for water and sewer pipes. They did so without receiving a permit from NPS and, despite repeated requests to cease and desist, left nearly two acres of taxpayer-owned hallowed ground seriously compromised. Now, thanks to this illegal construction, the same developers are proposing a massive development along the ridgeline.

The unprecedented bloodletting at Gettysburg , Pa. , transformed the town into a mecca for those who sought to commemorate the sacrifices made there and on other battlefields. Although a proposal to build a 5,000-slot gambling facility one mile from the battlefield was defeated in December 2006, development pressures at Gettysburg continue unabated. According to The Gettysburg Times, the county estimates that 1,100 homes are either under construction or slated to begin shortly. Another 14,000 units have been proposed, and 6,500 more are foreseeable in the near future.

The struggle for Spring Hill , Tenn. , was an attempt by Confederates to prevent an isolated Union column from retreating to nearby Franklin . Late in the day the Southern army gained a strategic position from which to cut off the Union retreat, but failed to attack. While Southern soldiers rested on their arms, the entire Union army passed them by, leading to the Battle of Franklin and its 6,200 Confederate casualties. Today, expansion of the Nashville and Franklin suburbs is eating away at large portions of the Spring Hill Battlefield. In January 2007, construction began on a massive commercial development – a 62-acre, 465,000-square-foot shopping center, which will contain a SuperTarget, Kohl’s and 31 other retail units.

In addition to Harpers Ferry, Gettysburg and Spring Hill, History Under Siege includes:

Cedar Creek, Va. Despite a string of defeats in the Shenandoah Valley, the Confederate Army launched an audacious surprise assault at Cedar Creek , Va. on the morning of Oct. 19, 1864, that nearly reversed Southern fortunes in the valley. Unfortunately for the Rebels, the Federals rallied and launched a crushing counter-attack. Today, a rezoning application could allow the O-N Minerals Company to expand its current mining operations with five additional quarries across an area where at least 60 percent of the land is core battlefield.

Fort Morgan, Ala. In August 1864, Mobile Bay was one of the last ports available to the beleaguered Confederacy. After 18 days of intermittent bombardment by a Federal fleet under Adm. David Farragut, Fort Morgan surrendered its 46 guns and 500-man garrison. Today the once formidable Fort Morgan has fallen into significant disrepair. In 2006 the Alabama Historical Commission adopted a new plan to gradually increase staff and repair storm damage to the property. But full implementation of the management plan will require substantial state funding.

Iuka, Miss. On September 19, 1862, a bitter, pitched battle raged at Iuka for three hours, during which the Confederates managed to drive the head of the Federal column back. The presence of Union reinforcements the next morning caused Confederates to withdraw to the south. Today, as on many other Civil War battlefields, modern roadways penetrate the core battlefield and scene of the most significant fighting at Iuka. A motel was built on the spot where Lt. Cyrus Sears’ 11th Ohio Battery unlimbered and served its guns in the heart of the battlefield; the building’s foundation destroyed the hillside and valuable artifacts were lost.

Marietta, Ga. Following intense fighting at the end of May 1864, action during the Atlanta Campaign shifted eastward as Confederate forces occupied a long line of entrenchments from Lost Mountain to Brushy Mountain , near Marietta . Eventually, Federal forces drove the Confederates from the mountains eastward to the Kennesaw Mountain line. Today, huge sections of trenches and fortifications remain unprotected, and, in some instances, earthworks have been intentionally bulldozed to avoid complications that could scare away potential developers.

New Orleans Forts, La. In the spring of 1862, the Union navy launched an offensive to capture New Orleans , despite the series of forts built to defend against a nautical assault. Two of the greatest obstacles were Forts Jackson and St. Philip, situated on opposite banks of the river 70 miles south of the city. Fort Pike, just outside New Orleans , defended an alternate route. In August 2005, all three were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Eighteen months later, though the initial cleanup has been completed, important questions remain about the future of the forts that once defended New Orleans .

Northern Piedmont , Md. , Pa. and Va. The Northern Piedmont, a bucolic region that encompasses parts of Md. , Pa. and Va. , was one of the most heavily contested areas of America during the Civil War. Today, energy giants Dominion Virginia Power and Allegheny Power have proposed 500-kilovolt power lines that would devastate environmental, cultural and historical resources throughout the region. The most controversial route, proposed in Northern Virginia , would affect some 48,000 acres of land protected under preservation easements, including seven Civil War battlefields.

Petersburg, Va. For 10 months in 1864 and 1865, the area around Petersburg , Va. , was honeycombed with tunnels and earthworks as Union and Confederate forces created trenches extending as far as 30 miles from the city center. In all, 18 major battles were fought in the area. The 2006 federal Base Realignment and Closure commission report call for a drastic increase in the size of Fort Lee , a U.S. Army installation located adjacent to the Petersburg National Battlefield. Estimates are that the on-base population will increase by 119 percent and that approximately $1 billion will be spent on building upgrades and new construction. Such incredible growth in such a short time will threaten the Park’s historic buildings, landscape and archeological resources.

With 70,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States . Its mission is to preserve our country’s remaining Civil War battlefields. Since 1987, the organization has saved more than 23,500 acres of hallowed ground nationwide. CWPT’s website is located at www.civilwar.org.

(The History Under Siege report is available online at http://www.civilwar.org/news/topten2007/)

BOOK NEWS

Henry County in the Civil War, 1861-1865 is on sale by the Bassett Historical Center Building Committee as a fund-raiser. Half the profits from this book go to the fund, to build an addition to their great library. This book contains the military records of Henry County Soldiers as well as some letters and other articles of interest. If you would like tosend a donation to them, or buy a book to help them, you can contact Pat Ross at baslib@hotmail.com for more information.

"At its meeting on February 22, 2007, the Patrick County School Board appointed Dr. Roger N. Morris as its next Division Superintendent, effective July 1, 2007. Dr. Morris, a native of Bassett, is currently the Director of Administrative Services in Southampton County , Virginia . After graduating from Bassett High School in 1984, Dr. Morris attended Virginia Teach and graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. He received his Master’s Degree from Longwood College in 1990, his Educational Specialist degree in 1998, and his Doctorate of Education degree from the University of Virginia in 2002. All of his advanced degrees were earned while he continued to work full-time in the education field. Dr. Morris has a variety of educational experiences. He served for six years as a teacher in Buckingham County Schools, followed by more than thirteen years of experience as an administrator in Fluvanna, Dinwiddie, and Southampton County School divisions. During this time, Morris has been a leader in the fields of personnel management, finance, and pupil personnel services. But Roger Morris never forgot his roots. In 2006, he and his father collaborated to write a novel called A Distant Bugle, which is a fictional Civil War era story. He also volunteers in community programs and has in the past been a member of the Ruritan Club. Most recently, Dr. Morris has taught Sunday School, and is active in church functions. Dr. Morris has been married for over sixteen years to his wife, Patricia. They have two sons, Alex and Brad, who are both thirteen years old and currently in the eighth grade. He is the son of Aubrey and Doris Morris, who reside in Bassett. “My family and I and very excited to become a part of the community and to call Patrick ‘home’,” stated Morris. “The Patrick County School System has always had a strong reputation for academic excellence. I am looking forward to working with the staff, students, and parents as we move forward together.”

Many of today's Civil War stories offer total fiction or cold facts of history. "A Distant Bugle" is a powerful fusion of reality and drama as seen through the eyes of Confederate Cavalry Lieutenant John Bradford. Lt. Bradford is the typical, young inexperienced backwoods "soldier" who resolutely marches through scouting forays, bloody battlefields, harsh imprisonments, heart-thumping escapes and determined freedom runs with hearth and home as his guiding light. His personal triumphs and doubts form the background for his superior officers--"Jeb Stuart, a flamboyant, daring, fun-loving, hard-riding, self-promoting Cavalry General; Jonathan Stonewall Jackson, a stern-faced, eccentric, mirthless, complex, genius, and the vulgar, rude, whiskey-drinking, battle-smart Jubal Early. Rather than a bland spew of facts or an unrealistic gush of fiction,"A Distant Bugle" portrays the horrors endured by solder and family alike in this devastating war; and lights the darker side with moments of life's comedic relief.

About the Author

Aubrey Morris was born in Southwest Virginia. Always an avid reader, he eventually gravitated to biography and American history. After serving in the Air Force, he worked many years as a technical assistant for a multi-national company and retired early to pursue his dreams. Aubrey studied art, received a pilot’s license, and spent several years researching the events surrounding the Civil War. This research led to the discovery that his grandfather’s brother served in Stonewall Jackson’s foot cavalry; and was wounded and captured in the battle at Cedar Mountain. Further research into this battle, Northern hospitals, prisons and daring escapes became the Genesis for A Distant Bugle. His son, Dr. Roger Morris, assisted in the research and the writing of this book.

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