My Dad's family was from Ashe County, NC with many family connections to next door Watauga County. Dad's great-great-grandfather was hung along with three sons and a nephew on the courthouse lawn in Jefferson for being Union sympathizers. One son, Moses, survived the hanging, left for West Virginia, and fought for the Union.

In 1998 I was hiking with my kids along the Watauga river at Bethel Road near 321 and found about 30 Civil War era cannon balls. We took several home and I asked around if they were worth anything and was told they were not. So we didn't go back for the rest and when we moved we left then at the old house. I've been told since that they were worth some money, I wish I'd kept them all now, either way.

My great-great grandparents had a farm and lived west of Gettysburg during the 1863 battle. My grandfather mentioned to me years ago when he was a boy around 1910 his family visited the grandparents and the conversation was about the Civil War. The grandparents stated that during and after the battle the atmosphere was overcast followed by a lot of rain.

As a small child remember my great aunt telling of the men hiding out in caves up on the mountain behind there home during the war.

Interesting. Especially about the Pastor removed for not praying from the pulpit for the Confederacy. 💯👊👍

I had three Great Uncles from Yancey County, outside of Burnsville, who enlisted and fought with the 29th North Carolina Infantry, C.S.A. According to Census records, no one in my family owned any slaves. So, it has always been a great mystery to me as to why they joined the Confederacy. Could it have been that they feared the bush wakers coming across the border from Tennessee? They lived only 12 miles from the Tennessee border. I may never know what caused my family’s loyalties during the War. Certainly, the Institution of slavery was not one of them.

History repeats itself. I had to leave my bride and two year old son to go to a war in South East Asia in 1968.

My family was just to the southeast of Watauga in Alexander County. I was told as a child about some blood feuds that were a direct result of the Civil War and how I could not visit so and so or play with their kids and to stay away from certain areas because I wouldn't be welcomed.... Nobody holds on to a blood feud like mountain folks. Hopefully in a couple of years I'll be able to move back to those mountains that I so dearly love. They call to me every day. I enjoyed your presentation. BTW... I had family in the 38th NC Infantry, 2nd NC Cavalry and the 22nd NC Infantry. My 3rd Great Grandfather died of his wounds incurred at the 2nd Battle of Manassas and is buried in Lynchburg, Virginia. His war was short. Enlisted in August of 62 and died December 23rd of 62.

We have lived in the High Country since 2012, so glad I discovered this channel, appreciate your time and energy synthesizing this information

My maternal great-great grandfatherJesse Alson Ballard came from North Carolina after the war lhe ived in Indiana where he remarried after his first wife had passed away afterwards moved out to Kansas

I have a question for Civil War Historians: It is my position that the Southern States, by Secession from the Union Vacated the Ratification votes of the original Constitution. As we all should know, there were 13 States at the time and in order to Ratify the Constitution, there had to be 9 States in order to Ratify. Three of the nine States were in the South. Also, this was NOT a Civil War; it was a shooting war between two Nations. The eleven Southern States formed their own central government exactly like the USA and named this entity, CSA. In Dec. 1965, the US Congress refused to Seat Reps from ten Southern States thereby nullifying the Constitution. To compound this, the North busted up the South into five Military Districts literally at the point of a gun. What kind of Republic allows for that? Then the 14th Amendment, the DC Act of 1871 which incorporated the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the 16th and 17th Amendments (taking the Senate away from the States and Federal Income Tax) and then Congress punting their power to Mint the Money and declare the value Thereof to the Federal Reserve which is no more Federal than Federal Express. Game, set, match. No Republic. Now, who wants to prove me wrong?

Another well chosen history lesson, Thanks!

Thank you for this excellent educational video! I did not know any of these facts.

Enjoyed it, Chad! Thank you - I always learn a lot from your videos.

Interesting history. I was born, raised and still live in Missouri. A lot of your county’s history is similar to what my ancestors experienced during the civil war. None of my ancestors were in the US before the 1840s. My mom’s mother’s side came over from the Germanic states (there was no country of “Germany” for close to another 30 years). They founded the town of Hermann, Missouri and the surrounding area. Central Missouri and the Hill Country of Texas were settled by some of the same such people at this time. Anyway, my grandmother’s grandmother told her about homesteading, working hard to clear the land, build their house, barns and other outbuildings. She told my grandmother how difficult it was for them during the Civil War. One side would come on their land and take whatever it was that they wanted. Then shortly afterward the other side would come around and do the same thing. For Missouri and Kansas, the war started about 1855, or only 7 years after my ancestors arrived. Neighboring Kansas Territory was getting flooded by both pro- & anti-slavery supporters, but the anti-slavery people were most radical and violent (look up John Brown, who later traveled back east to VA and ironically was captured by Robert E. Lee well before the war). The Jayhawkers of Kansas would ride into Missouri, often under cover of night, burst into homes and take out the men and older boys and kill them and burn the houses and barns. They did this to prevent pro-slavery Missourians from influencing Kansas. The Missouri Bushwackers would return the favor with Kansans. One of the Missouri militias was called the Tigers. It’s why for well over a century one of the biggest collegiate athletic rivalries was the Missouri Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks. Missouri was interesting in that it was a slave state that history books will tell you “stayed loyal”. But Missouri validly voted for a pro-secession governor. Lincoln had federal troops seize our capital of Jefferson City and installed a governor and other state legislators loyal to the federal government. For the duration of the war, Missouri had two governments: the one installed by Lincoln and the Governor and his followers that operated out of the southwest of the state. I spoke to an older person recently that was from Gasconade County where my grandparents were from and my ancestors settled. He said “We never trusted anyone from the north end of the county - they were Yankees during the war.” Which is interesting. My mom’s folks were from up there - Germanic and overall were anti-slavery. My dad’s folks settled on the far south end of the county and were Irish/English.

Thanks for the history

Thank you for your time and effort put in to research this little known bit of history!! 👍👍

Listening to this while I work at my office in Boone right now. haha. So glad there are videos on our area. Keep putting out great content!!

Very Well Done ....thank you

As a Watauga county native I found this most interesting

Never forget your history ..

Very well done, very accurate.

Never knew that history. Never heard of Boone NC till riding through on a motorcycle with a friend on a week long ride through Appalachia. When first entering the town, it seemed to be a such beautiful place, and it is, as far as the town goes. But we both realized something about the people as we rode through. It was bustling for a small town, lots of folks going about their business. But no one was smiling or talking to each other. There was a dark heaviness about the place despite the small town charm. A spiritual darkness. We both felt it and realized we both felt the same thing (we were each on separate bikes) when we stopped for gas some miles down the road.

I recently discovered that I am related to the Lewis's from Edgecomb, North Carolina, specifically Brigadier General William Gaston Lewis(CSA), Captain Exum Lewis(CSA), Dr. Joel Battle Lewis(CSA), and more from my paternal grandmother's side. I live in Chesterfield, Virginia, and grew up just minutes from Drewry's Bluff Fort Darling on the James River.

Love these videos. I’m proud of my Appalachian heritage. I am pure Appalachian. My ancestors were some of the over the mountain man. These man went through the area on their way to Kings Mountain. Several of them settled in the Toe River Valley. I am proud to come from such strong, dedicated and talented people.

Watauga county born and raised!! Thank you for posting

Very interesting program. I'm from Fairmont, Marion County, WV which experienced an attack by CSA generals Jones and Imboden in 1863. Marion County probably provided an equal number of soldiers to each side. This raid might be a good topic for a new video.

Awesome video. Please do one for Ashe too if there’s enough material

I was born in Boone in 1950! Iremember Mast General Store and I had a school teacher named Mr Bingham!😀 M

I was just at Henson Chapel today for a family reunion.

I didn't know Jack Black was a Civil War buff!😄

This has been an excellent video. Thank you for focusing on the hardships of the women left behind during the civil war. We erect monuments in memory of civil war soldiers. But fail to recognize the sacrifices that the women and children made. In my opinion there probably wasn't peace in the southeastern states until World War 1. People had axes to grind and scores to settle.

My great great grandfather fought for the south at fort Macon.

I just went out to Boone. It's a great place

My third G Grandfather was a captain of the home guard here in WV, he was captured and spent the rest of the war at camp chase OH. He was all but starved to death when he was set free.

It's CAValry. Not calvary.

Do you have any thing about Stoneman's Raid in Henderson County, NC? I know they came through but I know little of their activities while here.

I lived in Boone for two years getting a Masters degree at Appalachian State, and no one ever discussed this fascinating history

Very interesting! Thanks!

Do one about the civil war in summers county West Virginia

Theres a good book called The Ghost Riders by Sharon McCrumb about this subject

We learned never to call it by that name. The senators said their goodbyes without turmoil.

My Maternal Grandparents were from Watauga County.

Hello, Scott Ballard! Do you remember me? I’m Tim McCurry! ❤️

There were a lot of Union people in Western North Carolina. They were pro Lincoln. My great great grandfather fought for the Union in a Calvary unit made up of people from counties around Asheville and East Tennessee.

Those friendly Yankees just keep coming.

I remember

Wow! What an insightful video. Thank you. It wasn’t a “black & white” war. Many shades of Gray. (No pun intended)

Michael C Hardy's books are awesome

A hundred years for animisity to disappear. That's actually nit uncommon in thise parts regarding certain grudges I can recall, sime veing known as feuds. My mom still holds animus toward a former childhood friend over events from 1948. My last such grievance died after 48 years and the passing of the opposition. It felt good to let it go, but only death made it so. Those young' uns did try to kill me, sd far as u coud tell. Apparently thats just how we are from places like Burke and Rutherford in NC Appalachia.

Kirk's Raiders

Treason has consequences

I think you are leaving out, how the confederates took so much food stores another things from the yeoman farmers. I am surprised that with the desertions of the csa army and the writing being on the wall, that the home guard leaders waited till the end of the war to leave.

Were there many slaves and slave owners in this part of NC?

I would have fought with the Confederacy,still will.

If I was alive then I'd fight for the Union.

Fort Sumter. Sump.tor