A Southerner's View 150 Years Later

A Southerner’s View 150 Years Later

I wrote this in response to an email from a reenactor friend, who forwarded an article about demonstrations that were forming in South Carolina and Alabama against planned events memorializing the 150th Anniversary of the opening events of the Civil War, or "The War Between the States," which is the official name for the war we were taught in school, for I think everyone ought to know how a REAL Southerner feels; one unbiased and raised "at the foot of the Cross", who was also taught that the "N" word was not allowed. 

There's a sack full of do-gooders that think it isn't politically correct to fly the Stars and Bars or honor it.  They're right in one respect.  We do follow one flag now.  We fought this war 150 years ago, and most of us got "over it."  And as Ashton Sheppard says in her song, "Look it up" if you don't understand "got over it!" 

Being from North Carolina and not too far from that Greensboro sit-in from 51 years ago, those "colored folk" have rights too!  We fought for and against them, but it didn't free them, much as the history books tell different.  They still live under bad conditions, 'cause they have to wake up each and every day and look at their skin and say, "Darn, why me?" 

In 1985, I lived and worked in Massachusetts, and you can't imagine how I felt, when the Dorchester school system was sending folks to Charlotte NC to learn how they handled the segregation and busing issues of 1965 to 1968, because they were having so much unrest and violence in their schools and neighborhoods due to abolishing segregation.  I first asked myself, this is 1985;  we've been desegregated down south since 1965.  What is wrong with this picture? 

Not only, 100 years after the war, we in the south had to "MIX", but those friggin' Yankees were not required to do so?!  And...they want to know how we handled it.  WE HAD RIOTS.  WE HAD VIOLENCE.  WE SURVIVED!  Now, it's your turn!!  How do you think you are going to escape the troubles?  Good ole US of A.  Leave it to the Gov'mint to mess up and make only some change and not the rest!  And I'll bet you a Yankee dime to a doughnut that if you go back and interview the folks in power at that time, the reason was, "it's not politically correct to make the side that 'won' the War Between the States be subject to the corrective actions as a result of that victory, even though it took 100 years to START reparations! 

Further, when I was 16, I discovered I had a Yankee ancestor.  I didn't know anything about my Confederate Ancestors.  I was embarrassed.  I didn't even want to know about bein' related to a Yankee, but I was direct blood kin; my Great Grandfather was Corporal Philip W. Morgan in the 100th NY Infantry;  my namesake for goodness sake. 

In time, I became proud to be related to a Yankee.  He was a hard working man, whose Son went south and married a Southern Belle himself!!  And, he fought for his adopted country, having moved from Canada only 2 years prior to the war.  He was captured twice and was a survivor of Andersonville!  God Bless him.

In time, I also learned of my "Southron" ancestors, two of which were in Pickett's charge, the final day of Gettysburg.  One of these was even in the 18th North Carolina, which has the distinct reputation of having shot "Stonewall" one terrible night during the Chancellorsville campaign.  Who knows; maybe he even fired the shot! 

So, I can go back on both sides and live the war.  However, in 1973, I had the opportunity to move to and work in NYC.  Quickly, I became aware of a much more racist community than I ever lived in or heard of in poor southern North Carolina.  NYC was far more racist than back home.  But that didn't matter.  I was the "redneck," and I was the racist or accused, simply because that is where I called home.  I was raised not to disrespect anyone due to color, creed or nationality, and that was way, way long before it was politically correct "Like everyone!" 

Further, I belong to both the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  The Union organization is much more proactive in remembering the war in a decent fashion.  However, from the literature I've read and received as a member of the SCV, I find many of them still fighting the war; and don't tell me it is about State's Rights, 'cause states rights in nothing more than the right of "new" states being brought into the Union back in those days prior to the war to Own Slaves.

I am proud to be a Southerner.  We generally are a nice bunch of folks with manners and gentlemanly ways.  Chivalry still shines down south!  Yankees lost the meaning of manners years ago.  However, wherever I have lived, north or south, I find ALL THE PEOPLE THE SAME!  They only talk different.  There are good and bad in all locations. The south only gets a bad rap due to the ignorance of the do-gooders that brand everyone with the same iron.  Have a meaningful conversation with anyone on either side of the Mason-Dixon Line, and discuss it without losing your temper or raising your voice, and you'll see that with a little bit of patience, you're both in agreement with how you like to be treated and how you think everyone should be treated equally. 

God Bless you if you had the patience to finish reading this.  I'm sad folks are automatically brought under suspicion for being proud of their heritage just because they live or are from "down South!" 

M. Phillip Brown...American