A fascinating pictorial history of these North Carolina communities, documenting stories of Rocky Mount and Nash County's development through time. The picturesque beauty and unique history of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, are surpassed only by the strength of character of the region's citizens. In this new and singular pictorial history, all of these wonderful attributes are portrayed in vibrant detail. The first historical retrospective of Nash County to appear in 20 years, Rocky Mount and Nash County encompasses many of the county's smaller towns and crossroads and chronicles the development of industry, agriculture, and business, as well as the remarkable people who call the region home, in rich visual imagery and intriguing anecdotes.

The rich agricultural land of northeastern North Carolina was originally settled in the mid-18th century and, in 1777, divided into two counties: Edgecombe and Nash. In 1818, the Battle family established a textile mill that remained in operation for more than 175 years and became the basis for the city of Rocky Mount. The Atlantic Coastline Railroad chose the area as its repair shop in 1899 and, at the turn of the 20th century, the area was booming. Diverse communities produced outstanding educators, groundbreaking physicians, and business leaders. Residents included Olympians, baseball hall of famer Buck Leonard, and basketball greats Phil Ford and Buck Williams. Creative citizens became award-winning musicians, painters, and writers, like novelist Kaye Gibbons and entertainer Kaye Kyser. Military service in conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq War included generals, admirals, and a Medal of Honor recipient. Legendary Locals of Edgecombe and Nash Counties celebrates some of the individuals who have left their mark.

Every Civil War veteran had a story to tell. But few stories top the one lived by Wright Stephen Batchelor. Like most North Carolina farmers, Batchelor eschewed slaveholding. He also opposed secession and war, yet he fought on both sides of the conflict. During his time in each uniform, Batchelor barely avoided death at the Battle of Gettysburg, was captured twice, and survived one of the war’s most infamous prisoner-of-war camps. He escaped and, after walking hundreds of miles, rejoined his comrades at Petersburg, Virginia, just as the Union siege there began. Once the war ended, Batchelor returned on foot to his farm, where he took part in local politics, supported rights for freedmen, and was fatally involved in a bizarre hometown murder. Michael K. Brantley’s story of his great-great-grandfather’s odyssey blends memory and Civil War history to look at how the complexities of loyalty and personal belief governed one man’s actions—and still influence the ways Americans think about the conflict today.