It was the summer of 1863 at the height of the U.S. Civil War. Federal troops fanned across Tennessee, the final state to secede from the Union, and emancipated its slaves. By July they reached Giles County and the slaves belonging to the extended family of the Abernathys, Easons, Rivers, and Tarpleys. While some chose to remain on those plantations, at least 59 of their slave men enlisted to the Union Army. They were divided among 6 colored regiments, provided essential services, participated in 12 battles and skirmishes, and were mistreated by Confederates for 9 months as prisoners of war. Many of their stories are told in their own words. It is from their military service records and pension files that their stories of slavery, family, bravery, suffering, love, and loss are revealed. This book honors their lives and is dedicated to their descendants. This book is intended to be a tool to help African-Americans break through the genealogical brick wall of slavery. ISBN 978-0-9772822-8-9

The Nashville and Decatur Railroad was in operation five months before the start of the Civil War and 17 months before the Federals took control of Nashville and the railroad. Running through Central Tennessee to Alabama, the highly contested line passed through Confederate-held territory, where rebels and their sympathizers continually sabotaged bridges, trestles and track. This first full-length work on the N&D Railroad emphasizes its importance in the Western Theater and brings to light the four key men who kept it open for the duration of the war. Significant military activities in the region are described, along with the contraband camp, military complex and other features surrounding the railroad's only tunnel.

Giles County was founded on November 14, 1809, and is known as the land of milk and honey. The county is home to over 30 National Register properties, Civil War skirmish sites, a varied cultural heritage, and intersecting Trail of Tears routes (Benge's and Bell's). It is also the beginning place for many well-known African Americans, such as noted architect Moses McKissack, founder of McKissack and McKissack. Giles County is a place where many ancestral lineages return home to their roots for research or to discover their rich African American history and heritage.

This is the autobiography of the first African-American elected to public office in Worcester County, Maryland. James Lee Purnell Jr. grew up on the outskirts of the small town of Berlin in Worcester County, Maryland in a time when Jim Crow reigned. The love of family and neighbors sustained him during those difficult times, and he followed in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his parents.Worcester County was slow to evolve, even after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Seeking to spur change in his neglected and put-upon community, he joined with neighborhood organizations, as well as the local and state NAACP for the biggest fights of his life - and won.Looking forward, he shares his concerns about milestones not yet reached and the possibility of society slipping back into the days of old.

This is a collection of genealogical data from important name lists for Colonial Surry, which once encompassed almost the entire southern part of the state of Virginia (i.e., fourteen present-day Virginia counties). Noteworthy lists include Surry land grants, 1624-1740, and various Surry and Sussex censuses and marriage bonds.

Biography of Col. James Williams, 1740-1780, the highest ranking officer who died from wounds suffered at the Battle of Kings Mountain (October 7, 1780) during the American Revolutionary War.