To My Closeted Readership: Be Out and Proud, Say it Loud
One of my readers called a local historical group recently and asked about the source of this image (above) of Will o’ the Wisp, which I’ve used several times here. The person there didn’t know where I got the image, and suggested the caller contact me directly through the blog. That, apparently, was out of the question for the caller, who got a little upset and went off on a ranty tangent about the name of the blog, Dead Confederates, proving that it was anti-Southern, that it showed disrespect for Confederate soldiers and the Southern cause, and so on. For those reasons, this person refused to “log on” to this blog in order to post a query in the comments about the image.
Which is really another way of saying, I read that blog, I just don’t want anyone to know I do.
Now, I’m nothing if not sympathetic. It’s hard to maintain one’s “Confed cred” with one’s butternut buds while admitting that you actually follow the content here. After all, John Stones has warned the make-believe Confederates about visiting blogs like this one, and you sure don’t want to get in trouble with him, right?
I know Stones claims to be tight with Jesus, but lookit: the Lord never said anything in the Gospels about not reading blogs; historiphobia is a modern invention. Y’all need the courage of your convictions. If you read supposedly “anti-Southern” blogs, you need to say so. Set your feet in a wide stance, and stand foursquare against historiographic bigotry. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being curious about the other team, so to speak, and many people have experimented with other historical orientations. Be out and be proud. Tell them you’re here, you’re sincere, and the rest should just get over it.
Above all, remember: Stonewall would want you to.
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Dead Confederates, A Civil War Era Blog 
Hey there now now Andy you making claim to being a true Southernor? My oh My LMAO.
Instead of being lauded for my courage of sharing my beliefs, while sticking my head in the devil’s den, my infrequent attempts to share my interpretations different from your beliefs and, Corey’s, and Levin’s blogs I was called a troll and other not so nice names, and with never a twit of appreciation for my efforts. A rather sour feeling comes over me now and I don’t frequent you all blogs; I just show up when you are just too awful out of line and I say my piece, it relieves my indigestion. ty
Of course I am a Southerner, although that notion seems to cause indigestion in some folks.
As for bloggers like myself giving you a hard time, I’d argue that (1) in most cases it was richly earned, and (2) none of us have gone so far as to call you “dog crap.” I’m not too concerned.
Having been just a tad too yound to serve in either the War of Yankee Agression or The War of Redneck Rebellion, I resent being told I can’t read what I damn well choose to read by those who can’t read at all.
I say, read everything you can get your hands on. Reading gives you knowledge and Knowledge is Power.
Furthermore, read to prevent the mistakes of the past; like slavery.
Read to learn the plans of those who would overthrow our nation.
I have dead ancestors who fought in the War of Independence, the War of 1812, from both the Blue and the Gray/Butternut sides of the American Civil War, the War with Spain, The Great War to end all Wars, World War Two and Korea. I served in the USNavy with two tours of combat in Viet Nam, My son and daughter both served in the US Army during Bosnia. ETC.
If anyone wants me, I’m here, cleaning my piece. Come and get it.
Andy, your amazing computer graphics skills (demonstrated by thr WotW picture) are why I joined up in the first place. But I also totally agree with your point of view. Randolph county, NC, where I live, was overwhelmingly anti-Confederate. The populace voted against secession by more than 50 to 1. Our woods were full of outliers and recusant conscripts. we were under martial law for the last half of the war. The president of the state Red Strings lived here. But according to the pickup bumper sticker stars and bars crowd, no truer sons of Bobby Lee could be found anywhere. Historiphobia, indeed!