Jack Hinson

[J. Beckert]

This is an interesting story of a man I've never heard of and a great example that the war wasn't about slavery for most folks.

It's also a great example that the first hand hostilities and atrocities visited upon the Southern populace many times forced a gun into otherwise unwilling hands. Hinson freed his slaves on his own accord and had such a report with them, they raised his children while he took care of business.

http://www.ozy.com/flashback/the-sniper-...ampaign=US

[Gene C]

I read that book a couple of years ago. It was good.

https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Hinsons-One-...ne+man+war

[Rick Smith]

I recently heard of Jack Hinson.

He was a true Southern hero.

[L Verge]

Was he, by any chance, the inspiration for the ca. 1960s movie Shenandoah?

[J. Beckert]

I don't know, Laurie. I've never heard of him before today, but what I found most interesting was that a man who originally had a stance of neutrality and freed his own slaves, was turned into a veritable one man Confederate army by a single, vicious atrocity.

To me, it's a great example that the Union Army didn't march into the South whistling the Battle Hymn just to free the slaves and shows conduct issues may have inflamed local passions.

There's always going to be misconduct issues with any force of authority, but this one was way over the line.

[L Verge]

"...what I found most interesting was that a man who originally had a stance of neutrality and freed his own slaves, was turned into a veritable one man Confederate army by a single, vicious atrocity."

Albeit on a much smaller scale, but the same might be said as to why people in our border states turned to the Confederate cause. This was probably most evident in Missouri and Maryland.