Twitter and the Idiocracy...

Kevin Levin (A "historian" in denial)

       I've written a couple of blogs about Mr. Levin (the expert on the American Civil War) if you count re-writing history as being an expertise these days. My publisher has insisted that I become more active on social media and my wife has forced me to learn new things. One new thing she has introduced me to is something called twitter. My wife went and subscribed me to everyone that tweets on the Civil War and other history. That's how I came to hear the garbage that Mr. Levin is posting on social media. 

       He has written a book about the myth of the black Confederate soldier and I'm sure it's as accurate as the garbage he put out in his book on the Battle of the Crater. Mr. Levin doesn't allow the truth to get in the way of his version of history. I recently received a tweet from Mr. Levin with a picture of a black Confederate soldier sitting next to a young white lady at a Confederate reunion. Mr. Levin immediately tells his followers that "this individual showed up at a Confederate reunion in Tampa, Florida." Well, Mr. "Lying" Levin, you are wrong again. This individual happened to show up at a Confederate reunion in Memphis, Tennessee. He had his photograph taken with the granddaughter of the colonel of the regiment which happens to be the 5th Alabama Cavalry. This man is Reuben Patterson of Florence, Alabama.

       

As he was known in North Alabama "Uncle" Reuben Patterson

       This is probably over Kevin Levin's head, but in the South, if one is respected he is called "Uncle." This is what "Uncle" Reuben was called following the war. Once the war ended, Reuben ran a bootblack stand. His chairs, boot polish, and boot stands were purchased for him by the Daughters of the Confederacy. Uncle Reuben loved to tell tales of his war service. He often foraged for the colonel, and the colonel actually stated that he never worried about having a horse or food as long as Reuben was well. He also served as bugler of the regiment or as Reuben called it "the horn blower." 

       Uncle Reuben didn't just attend his regimental reunion, but was known to attend state and national reunions. His wife once stated that Reuben was the most unreconstructed Rebel around. Fortunately, Uncle Reuben's bugle, hat, and bootblack stand are preserved in Pope's Tavern Museum in Florence, Alabama. Also preserved in the museum is a photograph of a Confederate reunion held in Florence with several black Confederate's posing beside the white Confederate veterans. 

       About a mile from Pope's Tavern is the Florence City Cemetery where Uncle Reuben rests today. As per his request, he is buried beneath a marker designated for only Confederate soldiers. Beside him rests another black Confederate and the Sons of Confederate Veterans camp in Florence keeps a Confederate battle flag on these graves in their honor.

Grave of Uncle Reuben in Florence City Cemetery

       Now I've had numerous discussions with these New England "historians" about there being black Confederate soldiers. They always bring the subject around to these men are not listed on a muster role of the regiment so therefore they are not soldiers. If you go into battle (in cavalry regiments the bugler had to go into battle to sound the various orders to the troopers), do you think a bullet cares if you have your name on a piece of paper? The next thing they tell me is that these men were body servants and cooks. Well, I used to work with a guy that served in Vietnam a year as a cook. Although the United States Army calls him a veteran, by the New England "historians" perspective, he wasn't even a soldier. I mean you can't have it both ways. 

       Another question I would like answered is this: If these men weren't soldiers, why were they given Confederate pensions? In order for a white Confederate to receive a pension, he had to prove he served faithfully, and never deserted. Do you think the states in the financial shape they were in following the war would give these men money without proof of service? 

       There is the story of captured Federal prisoners at Murfreesboro being whacked over the head with a saber by a black man named Jake. These men were terrified to be captured thinking the Confederate soldiers might kill them. Jake advancing with the 8th Arkansas Infantry whacked these prisoners on the head and shouted, "You ought to get home, then!" I'm sure Jake wasn't a soldier, he probably just picked up a saber to beat his liberators over the head with (makes New England sense I guess). 

       Allow me to tell you another story of a black servant that also lived in Florence, Alabama when the war began. When William "Billy" Patton entered Confederate service, his best friend as a boy was a servant the same age and owned by Billy's father. This servant was named Sam. Sam promised Billy's mother that he would go to war with Billy and if anything should happen to his best friend he would bring the body home. William A. Patton was elected a lieutenant in Company C, 16th Alabama Infantry. At the Battle of Shiloh, the regiment was part of General Wood's Brigade. Wood was also from Florence, Alabama. Advancing past Shiloh Church the unit overran Waterhouse's artillery battery near Water Oaks Pond. During this assault, Lieutenant Billy Patton was killed. Sam brought the body back to the church and remained with it during the night. The next morning Sam found a mule and began the long road back to Corinth where he could place Billy's body on a train back to Alabama. 

       During the day, the Confederate army began its retreat to Corinth and coming upon Sam and his best friend's body, they confiscated his mule because they needed all they could get to pull off the wagons, captured artillery, etc. Sam would not let that stop him from keeping his promise, but placed William's body over his shoulder and continued to Corinth. He delivered the body to his home which is called the "Sweetwater Mansion." Thanks to Sam, Billy's funeral was held in the parlor of the home. The house still stands there today.

Sweetwater Mansion

       Now New England "historians" have a hard time understanding the South. Most know very little about how life was here, yet they can sit and proclaim how evil the South was and how holy the north was without daring to research their subject. They rely on presentism. Using modern standards to judge history. This is extremely unfair. One more question they can never seem to answer for me is this: If slavery were so bad and harsh, why didn't the slaves rise up in rebellion when Lincoln issued his emancipation proclamation? With all the white men gone to war, this would have helped the Union win the war, yet it never happened. This was one of Lincoln's hopes when he issued his proclamation. He was losing a war that was quickly becoming unpopular in the north. People were growing tired of the long casualty lists. Newspaper reporters were jailed for speaking the truth. Members of state legislatures (Maryland) were arrested in the dead of night. The largest mass execution of 38 Native Americans by the U.S. Government in 1862. Yet the New England "historian" ignores all the things that portray his side of the fight as evil. Thus Kevin Levin. 

Yankee PC Part II: Kevin Levin, Jane Dailey, and their idea of the S.C.V.

Jane Dailey of the University of Chicago

       During my last blog we discussed how the Northern politically correct historians change the truth to suit their agenda's. We talked about how Jane Dailey (shown above) changed the historical painting entitled "Lee and His Generals" to suit her agenda. She either doesn't know that only corps and army commanders were pictured in the painting, not brigade and division commanders or she is ignorant of what she claims to be a historian of. She claims that William Mahone was left out purposefully because he attempted to take care of the black race following the war. I was speaking with a colleague recently and stated, "You would think a professor of history would understand why a division commander would be missing from a painting of all corps and army commanders. After all, the greatest division commander in the Confederacy was Patrick R. Cleburne and he wasn't in the painting." My friend replied, "You would think, but most historians today don't have a clue. They write to make their side of the argument sound legitimate."

       Mrs. Dailey could have written about General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard of New Orleans who was an army commander and was in the painting. Following the war, he fought to help blacks obtain equal rights and what "thanks" did he get for that? Well, the mayor of New Orleans had his monument removed from public places. So, there you go, write a story about that one Mrs. Dailey. 

       To add to their view of Southerners we need to read Kevin Levin's blog post asking if the Sons of Confederate Veterans truly want to restore the home of William Mahone. The home in question is William Mahone's boyhood home in Courtland, Virginia. Levin (an obvious psychic who knows what people are planning in the future) states that the S.C.V. will no doubt interpret the story about Mahone's pre-war career while ignoring his post-war career. Hey Kevin, perhaps you can avert some future murders and save lives since you already know what a group is planning to do in the future. 

       The problem with these modern day "northern historians" is the fact that they think all Southerner's are ignorant and only a "Yankee" can be intelligent. They don't understand that the S.C.V. has a charge to remember those who fought for the Southern states. It has nothing to do with post-war politics or racism. There happen to be black S.C.V. members as bad as that galls the "northern historians." Even Levin states that Mahone would not want the Sons of Confederate Veterans in his home. Since Levin knows so much about what all these people from the war wanted, perhaps he can channel General Robert E. Lee and ask him what his thought process was before deciding on Pickett's Charge. It would be a great help to the true historians that only deal with the facts, not assumptions that fit our agenda. 

       What these modern day revisionist historians from Chicago and Boston fail to tell everyone is the fact that race relations in the South would have always been favorable if not for the interference of northerners. Why did things go wrong following the war between the races. To start with, the republican northern congress wanted to maintain control of congress and by doing so, they outlawed anyone associated with the Confederacy from voting. That meant all male's above the voting age in the South. They allowed uneducated blacks the right to vote and hold office and make a complete shamble of the Southern economy. This is where the trouble began. The black race was taken advantage of by northern politicians for their own benefit (imagine any politician doing something like that if you can). I hear the "northern politically correct historian laughing at me already," but I can provide examples to the fact behind this.

       When the republicans came to power in South Carolina following four long bloody years of warfare, the state debt stood at 5.4 million dollars. That doesn't sound like a lot of money today, but let's see what happened following the republicans placing uneducated blacks in the state legislature. Once reconstruction ended in a time of peace, that debt had gone from 5.4 million dollars to 18.5 million dollars. Guess who had their taxes raised to pay for all this graft? The white race that had recently been made poor by four years of a losing war. How long did it take South Carolina to repay the 18.5 million dollar debt? It was after World War II, but don't tell these modern northern historians because they can just pretend none of this happened. 

       Let us look at these people the Federal government placed in power in the South Carolina legislature during this time. Of 63 members in 1868, 50 were black and 13 were white. Of the 63 members, only 22 could read, 8 could write correctly, and 41 had to make a mark for their signature. Only 19 were tax paying members of society and yet they voted to levy $4000.00 worth of taxes on each white person in the state. That is poor white people who had lost everything in the bloody Civil War. Why are these facts never mentioned by these modern "northern revisionist historians?" I think we already know the answer. 

Kevin Levin: Another New Englander who believes the north is sinless

Kevin Levin "The All Knowing"

       The "All Knowing" in the above quote is meant to be sarcastic as hell, but I'm sure that will pass over the heads of some readers. Allow me to quote his "advertisement" for lack of a better word on amazon about his book: Remembering the Battle of the Crater: War as Murder.

       Here is that quote "The battle of the Crater is known as one of the Civil War's bloodiest struggles―a Union loss with combined casualties of 5,000, many of whom were members of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) under Union Brigadier General Edward Ferrero. The battle was a violent clash of forces as Confederate soldiers fought for the first time against African American soldiers (that quote is a bald faced lie, see Battery Wagner, Fort Pillow, and Brice's Crossroads). After the Union lost the battle, these black soldiers were captured and subject both to extensive abuse and the threat of being returned to slavery in the South. Yet, despite their heroism and sacrifice, these men are often overlooked in public memory of the war." 

       Now, upon reading the review, I asked my wife, "Where do you think this idiot is from?" Her first answer was a little off. She said, "New York." "Wrong," I said, "Try Massachusetts." "Of course," she replied, "so get him." 

       There is more to this blog than Mr. Levin's one-sided story of "The Crater," much more. I visited his blog and a woman asked him if it wasn't as much fault of the North as the South the institution of slavery. He replied by degrading this lady and encouraging others to degrade her. Kevin Levin is another of those "Holy north against the evil South." He has a one sided image of the War Between The States. His is a one sided battle, because he thinks his intellect is superior to all others. He obviously hasn't read my blog. Nor does he want to know the truth about that war, it would break his heart. 

       This typical New Englander ignores a few facts. I'm not going to rehash all those known facts. I will just direct you to my past blog at http://trrcobb.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-truth-about-confederate-massacres.html. This would upset Mr. Levin in the extreme because it would go against all he has taught for all these years. 

       He belittles a lady named Connie because she called his attention to the fact that it wasn't all the South's fault. He treats her as if she is ignorant for calling him out. I don't understand how a guy with such a closed mind can make money by selling books and then it hit me. I'm sure, he requires all his students to buy his book for his class. Of course, I have seen this before. You must agree with his view of the world to pass his course and woe be to you who do not agree. I often went to class in college, forced to buy a professor's ridiculously over-priced book and agree with his single-minded view to pass an exam. Welcome Kevin Levin to that list I'm sure. 
       So what happened at the Battle of the Crater? Well, if you believe Mr. Levin's one-sided story, evil Southerners mistreated poor innocent black Federal troops who had been captured in battle. I've read this before. How about we take a serious look at what really happened without a New England point of view. 
       Before the attack began, let's just quote an officer of the colored soldiers. His name was Colonel John Bross of the 29th United States Colored Troops. He stated to the press before the attack, "When I lead these men into battle, we shall expect no quarter, and shall not ask for quarter." In a Northern officers own words, they were not going to take prisoners. During the assault it was noted that the black Federal troops were shouting, "No quarter!" When the fighting was winding down, the Northern white troops began to kill all the black Federal soldiers (yeah, you heard me right), killed their own men, because they were afraid of being captured along with black troops. Allow me to quote a Federal white soldier who had joined in the process of shooting and bayoneting his fellow black soldiers stated, "We was not about to be taken prisoner amongst them niggers." 
       According to Mr. Levin, this only occurred during the brief advance of the colored troops. Of course he does say "as far as I know." It appears he doesn't know much. The damage is done, he has minimized the effect of the black troops murdering of unarmed prisoners and made sure the entire world knows that the Confederate troops were very guilty of the same deed. You'd have to be from New England to think like Mr. Levin. Like all "Holier than thou" New Englanders, it's alright for his side to perform some barbarity, but not the side he's fighting against. Typical Yankee. 
       Let's take a brief look at Confederate Major General William Mahone. He led the counterattack at the Battle of the Crater that saved the day for the South. As the break through occurred on Major General Bushrod Rust Johnson's sector of the line, General Mahone with three small brigades were called up by General Robert E. Lee to stop the Federal advance. (Side note: Bushrod Rust Johnson was a quaker from Ohio who fought for the South, but don't tell any Yankee's because they don't want to hear it.)
       Leading the three brigades belonging to Mahone's Division were Colonel David A. Weisiger commanding Mahone's old brigade of the 6th, 12th, 16th, 41st, and 61st Virginia Infantry. Colonel John Caldwell Calhoun Sanders commanded a brigade of Alabama troops, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 14th Alabama Infantry Regiments. Lieutenant Colonel Matthew R. Hall commanded the third brigade containing the 3rd, 22nd, 48th, and 64th Georgia Infantry Regiments. These three small brigades would contain the breakthrough. 
       Major General Mahone was upset because he arrived at Bushrod Johnson's headquarters and asked Johnson for help positioning his division to stop the assault. Johnson was more concerned with eating breakfast, so Mahone decided to handle matters himself. As he began to lead his division forward toward the sounds of battle, his division began to meet retreating Confederate troops who reported that the black Federal soldiers were taking no prisoners. Mahone ordered his troops to take no black Federal soldiers prisoners because they were calling for no quarter. Thus, the Battle of the Crater was under way. Now if your from New England, it's a great and deserved thing for black troops to take no prisoners, but for Southerners to do the same, it is horrendous. You must be a self serving New England idiot to believe this. 
       Now we move on a few years to William Mahone, ex-Confederate general, and now a member of the Readjuster Party. General Mahone defended the African-Americans in his district and were even presented with a nice watch from his black constituents. The watch is now in a private collection. I have read a blog about how the SCV and Southerner's should be ashamed of General Mahone. Why should we be ashamed of this fine general? The author of this blog is none other than (you guessed it) Kevin Levin, the above mentioned idiot. 
       So tell us Kevin Levin in all your infinite wisdom why I should be ashamed of General Mahone? Levin tells us that General Mahone helped the black citizens of the Southern States. We should be ashamed of him for this? Why would Southerners be ashamed of General Mahone for caring for black citizens of the South? After all, many of those black citizens supported the Southern States. Without the black Southern citizens, there could have been no rebellion. So Mr. Levin lives in his own New England world of fantasy. The most evil South versus the sinless North in a war over good and evil, ad nauseam. Please see my article in the Alabama Confederate Newsletter in January for more about these New Englander's and their theories about the South. They are often mislead, knowing little about the culture of the South, but this doesn't stop them from spreading their vitriol side of the story.