Yes, Sally, he just loaned me those boots. As to the feelings of the officers, it was a different time. But your feelings are colored by the history of border warfare. You are quite right, that was a different kind of war altogether. It got down right personal a lot of times, and family and friends were split in many ways. There were brothers on opposite sides, and at least one case of a father and son on opposites sides, both generals. They worried about fighting each other, but never had to do so.

A little north of my neck or the woods, in the mountains, the same kind of troubles existed. My folks' brigadier, General W.T. Wofford, was home recovering from wounds in late 1864. He wanted to return to Virginia, where the 18th still fought, but Jeff Davis ordered him to stay in Georgia and take charge of the irregulars, deserters, and what not who were causing havoc in the area. He then wanted to bring his brigade home, but Davis said no. He did take charge, and brought some semblance of order to the region. Late in the war he had some kind of unofficial arrangement with the Yankees, to keep the peace in his area. In May, 1865, he surrendered about 7000 troops at kingston, Ga. It was then in Cass County, but is now in Bartow. There were Unionists all over north Georgia, the western Carolinas, and East Tennessee. There were plenty who simply wanted to be left alone, and they probably suffered more than most, catching it from both sides. Stan