One thing I remember my grandmother telling me was the stories of the horrors of the post war period in South Alabama passed to her. Women were in constant danger of insult, rape and assault. Just like in the movie "Gone With the Wind" those Southern men who were left did form vigilante groups to clean out nest of robbers, thieves, carpet baggers and men looking to harm unprotected women. Their actions were illegal and not protected by the Union military law and they had to hide their identities. I believe some of my relatives were in these groups in Clarke County, Alabama. They were not organized like the Klan, nor associated with that group; it seems they only acted once or twice against these bands of marauders. Hearing it from her you could hear the fear in her voice over the dangers of that time, so it was very real to her.

David