Amen! As family history researchers, I concur with the philosophy that we owe it to our descendants to "tell it like it was", and not just the fun, qwirky, or ego building parts. As human beings, we are all the proverbial "sum total of our experiences", both then and now, and to filter them to our advantage is not to be straightforward and honest with ourselves OR our descendants, with the caveat that one does have to use good judgment as far as hurting someone living. I guess there's a "Black Sheep's Club" for those with shady ancestors. Most of us have a few somewhere in there, given we can't control what others do, but the neat part that many newbies have not discovered for themselves yet is that there is a point where we as researchers have become educated enough on our history to be able to place the actions of our ancestors in the big picture, so that we can finally see and relate the fact that "for every action, there is a reaction" or whatever. You spoke of Western NC. Another border state that experienced great turmoil during the civil war. A hotbed of deserters, bushwhackers, and thieves, with the good folks of both sides being caught in the middle. Elsewhere on this board I related the story of my GG Grandfather, Captain Stephen Whitaker of Cherokee County (Thomas Legion of Indians and Highlanders). Right in the middle of bushwhacking country. One story I have read-on Sandra Ratledge's site I believe,relates how one CSA boy in one of the units was in the posse that arrested his own father. Can't remember if he was a deserter, or a Union man, but I just cannot imagine it. Captain Whitaker (CSA) enlisted and got up a company for William Holland Thomas at the age of 47, and was paroled at the age of 51, after engaging in the last skirmish of the civil war east of the Mississippi. Some of the soldiers were really, really old, some really, really young, and some of them even women. I want to read on the latter one of these days. Guess there's some pretty good books about it. They were so far removed from the rest of the world, it was a month after the surrender at Appomattox when Captain Whitaker surrendered to Captain Kirk. There's a historical marker about it in NC. I believe Stand Watie (it's StanD Watie -his Cherokee name meaning one who stands firm. Excellent bio of him on Wikipedia)was the last one to surrender west of the Mississippi. Ironic, isn't it? And speaking of North Texas..my Great Grandfather William Fleming was with the 34th Texas Cavalry with Waller's and under Tom Green. From what my deceased aunt used to tell me he was pretty much of a redneck, so we probably wouldn't have gotten along - I still look for him though. Been to his grave, and property in Missouri, but very little else can be found about him the person. So that's what it's all about - putting all of the pieces together to make the whole..