Manly Wade Wellman – författare

Violent dealth is amazingly apt to remind us of vigorous life; these ten stories of classic North Carolina murders which occurred between 1808 and 1914 represent a much neglected part of the exciting history of the state. Victims include a Confederate general, a lovely orphan girl, a pathetic little boy, and a highly offensive political boss. The motives are the usual ones -- gain, revenge, ""elimination,"" and jealousy. The plaintive history and untimely death of Naomi Wise -- ""poor 'Omi"" they called her in Randolph County over five generations ago -- strikingly counterparts Dreiser's An American Tragedy ; Ida Bell Warren, the veritable Lady Macbeth of Forsyth County; the arsenic poisoner of old Fayetteville; the kidnapping of Kenneth Beasley near the site of the Lost Colony; the almost perfect crime, the murder of the hated Reconstruction Senator ""Chicken"" Stephens of Caswell County, which in spite of the efforts of Claude G. Bowers and others went unsolved for years; the mad jealousy of Frankie Silver of Burke County which ended with bitter justice at the end of the law's noosed rope, the first woman hanged in the state -- these and other lively stories of famous North Carolina murders make fascinating reading. The stories, told with authority and inviting informality, employ material from newspapers, court records, letters, family collections, and numerous works of local history. They evoke a feeling for a past time and place as well as for the untidy events themselves.

This is the story of a region at once representative and unique in the history of Southern culture, which was from its earliest colonial beginnings a focus of strength, intellect, and proud individuality. Warren County, North Carolina, heart of the Roanoke Region, early built for grace and vigor. It bred people who were great in the affairs of the state and the nation. Resolutely it fought for freedom from England, was a harbor of antebellum grace and vigor, sent its sons into the forefront of Civil War battles, weathered Reconstruction's woes, and strove to sustain its ancient tradition of greatness while keeping step with modernity in the world. Here are remembered the beginnings in a primitive wilderness, the pioneer region that grew into a rich empire of luxury and intellectualism, the county that weathered disasters and won deserved rewards. The events of its life as a locality, with the men and women who created those events, are here retold. Warren County's special record of mannered culture and robust folkways, its parade of hunters, builders, scholars, statesmen, soldiers, belles and beaux, wits and merrymakers, its progress and change as noted in five different centuries, are set forth from authentic sources. |Warren County's special record of mannered culture and robust folkways, its parade of hunters, builders, scholars, statesmen, soldiers, its progress and change as noted in five different centuries are set forth from authentic sources. The events of a county's life and the story of the men and women who created those events are retold.

Few Americans triumphed more gallantly over odds, wore honors more gracefully, or were so honestly mourned after death than Sir Archie, forefather of such great horses as Man O'War, Gallant Fox, War Admiral, and Native Dancer. The depiction of the antebellum life of which Sir Archie was a part is as colorful and exciting as his career.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.