Saturday, April 21, 2007

Person County Board of Education Document (1888)

(Click on Photograph for Larger Image)


D. D. Long (unidentified)
J. D. Harris: John Dolphin Harris (1844-1932)
Joseph Pointer: Joseph Pointer, Jr. (1841-1921)

This document came from the home place of John Dolphin Harris in Leasburg, Caswell County, North Carolina.

For more on John Dolphin Harris and Joseph Pointer, Jr. go to the Caswell County Family Tree.

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Thursday, April 19, 2007

History of Graves Mill (Caswell County, North Carolina)

History of Graves Mill


"The rock dam remnant on Country Line Creek about two miles southwest of Yanceyville can be associated with the earliest settlement of Caswell County. Country Line Creek, from its origin in southeastern Rockingham County, dissects Caswell in a northeasterly direction. The creek appears in the records as a geographical location as early as 1752, and William S. Powell suggests that the stream " . . . was probably named from the eighteenth century custom of calling the North Carolina - Virginia line the 'country line,' as the two colonies were regarded as different countries. The fertile soil in the drainage basin, a plentiful water supply, and abundance of fish proved highly attractive to the early settlers of the area. Between January 18, 1752 and October 10, 1762, when Caswell was part of Orange County, 8,148 acres were patented along Country Line Creek. Among these early settlers came John Graves who erected a mill on the site under study perhaps more than a decade before the American Revolution."

This is the opening paragraph from A Brief History of Graves Mill: An Archaelogical Site on Country Line Creek, Caswell County, North Carolina, Jerry L. Cross (1982), which can be found at Graves Mill. If you have problems with the link to the Graves Mill document use the following URL:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncccha/pdf/gravesmill/gravesmillhistory.pdf

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

John Dolphin Harris (1844-1932)


John Dolphin Harris (1844-1932)

Residence: Person County, North Carolina
Enilstment Date: 20 March 1863, Private
Side Served: Confederacy
State Served: North Carolina
Service Record: Enlisted as Private 20 March 1863 in Company A, 50th Infantry Regiment, North Carolina

The photograph is an ambrotype and John Dolphin Harris is wearing a jacked issued in Richmond, Virginia. He was a son of Abner Anderson Harris (1819-1889) and Mary N. Epperson (1825-1889).

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Archibald D. Murphey Elementary School

(Click on Photograph for Larger Image)

To see the names of most of these students go to the Caswell County Photograph Collection.

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Obituary of Edith Smith Arnold (1929-2007)

Edith Smith Arnold

Apr 10, 2007 - 08:43:56 pm CDT

Yanceyville, N.C. - Edith Smith Arnold 77, of 203 Oakview Loop Road died Monday, April 9, 2007 at her residence, following a long period of declining health. She was born in Rockingham County December 25, 1929 to the late Roy H. and Ruth Butner Smith. She was a homemaker, attended Caswell County Schools, and was a member of Grace Baptist Church. Funeral services are Wednesday, at 11:00 am at Harrelson Funeral Service Chapel, conducted by Reverend John Crews and Reverend James Albert. Interment will be in Oakview Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

Survivors are husband James E. "Jim" Arnold of the home, two daughters, Elnora A. Saunders of Yanceyville and Janet A. Brown of Camden, S.C.; two sisters, Nancy Gwynn of Elon and Margie Roach of Cherry Grove, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by sisters, Ruby Allen, Louise Barker, Carol Tate, and brother, Houston Smith.

The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home and at other times at the residence. Harrelson Funeral Service is assisting the Arnold family with arrangements.

Source: The Caswell Messenger, 10 April 2007

Obituary of Jimmy C. Wiley (c.1950-2007)

Jimmy C. Wiley (c.1950-2007)

Apr 10, 2007 - 08:43:54 pm CDT

Greensboro, N.C. - Mr. Jimmy C. Wiley, age 57, of Ridgedale Drive passed away Thursday, April 5th at Wesley Long Community Hospital after a courageous three-year battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 6:30 pm April 9, 2007 at Forbis & Dick N. Elm, St. Chapel. Jimmy C. Wiley was born August 20, 1949 in Danville, VA. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was the Chief Financial Officer at Greensboro Associates. Jimmy embraced life with passion, and showed his love of life when he was coaching little league or the blind softball team, and when he was watching the Tarheels play. Above all, Jimmy demonstrated his love and passion by the way he cared for his family and friends.

Mr. Wiley is survived by his loving wife, Meda Wiley of the home, four step-children, Jamie Slade, Christopher Slade, Michael Slade, and Matthew Wilson; one sister, Kay Ferguson and husband Brad, of Raleigh; mother and father in law, Meda and James Howell, and a very special niece and nephew, Beth Champion of Youngsville, NC and Joe Ferguson of Louisburg, NC.

The family will receive friends for an hour before the service at Forbis & Dick N. Elm St. Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made tot the American Cancer Society at 4 Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407. Online condolences may be made at www.forbisanddick.com

Source: The Caswell Messenger, 10 April 2007.

Obituary of Dennis Lawrence Fulcher (1928-2007)

Dillard Lawrence Fulcher (1928-2007)

Apr 10, 2007 - 08:43:52 pm CDT

YANCEYVILLE, N.C. - Dillard Lawrence Fulcher, 78, of 197 Womack Blvd., Yanceyville, died Sunday, April 8, 2007 at Hospice Home of Alamance and Caswell. Born Oct. 26, 1928, in Guilford County, he was the son of Samual Arthur Fulcher and the late Liza Goolsby Fulcher. He was a member of Community Baptist Church, and was in the United States Army, stationed in Germany and was in the Korean Conflict. He was retired from Caswell County's maintenance department and also served as an auxiliary deputy in Caswell County's sheriff's office. In addition, for many years he was a volunteer fireman for the Yanceyville Fire Department. He was married to Ester Denny Fulcher.

In addition to his wife, of the residence, he is survived by two daughters, Delma F. Ellis and her husband, Shane of Yanceyville, and Janet H. Byies and her husband, Ronnie of Spotsylvania, Va.; one son, M. Lawrence Fulcher and his wife, Eva of Yanceyville; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by four brothers and two sisters.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10 at Community Baptist Church with the Rev. Mark Smith officiating. The family will receive friends Monday night at Community Baptist Church from 7 to 8:30 p.m.; at other times they will be at the residence. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials may be made to Community Baptist Church, c/o Anne Scruggs, 2050 Old Hwy 86 North, Yanceyville, NC 27379; or Hospice of Alamance and Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Rd., Burlington, NC 27215. Marley Funeral Home, Yanceyville is in charge of arrangements.

Source: The Caswell Messenger, 10 April 2007.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Slave Cohabitation Records (Caswell County, North Carolina)


Slave Cohabitation Records

Much of the following is from Archives Information Circular: Preliminary Guide to Records Relating to African Americans in the North Carolina State Archives, State of North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, Office of Archives and History (1980, Revised 2002). See: Circular.

Monday, April 09, 2007

The Blue and the Gray at Gettysburg 1913

(Click on Photograph for a Larger Image)

This photograph, based upon what is written on it, appears to be a gathering of Civil War soldiers (both sides) at Gettysburg in 1913. While the participants were not identified, one possibly is a MaCatee (or MacAtee/McAtee) from Front Royal, Virginia.

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Saturday, April 07, 2007

Obituary of Ernest Edgar Williams (1954-2007)

Ernest Edgar Williams

YANCEYVILLE - It is with profound sorrow we announce the death of Mr. Ernest Edgar Williams, 52, of 4456 Hodges Dairy Road, Yanceyville, who died Monday, April 2, 2007, as a result of an automobile accident.

Funeral services for Mr. Ernest Edgar Williams will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, April 9, at Blackwell Missionary Baptist Church with interment in the church cemetery. Pastor Everett Dickerson will deliver the eulogy.

He was a native of Caswell County, the son to Effie Mangum Williams and the late Ernest Edgar Williams, Sr., born July 21, 1954.

He was a member of Blackwell Missionary Baptist Church and was a employee of Cones Mills White Oak Plant.

His survivors are mother, Mrs. Effie Mangum Williams of Yanceyville; three sons, Ernest Warner of Danville, Va., Larry Warner and Eric Williams both of Yanceyville; three sisters, Ms. Connie Cover and Ms. Edith Robinson both of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Mrs. Veronica Rogers (Ronnell) of Danville, Va.; four brothers, Thomas Williams (Virginia) of Ruffin, Barney Williams of Yanceyville, Jeffrey Williams (Tina) of Danville, Va., and Carlton Williams (Shelia) of Burlington; and four grandchildren.

The body may be viewed from 2 until 8 p.m. Sunday evening at Fulton Funeral Home Chapel.

The family may be contacted at the residence of his mother, Mrs. Effie M. Williams, 495 Pallie Watlington Road, Yanceyville.

All arrangements for Mr. Ernest Edgar Williams are entrusted to Fulton Funeral Home, 219 Dillard School Dr., Yanceyville.

Offer condolences at www. news-record.com/nr/obits/

Published in the News Record on 4/7/2007.

Friday, April 06, 2007

James L. Kaler (1918-2007)


James L. Kaler, 89; Lawyer, WWII Vet

Thursday, April 5, 2007; Page B08 (Washington Post)

James L. Kaler, 89, a retired lawyer who represented clients before the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, died March 31 of a heart attack at his home in Wilmington, N.C. He was a former Bethesda resident.

Mr. Kaler was born in Marydel, Md., and grew up in Marydel and Elkton, graduating from Elkton High School in 1934. He received undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia in a six-year program, graduating in 1940. He passed the Maryland bar exam with the second-highest grade that year.

An Army artillery officer with the 204th Antiaircraft Weapons Battalion during World War II, he was involved in combat operations in Europe from shortly before D-Day until his discharge after VJ Day in 1945.

He was a lawyer in the War Assets Department of the federal government until 1951, when he joined the Washington law firm of Klagsburn, Hanes and Irwin. For the next 38 years, he practiced government contract, federal administrative and international law. In the 1960s, his firm was renamed Kaler, Worsley, Daniel and Hollman. In the late 1980s, it merged with a Baltimore firm to form Ober Kaler, with whom he remained of counsel until his death.

His clients included Bristol-Myers Squibb, TRW Automotive, Olin, Northwest Airlines, Reynolds Metals Co. and Pechiney SA. He procured the initial grant for the first nonstop route over Alaska to Japan on behalf of Northwest Airlines and structured transactions for an aluminum plant in Africa.

He retired from active law practice in 1989 and moved to Wilmington, his wife's hometown. A golfer for many years, he was a member of Kenwood Golf and Country Club in Bethesda and the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington. He also was a member of the Army & Navy Club, St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Bethesda and St. Andrews on-the-Sound Episcopal Church in Wilmington.

His wife, Lucy Rogers Kaler, died in 2004.

Survivors include his son, James L. Kaler Jr. of Gaithersburg; and two granddaughters.

Source: Washington Post, 5 April 2007.
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James L. (Jim) Kaler is a brother of Price William Wallace Kaler (1914-2000). Price Kaler was at one time married to Mary Kerr Motz (1917-2005) of Yanceyville, Caswell County, North Carolina. Mary Kerr Motz is the daughter of Alexander Hamilton Motz (1885-1973) and Martha Frances Kerr (1883-1965). The A. H. Motz building remains standing in Yanceyville on the Court Square.
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Kaler, James L., 89, died Saturday at home. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Andrew's On-the-Sound Episcopal Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Andrews Mortuary, Market Street Chapel. Published in the Star-News on 4/5/2007.
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James L. Kaler, 89, of Wilmington, NC, died at his home on Saturday, March 31, 2007. He was born February 17, 1918, in Marydel, MD, the youngest of two sons, to the late Bert and Bertha Kaler. Mr. Kaler grew up in Elkton and Marydel, MD, graduating from Elkton High School in 1934. Following graduation, he attended the University of Virginia college and law school, graduating in the famous law school class of 1940. He passed the Maryland bar exam with the second highest grade that year.

After law school, he volunteered for the U.S. Army, and when hostilities broke out, he attended Officer Candidate School ("OCS"). He trained as an artillery officer at Camp Davis, N.C., near Wilmington. During that time, he met Lucy Rogers, the love of his life. They married on September 28, 1941 and were married for 63 years until her death in December 2004.

During World War II, he was promoted to captain, in command of a company of anti-aircraft artillery which shot down two Junker JU-88's in the European Theatre. His company landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day plus 2. They made their way, under his command, through France and Belgium, including the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. After the war, he was a lawyer in the War Assets Department of the federal government until 1951 when he joined the Washington, D.C., law firm of Klagsburn, Hanes and Irwin. For the next 38 years he practiced government contract, federal administrative, and international law on behalf of various corporate clients. In the 1960's, his firm was renamed Kaler, Worsley, Daniel, and Hollman. In the late 1980's, his firm merged with a Baltimore, MD, firm to form Ober Kaler with whom he remained of counsel until his death.

In 1989, he retired from the active practice of law and moved to Wilmington, his wife's hometown. He was a member of St. Andrews on the Sound Episcopal Church, the Country Club of Landfall, and the Landfall Men's Golf Association.

He is survived by his son, James L. Kaler Jr., two granddaughters, Kelly Darling Kaler and Lindsey Rogers Kaler, all of Gaithersburg, MD; a nephew, Price W.W. Kaler Jr. of Jefferson, MD; a niece, Ann Hynes of Quantico, MD; and their children, who are his 4 grandnieces and 4 grandnephews.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 5, 2007, at St. Andrews on the Sound Episcopal Church. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. Wednesday at Andrews Mortuary Market Street Chapel.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com
A Market Street Chapel Service.
Published in the Star-News on 4/3/2007.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Russell C. Watlington


The Winery at Iron Gate Farm hosts Caswell County artist
By Karen Carter, Mebane Enterprise Editor

Caswell County native Russell C. Watlington traveled to The Winery at Iron Gate Farm in Mebane last Saturday with his "One Man Show." Through art, Watlington preserves the rural scenes in Piedmont North Carolina.

An accomplished artist who works in pen and ink and watercolor, Watlington's realistic drawings and paintings depict symbols of life and tradition, which shaped rural communities for centuries. The nostalgic effect of his work takes a person back in time to old weathered and worn structures in their natural settings along the countryside. He illustrates life as it really was back then and may no longer be in the future.

"Whether it's a tobacco barn that is no longer in use, a cabin which was once loved as home, or an abandoned country store with advertising signs," said Watlington, "people can appreciate what they stand for."

He knows what he's talking about. Born in 1947, he grew up in Yanceyville among these familiar subjects. Like most his age, he worked in tobacco and lived in a rural farming community.

In West Yanceyville, an old country store sits, which he will paint in the near future. The sign reads "O.B. Watlington & Son." It belonged to his dad and his grandfather. Before that, it belonged to his grandfather on his mother's side of the family, the Carters. "W.G. Carter & Son" ran it for years, William and his son, C.G. "Bo" Carter. It served as the hub for the community.

(Photograph Courtesy Caswell County Historical Association)

At the "One Man Show" in Mebane, Watlington displayed "In Flight to Farmer Lake," a drawing of three geese flying over a cabin near the artist's home. Watlington camped out at 4:00 in the afternoon underneath a hickory tree to capture the geese in flight for his drawing.

"Through my art," said Watlington, "I hope that I can pass on to future generations not only the memories these old structures stir, but the pleasure I get from drawing them."

Watlington's technique, using stippling or pointillism, requires tedious labor and concentration. He spent 220 hours putting in thousands of little dots to create "Old Reliable," a drawing of a Ford 601 Workmaster tractor. A Mountain Dew barrel catches water for the chickens that run across in front of the barn to get a drink. His spouse, Marlene Pyrant Watlington, recalls how her father still loves getting on his tractor.

"Everywhere we (Marlene and I) go to show my art," said Watlington, "someone can relate to the old 601 Workmaster." Watlington's technique captures every detail in local Caswell scenes typical of the Piedmont area. "Folks in the big cities like Charlotte and Greensboro jump on it. They remember how life used to be."

The detail makes the horses across from the Yancey House in Caswell come alive, and the trees provide stability in "Horses for Gene's Stable." Jimmy Taylor had three horses and leased the pastureland. Watlington drove by it everyday and decided to draw it. "There's a story behind every drawing and painting," he said, "something that takes you into the scene as if you were there or had been there before."

"Ground Leaves" points to the time when Herbert Jones raised tobacco across from the new Dillard School. Max Smith's mules are in the drawing, and the truck sitting in the field across from the tobacco barn belonged to the father of Janice Powell. The tobacco barn belongs to C.G. "Bo" Carter and can still be seen off Hwy. 158 in West Yanceyville. "These old structures all have character, dignity, and special meaning," said Watlington.

That's obvious from the commissioned work the artist has and the shows at festivals like the upcoming Spring Fling in Providence, NC as well as the other festivals he's booked for in Caswell, Alamance, Stokes, and Randolph counties. Watlington has also done a painting of the old Caswell County Courthouse. Prints of the old Courthouse are available from the Caswell Council for the Arts at the Caswell County Civic Center in Yanceyville.

Caswell's native artist has always enjoyed a strong interest in art and received formal training. It wasn't, however, until 2002 that Watlington retired from a 30-year banking career to become a full-time artist. He has received numerous awards and recognition for his work, drawing a popular audience from individuals, businesses, and corporations. His original drawings, paintings, and limited edition reproduction prints may be viewed at his home studio at 934 Hatchett Road in Yanceyville.

Article and photograph provided courtesy the Mebane Enterprise, which retains all rights.
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Caswell County
Caswell Council for the Arts
H. Lee Fowlkes, Executive Director
PO Box 689
Yanceyville, NC 27379-0689
Phone: 336/694-4591
Fax: 336/694-5675
E-mail: ccarts@caswell.k12.nc.us

For more on Caswell County visit the following:

Main CCHA Website

Caswell Co., NC GenWeb

Caswell County Family Tree

CCHA Message Board

Caswell County Photograph Collection

Caswell County Cemetery Census

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Obituary of Robert Willie Hall (1923-2007)

Robert Willie Hall (1923-2007)

Yanceyville, NC - Robert Willie Hall, 83, of 1416 NC Hwy. 86 South, Yanceyville, NC died Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at Person County Memorial Hospital, Roxboro, NC. Mr. Hall was born May 17, 1923 in Halifax County, Virginia, the son of the late Charlie Brooks Hall and Celestia Dix Hall. Mr. Hall was a farmer and of the Baptist faith.

He is survived by; 2 daughters, Carolyn Mann of Virginia and Patricia Ann Hall of Rhode Island; 3 sons, Willie Brooks Hall, Sr. of Yanceyville, NC, Jimmie Wayne Hall of Rhode Island and Roy Lee Hall of Florida; 1 brother, Harvey Hall of Virginia; 14 grandchildren; 9 Great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your local heart association, Triad Area of NC, 202 Centre Port Drive, Greensboro, NC 27409 or Caswell Parrish, P.O. Box 639, Yanceyville, NC 27379. Marley Funeral home is in charge of arrangements.

Source: The Caswell Messenger, April 04, 2007 - 12:36:01 am CDT.

Obituary of Henry Boswell (1930-2007)

Henry Boswell (1930-2007)

Greensboro, NC - Mr. Henry Boswell, Sr., 76, died Friday, March 30, 2007 at Kindred Hospital in Greensboro, NC. He was born in Caswell County August 3, 1930, son of the late Glenn Boswell, Sr. and Carrie Guthrie Boswell. Mr. Boswell lived all of his life in Caswell County where he was a well-known farmer. He retired as supervisor with Dan River, Inc. and was a charter member of the Providence Volunteer Fire Department with 27 years of service. He was of the Baptist faith.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Annie Bell Boswell; sons, Henry Boswell, Jr. (Pete) and wife, Vickie, of Cascade, Va. and Tony Boswell and wife, Cindy, of Blanch, NC; grandchildren, Crystal Croyle, Charity Massey, Matthew Boswell, Kelly Daniel, Shelly Lewis, Starlett Austin and Rebecca Boswell; great grandchildren, Molly Massey, Timothy Massey and Nathan Croyle. (His grandchildren were the pride and joy of his life). He is also survived by sisters, Ruth Hobbs, Vastie Barbour, and Francis Barbour.

He was predeceased by brothers, Glen Boswell, Jr., Frank Boswell and Harry Lee Boswell and sisters, Mary Davis, Josie Kegley and Eurill Manning.

The funeral will be at Swicegood Funeral Home on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 2:00 pm, and burial at Providence Baptist Church Cemetery with Pastor Mark Smith and Elder Pete Boswell officiating. The family will receive friends Sunday, April 1st from 7:00 until 9:00 pm at Swicegood Funeral Home and at other times at the residence , Providence, NC.

Source: The Caswell Messenger, April 04, 2007 - 12:36:01 am CDT.

Obituary of Dorothy Stump Purnell (1934-2007)

Dorothy Stump Purnell (1934-2007)

Yanceyville, NC - Dorothy Stump Purnell, 72, of 1395 NC Old Hwy. 86 North, Yanceyville, NC died Friday, March 30, 2007 at Danville Regional Medical Center, Danville, VA. Mrs. Purnell was born April 13, 1934 in Caswell County, North Carolina, the daughter of the late Charlie Stump and Nora Lou Ballard Stump. She was retired from Cone Mills, Greensboro, NC after 10 year of service and was a member of Community Baptist Church. Mrs. Purnell was married to Dorman Gwynn Purnell who preceded her in death in 1992. She was also preceded in death by a grandchild, Anne Marie Purnell.

Survivors are two daughters, Doris Jones of Yanceyville, NC and Jettie P. Smith of Blanch, NC; three sons, Eddie Purnell of the residence, Donald Purnell, Sr. of Blanch, NC and Gwynn Purnell of Alcolu, SC; sisters, Barbara Gooch of Elon, NC and Alice B. Pruitt of Ringgold, VA; one brother, James Stump of Julian, NC; ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held Sunday, April 1, 2007, at 3:00 pm at Community Baptist Church with Wayne Jones officiating. The family will receive friends Saturday from 7:00 until 8:30 pm at Marley Funeral Home. At other times the family will be at the residence. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Community Baptist Church, c/o Mrs. Ann Scruggs, 5857 Old NC Hwy 86 North Providence, NC 27315. Marley Funeral Home, Yanceyville, NC is in charge of arrangements.

Source: The Caswell Messenger, April 04, 2007 - 12:36:00 am CDT.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Kirk-Holden War

A Delicate Matter


By Isaac Groves/Times-News

March 31, 2007 - 10:39PM

More to this Story


Wyatt Outlaw’s hanging, it has been written, is the second-most recognized event in Alamance County history, but won’t be commemorated on a state marker placed where he died. His murder led to the Kirk-Holden War, which led to the arrest of more than 100 local men and torture at the hands of a state militia. There were also other murders and attacks by the Ku Klux Klan, like the killing of state Sen. J.W. “Chicken” Stephens in Caswell County. It also led to the first impeachment of a U.S. governor, William W. Holden. At the end of it all, Holden was gone, the men who killed Outlaw were free and it was a lot harder to tell who really won the Civil War.