During the time I spent working on this project, I heard many different metaphors for writing a book. Among my favorites are “It is not a sprint; it is a marathon” and “It is like a child that you raise, then send off into the world hoping that others see the same beauty in it that you do.” Whichever metaphor you may prefer, the simple fact is that no work of this length—in time and pages—can be accomplished alone. It takes a village, so to speak.
The debts that I owe John Inscoe transcend academics. His patience, kindness, and friendship made every step—even the less certain ones—from graduate student to professional historian easier. His faith in me and this project never wavered. In my opinion, he ranks among the very best of us who are fortunate to call ourselves historians. He is a shining example of a principled scholar who is also a great colleague and an even better person. This project—to say nothing of me as a scholar, teacher, and person—is better thanks to John’s influence.
Peter S. Carmichael took a raw master’s student and taught him to write. I thank Pete for teaching me how to be a professional historian and to appreciate economy in prose. Most importantly, Pete instilled in me the belief that being a historian is a job like all others and to always remain humble.
After Pete taught me to write, Stephen Berry taught me how to rewrite. Steve joined this project at an early stage, and I am lucky that he did. Not only does he have a talent for careful, complex analysis, but, for my money, he is one of our profession’s best writers. From him, I have managed to discover more of my own authorial voice and embraced the freedom to push conventions a bit. Others who offered me guidance included Ronald Butchart, Paul Sutter, and James Cobb. Ron is a foremost authority on the Freedmen’s Bureau and education, and he shared his insights with me graciously. Paul introduced me to environmental history and supplied several useful thoughts that helped make this a better book. If anyone knows more about the U.S. South than James Cobb, I have never met that person. His scholarship, his support, and his critical assessment of my work have made me a better historian.
Working with the staff at the University of North Carolina Press has been a dream. Series editor Aaron Sheehan-Dean went out of his way to keep me in the loop at every step of the process. Once I began working directly with the press, Mark Simpson-Vos was a huge help. I flatter myself by thinking I may have been a low-maintenance author, but every first-time author has questions and concerns, and Mark and his staff answered each one with unflagging enthusiasm and alacrity. Aaron Sheehan-Dean and Aaron Astor served as the readers for the press, and I cannot say enough about their feedback. All you can ask as an author is that your readers give your work a close, careful read. They did more than that; both of them also offered significant ideas for how to improve the book and I thank them for it.
A number of scholars provided valuable feedback at conferences and other meetings over the years. Paul Escott, William Barney, Gordon McKinney, Ronald Eller, Kathy Newfont, David Whisnant, Anne Mitchell Whisnant, Kevin Young, Sam McGuire, Luke Manget, Darin Waters, Dan Pierce, and Richard Starnes all offered suggestions and ideas. I appreciate their thoughts about how I could improve this book and their support at the various stages of this project as well.
Archivists at the University of North Carolina’s Southern Historical Collection, the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, Duke University, Appalachian State University, and the National Archives made researching this project a delight. I greatly appreciate their time, helpfulness, and patience as I slowly figured out what it was that I needed.
Various friends and colleagues also deserve mention. Bruce Stewart has been a roommate, a writing critic, and a best man for me at different stages of this project. He has read sections of this book, and his comments as well as his own work on western North Carolina have been invaluable. I have known Barton Myers since he was an undergraduate, and I dare say that his enthusiasm for and commitment to Civil War–era scholarship have only grown over time. Judkin Browning, Min Song, Ichiro Miyata, Lain Hughes, Chris Manganiello, Bert Way, Mary Ella Engel, Justin Nystrom, Aaron Safane, David Cotton, and others made Athens a special place. Finally, a special mention to my beloved “Beer Team”: LaShonda Mims, Jim Gigantino, Jenny Schwartzberg, Jennifer Wunn, Zac Smith, Kathi Nehls, and Tammie Rosser. You are the best. I value your friendship, respect each of you deeply, and admire the way that you have kept Jason Manthorne’s memory alive. For the uninitiated, Jason was the best of us (hence “Beer Team” captain). He left a huge void that many of you might never recognize but we feel every day.
Since leaving Athens in 2009, I have hung my hat at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Andy Slap included an early version of chapter 3 in his Reconstructing Appalachia, and he played a large role in bringing me to ETSU. Tom Lee is the ideal colleague. He is generous with his time, research, and considerable knowledge of the South, and his sense of humor makes going to work a joy. Daniel Newcomer, Brian Maxson, John Rankin, and Philip Wilson have given me opportunities to present my research to the department and offered moral support as my manuscript became a book. Our departmental executive aide, Sharon Chandler, has also been invaluable in my work at ETSU. Everyone in our department would be lost—literally—without her. Finally, Nathan Giles began the maps for this book and my colleagues in the Department of Geosciences, Andrew Joyner and Eileen Ernenwein, revised, polished, and finished them. I sincerely appreciate their willingness to jump in and lend their expertise to a colleague from another department.
At ETSU, it has also been my pleasure to work with several graduate students who have taught their instructor a few things along the way. Kelli Nelson was the first graduate student to complete a thesis under my direction, and her interest in memory and material culture has been a great inspiration to me. Ronald McCall helped me rethink issues of debt in terms of local power relationships. Maegan Harrell and Heather Miller brought issues of gender and violence into greater focus. Other students, including John Milstead, Joshua Salyers, Samuel Beale, Leighton Harris, and Steven Knapp, have also shaped this project through conversations related to their own historical work and interests.
A variety of professional organizations and institutions have provided assistance to this project. The History Department at the University of Georgia supplied travel funds that gave me the opportunity to work in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The Archie K. Davis Grant from the North Caroliniana Society facilitated my research in the archives around the Research Triangle Park and at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Since I arrived at East Tennessee State University in 2009, I have been fortunate to receive the support from my department and university. Departmental travel funds and a university small research development grant enabled me to complete my research in the Freedmen’s Bureau and federal court records at the National Archives branch in Morrow, Georgia.
Finally, I owe great—HUGE—debts to my family. My parents, Carl and Brenda Nash, have loved and supported me through every development in my life. I would not be who I am nor could I have written this book without them. I regret that my mom did not live to see this book in print. I know, however, that she could not have been prouder of me through the process. My sister, Julie Nash, and her family lived with me for long stretches of my research. My greatest stroke of luck was having Julie and my brother-in-law, Kevin Foster, relocate to the RTP and open their home to me for long stretches of time. Furthermore, being able to play “manny” to their amazing kids, Holden and Avery, is the greatest benefit of studying in North Carolina. Last, but certainly not least, is my amazing wife, Celeste Nicholson. She married into this project late in its development, but from day one she has taken a great interest in this book. She listened to me when I needed to talk, picked me up when I fell, and cheered me on to the finish line. Thank you. I love you.