hi seanThe 'white side' of my family was also on the side of the Confederacy. My great great grandfather had a huge plantation, cotton gin, and a hardware store in Brehenam, Texas. He lost everything to the Yankees when the carpetbaggers and the Union forces took or burned every thing he owned. He was a colonel in a Texas calvary unit.
After the war, they moved to what would become Ballinger, Texas. He became a well known carpenter in that area of Texas. I have a few pieces of the chairs, a table, and a 4poster bed he made around 1875. Beautiful oak and scroll work to die for!![]()
i had ancestors that fought in the war too, of course all rebels but we were "poor", never had plantations but were always hard working (altho on daddys side had a few baptist minsters) and my grandmas great, great , great grandfather came up from texas , orphan, took the last name ates for the family who took him in and raised him . i have no idea where i got the love of trees and wildlife, animals, no one else in the family does, sister says i got the love of horses from the ancestor that was hung as a horse thief

but hey, thats just the way i am,