Greetings, Salutations, and Happy New Year to all of y'all!
What better way to begin this new year at Southern Fried Common Sense by dealing with another Black Confederate Denier. Better yet, one who attempted a somewhat haphazard parting shot on his blog for the amusement of his fellow skulls full of mush....and ended up making a complete jackass out of himself.
This particular anti-Confederate heritage regressive is someone that this blogger has dealt with on a few occasions in the past -- and been largely victorious against time and time again: Professor Brooks Simpson (aka. Professor Simpleton) of the University of Arizona -- Go Wildcats!
Before I go on, I would like to explain something about the dear professor. He is a credited historian and winner of multiple awards and accolades from the academic community. His books are good and well researched, even if the content and writing style itself could easily classify as a cure of insomnia.
The professor is also considered one of the biggest anti-Confederate trolls to many in the Southern heritage defense community. Not the biggest mind you, there are several other agenda-biased historians/social "just us" warriors/jokes on humanity who might have a better claim that particular title -- though it is not from a want of trying on the dear professor's part.
Personal Dealings With The Professor
Once upon a time, in a very poorly made attempt to silence The Man Deniers Fear The Most (following several small but significant victories against him on my part) Professor Simpleton attempted to discredit yours truly by doing what was no doubt a very grueling Google search to find something in my past to show me a hypocrite, that I contradicted my views, or that I was somehow less-than-consistent in my personal viewpoints on Confederate heritage as a part of Southern identity and a living heritage. Just what was the best thing he, an award-winning history professor, could find on a simple humble little country writer from South Carolina? Are y'all ready for this....(pause for effect)....here it comes....
I wrote Hey Arnold! fanfiction several years ago.
Folks, I am seriously not making that up: SEE! That was what Professor Simpleton believed of all the things I have ever written that would be enough to condemn me and deem my thoughts about history irrelevant.
Uh, did I mention that this guy is actually a college professor?
You might be asking yourselves just how exactly does writing fanfiction stories about a cult-classic 90s cartoon series following a few storylines key to the plot of the series constitute an inability of my part to effectively present Confederate heritage as a part of a living Southern cultural heritage and identity? The answer is....um, your guess would be as good as mine.
The exact logic behind the professor's line of attack at the time was never really clear. It focused largely on a single work of fanfiction that many other fanfiction writers -- *including at least one of the adult actors who played the voice of one of the characters on the show itself -- considered to be brilliantly written. One even won an online fanfiction award for best story of the year among the fandom (see my profile on the left of the blog for the details).
(*Writer's Note: I still have that particular e-mail printed out and kept in my collection. Even to this day I still get envious letters from other fans of the show for that one.)
Now, I could go on and on about how that particular blog post ended up making dear Professor Simpleton one of the biggest laughing stocks in a couple of fanfiction communities for a brief period of time -- but since it is in fact a new year and a new slate, I say let the past be the past in this case. He did -- for all of his efforts -- manage to earn me a little good-natured ribbing from my coworkers for about a couple hours. I guess he could claim a small victory there.
The Professor's Shot....And Miss
Well anyhow, now that I have the backstory out of the way, allow me to go point-by-point in explaining how the dear professor found a way to completely make himself look stupid....again. Worse, over a topic that he was not completely out of his depth in considering he is allegedly a credited and award-winning history professor.
The following screen shots were taken from the professor's blog. I will let your read his words in full and my responses following them.
What better way to begin this new year at Southern Fried Common Sense by dealing with another Black Confederate Denier. Better yet, one who attempted a somewhat haphazard parting shot on his blog for the amusement of his fellow skulls full of mush....and ended up making a complete jackass out of himself.
This particular anti-Confederate heritage regressive is someone that this blogger has dealt with on a few occasions in the past -- and been largely victorious against time and time again: Professor Brooks Simpson (aka. Professor Simpleton) of the University of Arizona -- Go Wildcats!
Before I go on, I would like to explain something about the dear professor. He is a credited historian and winner of multiple awards and accolades from the academic community. His books are good and well researched, even if the content and writing style itself could easily classify as a cure of insomnia.
The professor is also considered one of the biggest anti-Confederate trolls to many in the Southern heritage defense community. Not the biggest mind you, there are several other agenda-biased historians/social "just us" warriors/jokes on humanity who might have a better claim that particular title -- though it is not from a want of trying on the dear professor's part.
Personal Dealings With The Professor
Once upon a time, in a very poorly made attempt to silence The Man Deniers Fear The Most (following several small but significant victories against him on my part) Professor Simpleton attempted to discredit yours truly by doing what was no doubt a very grueling Google search to find something in my past to show me a hypocrite, that I contradicted my views, or that I was somehow less-than-consistent in my personal viewpoints on Confederate heritage as a part of Southern identity and a living heritage. Just what was the best thing he, an award-winning history professor, could find on a simple humble little country writer from South Carolina? Are y'all ready for this....(pause for effect)....here it comes....
I wrote Hey Arnold! fanfiction several years ago.
Folks, I am seriously not making that up: SEE! That was what Professor Simpleton believed of all the things I have ever written that would be enough to condemn me and deem my thoughts about history irrelevant.
Uh, did I mention that this guy is actually a college professor?
You might be asking yourselves just how exactly does writing fanfiction stories about a cult-classic 90s cartoon series following a few storylines key to the plot of the series constitute an inability of my part to effectively present Confederate heritage as a part of a living Southern cultural heritage and identity? The answer is....um, your guess would be as good as mine.
The exact logic behind the professor's line of attack at the time was never really clear. It focused largely on a single work of fanfiction that many other fanfiction writers -- *including at least one of the adult actors who played the voice of one of the characters on the show itself -- considered to be brilliantly written. One even won an online fanfiction award for best story of the year among the fandom (see my profile on the left of the blog for the details).
(*Writer's Note: I still have that particular e-mail printed out and kept in my collection. Even to this day I still get envious letters from other fans of the show for that one.)
Now, I could go on and on about how that particular blog post ended up making dear Professor Simpleton one of the biggest laughing stocks in a couple of fanfiction communities for a brief period of time -- but since it is in fact a new year and a new slate, I say let the past be the past in this case. He did -- for all of his efforts -- manage to earn me a little good-natured ribbing from my coworkers for about a couple hours. I guess he could claim a small victory there.
The Professor's Shot....And Miss
Well anyhow, now that I have the backstory out of the way, allow me to go point-by-point in explaining how the dear professor found a way to completely make himself look stupid....again. Worse, over a topic that he was not completely out of his depth in considering he is allegedly a credited and award-winning history professor.
The following screen shots were taken from the professor's blog. I will let your read his words in full and my responses following them.
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| (Image courtesy of Civil War Crossroads blog.) |
Well, it certainly amuses me to no end when a guy like the dear professor goes to so much trouble to try and take a jab at the research abilities of Confederate heritage defenders -- and fail miserably as this humble blogger will easily demonstrate.
Allow me to let Professor Simpleton continue his epic fail....oops, I mean object lesson in making an fool of himself....oops, oh dang it, I mean...well, let the professor continue his little story.
The ill-prepared propaganda artist continues:
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| (Image courtesy of Civil War Crossroads blog.) |
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| (Image courtesy of Civil War Crossroads blog.) |
With that parting shot, the dear professor leaves everyone to enjoy their New Year, after seemingly offering a smug little point about "Negro regiments" and mentions of them by Confederate officers. Clearly he expects no real response to this from Confederate heritage advocates and (to quote Professor Simpleton himself): "their ability as researchers to call into question their own interpretations of historical evidence."
Now this is the part where the dear professor get schooled by a simple country writer (and former award winning fanfiction writer) from South Carolina....once again.
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| Black Confederate cavalry trooper, 4th Tennessee Cavalry CSA. Chickamauga, GA. September 1863. (Painting by artist Don Troiani.) |
The following account is taken from the personal diary of Captain J.B. Briggs, 4th Tennessee Cavalry, Dibbrell's Brigade (which did in fact serve under Forrest and Van Dorn in the Army of Tennessee CSA):
"The Fourth Tennessee Cavalry was dismounted to fight as infantry, every fourth man being told to off to hold horses. These horse-holders, and also all the colored servants, were kept in the rear. The colored men numbered about 40, and having been in service a long time, had gradually armed themselves. Some of them were even better equipped than their masters, for on successful raids and battles they could fallow in the rear and pick up those things that soldiers had no time to secure; so that these coloured servants could each boast of one or two revolvers and a fine carbine or repeating rifle."
"During all of the early part of the battle of Chickamauga, the Fourth Tennessee Cavalry had been fighting as infantry, and as it became evident that a victory was to be won, Col. McLemore, commanding, ordered Captain Briggs to return to the horse-holders, and after placing the horses, teams, etc., under charge of the servants, to bring up the quarter of the regiment in charge of the horses so that they might take part in the final triumph. Capt. Briggs, on reaching the horses, was surprised to find the colored men organized and equipped, under Daniel McLemore, colored (servant to the Colonel of the regiment), and demanding the right to go into the fight. After trying to dissuade them from this, Capt. Briggs led them up to the line of battle in which was just preparing to assault Gen. Thomas's position. Thinking they would be of service in caring for the wounded, Capt. Briggs held them close up the line, but when the advance was ordered the negro company became enthused as well as their masters, and filled a portion of the line of advance as well as any company of the regiment. While they no guidon or muster roll, the burial after the battle of four of their number and the care of seven wounded at the hospital, told the tale of how well they fought."
Source: Time-Life Books: "Voices of The Civil War: Chickamauga"
Final Thoughts On Black Confederates
Now that I have put the nutty professor out of his misery, I want to add one final and very important point to this story: Black Confederate Denial -- much like Holocaust Denial -- is nothing I joke about...even though sticking a pin in the Denier himself is so soooo very satisfying!
Those forty black Southern men -- slaves and free men -- like every other black Confederate during that ugly and senseless war who choose to serve and fight when they did not have to (indeed when white Confederate soldiers at the time often discouraged them from doing so) for the various reasons they did deserve the respect they earned as soldiers -- even if some historians and others choose to discount their service. Their lives had worth, as did their service and sacrifices. To deny them that is to deny their humanity, and that is something this blogger and proud Confederate descendant will not allow to stand!
These Southern-born soldiers and veterans of color deserve the exact same respect afforded every other Confederate soldier and veteran, the same respect afforded any American soldier and veteran.
God knows they earned it.
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| Grave of Private Wiley A. Stewart Co. H, 4th Tennessee Cavalry CSA. A free man and a Confederate soldier. |
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| United Confederate Veterans. Tennessee Confederate Cavalry. Lynchburg, Tennessee, 1887. |
Happy New Year, Y'all!
UPDATE Wednesday, January 4th.
It turns out that the artwork by Don Troiani depicting the black trooper of the 4th Tennessee Cavalry CSA was critiqued a couple years back by another noted Black Confederate Denier and alleged historian/propaganda troll, Mr. Kevin Levin. The full account of his "interpretation" of the facts can be seen HERE.
Only thing here is that Mr. Levin also failed to mention the significant account of the black Confederates who fought with the 4th Tennessee on his own "history" blog. So it appears that I pwned TWO (count em!) TWO civil war hysterians on the same day!
This new year just gets better and better folks! Peace out!
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