Wright Stephen Batchelor was a farmer from eastern North Carolina
who had never left Nash County. However, much like his state,
Batchelor's life was upended by the Civil War. He served in both
armies, survived Gettysburg, was captured twice, escaped, went to
prison, deserted, walked halfway across the country, and, after
everything, was the victim of a bizarre murder. Author Michael K.
Brantley delves into this common man's Civil War story, detailing
his harrowing experiences and, along the way, describing a South in
the aftermath of war. Like many North Carolinians, Batchelor was a
reluctant Confederate and joined the army only when it appeared
inevitable he would be called to serve. He emerged from a POW camp
unscathed, after escaping capture. Weeks later, he wasn't so lucky.
He was captured again at the Battle of Bristoe Station and found
himself at one of the worst Union POW camps of the Civil War, Point
Lookout Prison in Maryland. Going with his best bet for survival,
he took the Oath of Allegiance and joined the Union Army. Batchelor
deserted at his first chance and walked hundreds of miles to rejoin
his comrades at Petersburg, just in time for the Union siege. Again
he survived combat, and he walked hundreds more miles home to Nash
County. After the war he farmed, ran the Nash County Poor House,
and dabbled in local politics. One night, after repeated raids on
the Poor House chicken coop, Batchelor caught the canine culprit
red-handed and dispatched him with his rifle. A few days later,
Batchelor was leaving the Nashville courthouse when a teenage boy -
the dog's owner - approached him, pulled out a pistol, and shot him
down in the middle of the street.
General
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