Not every brave son of the South fought against Northern aggression during the American Civil War. Some took a different stand and defended the Stars and Stripes rather than the Stars and Bars. It meant placing their lives and those of their families in danger against the persecution of their former friends and neighbors. Fielding Hurst raised a volunteer regiment of fellow Southern Unionists called the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry, with men from Decatur, Gibson, Hardin, McNairy, Perry, Wayne, and Weakley counties in Tennessee. Because of brutality credited to them during the war, hatred for them has been passed down through generations of families in southwest Tennessee.

HUMOR AMONG THE MINORS is a collection of baseball stories and anecdotes about the colorful personalities of the game in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as told by Edward Ashenbach, who spent 21 seasons in the minor leagues as a player, manager, and team owner from 1890 to 1911. This BrayBree Vintage Edition contains the original 1911 book as well as a new index and biographical sketch of the author.

Virgil A. Stewart happened to be in the right place at the right time. In January 1834, he offered to help a friend in Madison County, Tennessee track down two missing slaves who were believed to have been stolen by a local thief named John A. Murrell. Posing as a man looking for a lost horse, Stewart won Murrell's confidence over the course of several days and the thief shared with him stories of his exploits and revealed various criminal acts he had committed, including robbery, slave stealing, and murder. Murrell also admitted to being the leader of a vast criminal empire with one thousand members-some of whom were well-respected men in their communities-known as the Mystic Clan of the Confederacy. He wanted to convince slaves across the South to rise up against their masters on Christmas night in 1835, during which time Murrell and his clan would rob on a grand scale. History of the Detection, Conviction, Life and Designs of John A. Murrel, the Great Western Land Pirate...To Which is Added a Biographical Sketch of Mr. Virgil A. Stewart was first published in 1835, and is the primary source for the life, crimes, and legend of John A. Murrell, a man Stewart labeled "the great Western Land Pirate." Stewart transformed a petty thief from Denmark, Tennessee into a criminal mastermind with a network of like-minded rogues that stretched across the Old Southwest.

A short visit to his hometown of Purdy, Tennessee rekindled the interest of native son and former Confederate Brigadier General Marcus J. Wright in the history and people of McNairy County, Tennessee. With the help of many old friends, he compiled their collective memories into a short publication published in 1882. It was one of the earliest published county histories in West Tennessee. BrayBree Publishing is proud to present this special Vintage Edition of Wright's county history. In addition to an authentic reproduction of the original book, it also includes a biographical sketch of the author, new illustrations, an expanded index, and Wright's own memoirs, which have never been published.

Adam Huntsman (1786-1849) is best remembered for being the "timber toe" lawyer who beat David Crockett for Congress in 1835, leading to his journey to Texas and heroic death at the Alamo. But there was much more to him than the outcome of one election. As a public servant, he prided himself on his independence and serving the interests of his constituents. "I am the partizan of no man," he declared. "I never intended to be so." It was that individualistic spirit which put him at odds with one of the most forceful personalities in American history-Andrew Jackson-and helped bring about the first two-party political system in Tennessee history. A Virginia native, Huntsman resided in all three grand divisions of the state, settling in Knoxville, Overton County, and Madison County. He served five terms in the state senate, one term in Congress, and was an influential member of the 1835 constitutional convention. Huntsman was among the most colorful personalities in antebellum Tennessee. Despite losing his leg, he never lost his sense of humor. It was an essential ingredient in his political writings and speeches, sprinkled with Biblical references and selections from Aesop's Fables. It brought him personal popularity in courtrooms and on the campaign trail, where he never lost a race for public office.

In 2011, the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx of the Southern League changed their team name to the Jackson Generals as a tribute to the teams that represented Jackson, Tennessee in the Kitty League from 1935 to 1954.But who were the original Generals? The Jackson Generals: Minor League Baseball in Jackson, Tennessee introduces today's fans to stars of the past like Jesse Webb, Dutch Welch, Ellis Kinder, Gashouse Parker, Mel Merkel, Gabby Stewart, Walt Mestan, and Hal Seawright. From the triumph of the team's 1941 Kitty League championship season to the abysmal 26-game losing streak in 1954 that ended minor league baseball in Jackson, author Kevin D. McCann recaps each of the Generals' 13 seasons with narrative and photographs. There's also a section listing the all-time and single-season Generals batting and pitching leaders. A must-have book for every Jackson Generals fan