The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-02-24
DR. THOMAS PERSON TELLS OF
FAMOUS BLUE GRASS RANGERS
The Only Living Charter Member Recounts To Wilson
Daughters Of The Confederacy.Some of The Exploits
Of The Organization

wilson. n. G, Feb. 24.--The follow
a.. b- Dr. Thomas Person, postL as
&C.,. al Wilson. giving his reasons for
ibe organization of the Blue Season
t,.nacrs' was read before the Daugh-
'..rs of the Confederacy here on Lee
Jackson Day:
Ni.s Lola Wells president the men,
Iars of the John w. Durham Chap
ief of the Daughters of the Confed-
r.cv the ladies OF Wilson Town
and County:
Nv Dear Friends:
I'm addition To d paper read III
Conner meeting of your Camp, l want
IN add a few lines relative to the
..arsee and conditions that led to the
,,r..;tt,izafion Of a band of Regulators
., Fremout n. g., known among
themselves as "Blue Season Rangers,
.he dpeideratum of whose efforts was
to defend the defenseless, and rid the
country of the perpetrators Of the out
7.ages that were being committed on
the people of our homes and our coun
Try
When we returned from the Con-
feaerate army We We're tired OF War,
and anxious for peace. We accepted,
in good faith, the terms OF surrender
entered into by Lee and Grant; we
came prepared TO take our positions as
iimited competency would sustain rs,
10 perpetuale the obligations entered
into by Lee and Grant, ana as they.
and we. thought, looking to the
restoration oE peace to the entlro
country and to the protection of per-
son and property in the Confederate
States Eut instead Of finding any
evidence Of the existence Of such con-
hitions we found the loved ones Of
iIth nt fia n
she friends OF our childhood. enjoying
the peace the hawk gives the dove, the
Solf gives the lamb, the Modoc In
dian gives the white man, and death
gives its victim.
The tribunals established for the
protection Of person and property,
and known as Freedman'S Bureaus.
were presided over by men, who would
steal fire out of the hottest place
mentioned from the first Of Genesis to
she last Of Revelations, in August.
when everybody is living on canned
goods TO remove or obviate the ne
reSsity Of making q fire for cooking
purposes.
Andrew Wilson. Dcsertrr.
ia" country was infested by un-
compromising cut-throatS and camp,
followers, who were committing al
manner III outrageS on the unprOtect.
country, The big buck OF the gana
vas fellow named Andrew Wilson
deserter from the Fedora. army but
ater SherrnaO and Schofield met al
'toluSooro. he returned to them. and
Judging by the manner in which he
was received and protected. he SOoI
pecaihe quite favorite among them
Notwithstanding he was committing al
FihdS OF infamous Outrages on tht
n,
Ihe post in Coldsboro sent him out
rom tlntc To time, with written au
Nhorir" To 40 his devilment. To tha
aspect OF affairs is asclibabie the or
5ahaauon Of the 'Biue Seaso1
NahEers' We had an eminent re
oard Tor the laws Of our country; w
,eYefed the DreceptS OF our holy re
NSlon; we We're sick Of the shedding
u hh1n3n blood, and practiccd mod
t"tlon and forbearance to avoid s.
If-adfu' calamity: but We had bee1
ti!Nen 10 the point where degrada
''h and disgrace begin. That wa
paf condition.: we had TO remedy. an
W. iuet and resolved to oppose ii, re
>afoi:ss of odds and opposition q
,ohS lis we had hearts 60 feel or hand
=" strike. We knew the infamou
needs OF the deSperado Wilson wer
approved and sustained by the earri
son in Goldsboro, FOR he died wit
"iarls III his pocket---his last word
"th.. when ordered to surrender. :.
"C. do II, | am acting under orders
dh Out the troops cau out tn
froops."
va Ia position 70 know they wer
lds uNmG words. and, as "a rule.
'.anS dying words are regarded 8
t't. W" knew he AID his gang we,
|Eo'ect"d by the Federal army. or eu
H"fliieS, and.s in the interest Of OF
'3"r unfortunate people. We felt cal
Apt"n ia apply our own remed
ma We did it.
very naturally the question ha
'f,S"r. Why did Tom Person fe
ilteo upon IT. take the initiative ?'
'P'F =" HAT. | want to say: Il didn
- II. IL L.. dn-..ln:.. 80 .,iA-..l, 1,