It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Glenda McWhirter Todd. She passed away on September 3, 2017 surrounded by her family. She was a historian, genealogist, and author who prided herself on being a descendant of Andrew Ferrier McWhirter of the 1st Alabama Cavalry, USV. Her work over the past two decades and her dedication to the 1st Alabama Cavalry has created a legacy that will last for years to come.

Her life's work has touched thousands of people through the years, and I am glad that I had the pleasure to work with her as long as I did. My hope is that her work will live on for years to come to educate and inspire a new generation.

When the bitter struggle came Winston was reticent, if not stubborn. In the refusal of many of her citizens to take up arms against the union; and conscription followed. To be sure many volunteers went from Winston early in the fight, wore the grey and fought, bled and died; but there were others who couldn't see it that way.

It will be recalled that the first Alabama Calvary U.S. Army was formed largely by men of Winston, and so there are Federal pensioners as "fell as confederate veterans in this county, and they are all native too.

In my last letter I referred to the fact that there are no Negroes here - not a one in Double Springs, and very, very few in the county at this railroad stations, none on the farms. I find an antipathy to the black race among these people too. They do not want the Negro here and are independent of his services. By the way one Negro arrived here today. He came hand cuffed and a prisoner to become the sole occupant of the county jail. His offense was braining another Negro at a railroad station. Bright little Joe Pattie, a four year old native, on observing the black man remarked " If that fellow would wash the black off his face; I could see him better."

Remembering that Winston is a strong Republican county, the only county in the state absolutely and always safely so, and noticing that all the county officials here are republican, this writer enquired of one of the most prominent ones the cause of this. In view of this antipathy to the Negro and the fact that in the south the Negro has constituted a great majority of the Republican Party, it seemed rather strange that this condition should here exist. An intelligent answer promptly came about thus said he:

"The people of this and other hill counties were poor before the war. Our fathers owned no slaves and they felt that preservation of slave property by the slave holders was the real cause of this secession. They had nothing to gain by a perpetuation of slavery, therefore nothing for which to shed their blood-- hence they resisted to the call to arms. Again the old flag was as dear to them then as it is today and they were loyal to it. They were original Whigs, never Democrats and they believed the Republican Party the real national party, hence their allegiance thereto."

And so I asked no more questions, because I believe and know that these Winstonians are honest and honorable in their opinions.