The Man Called Razz

The Man Called Razz is a saga about a man who grew-up in the eastern Tennessee mountains. This endeavor started out to be just an historical outline of my Great Great-Granddad, but grew into what you have before you. My desire was to relate his life to my children before my memory became clouded. I felt all my family had to know, from whence they came.

The main elements of this book were related to me, as I was a young child, by notes, friends and family members. From those sources, I have shared the stories which were told to me. The paper trail, which was sparce, has been entered into this document as support. The book is a representation of his life, as I have come to know it.

His formative years and his life as a marauder during the Civil War had a great impact on him as to how he related to societal demands. He lived and died by those teachings. Some have called him a mad-man, others said he was doing what he knew to do. You, as the reader, must make your own determination regarding this man and his lfe.

But you must consider, before you pass judgement, that after the Civil War ended, there was no Veterans Administration to "de-brief" the soldiers coming home from that war. In the South there was no parade, no hero's, no thanks and no acknowledgement of their sacrifice. Like all other Southern Veterans there was no reward for their service to a country they loved so dearly.

To the victor go the spoils; and also the history which is taught to the generations thereafter. Despite what was said about Razz, he came home as the conqueror and he made his life victorious, at least in his own mind.