It could be said that Davie County, North Carolina, entered the Civil War only reluctantly. As late as February of 1861, a statewide ballot calling for a convention on secession had been defeated by a relatively small margin of votes. In Davie County, however, some 754 people voted against the convention, with only 263 in favor. Yet despite the initial opposition, an enormous number of Davie County men signed up to fight. Out of a population of 6,000,...