Nelson Wyman Winbush (born 1929) is an American educator and Civil War historian. He is one of a few African-American members of the

Sons of Confederate Veterans The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is an American neo-Confederate nonprofit organization of male descendants of Confederate soldiers that commemorates these ancestors, funds and dedicates monuments to them, and promotes the pseudohisto ...

and is known for his controversial views, such as his support of the

modern display of the Confederate flag Although the Confederate States of America dissolved at the end of the American Civil War (1861–1865), its battle flag continues to be displayed as a symbol. The modern display began during the 1948 United States presidential election when i ...

.Stephanie Garry, "In defense of his Confederate pride"
''St. Petersburg Times'', October 7, 2007."Black History Month: Black Confederate Heritage"
, Sons of Confederate Veterans, 2004. Retrieved March 22, 2011.

Early life and education

Winbush was born in

Ripley, Tennessee Ripley is a city in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 8,445 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County. Geography Ripley is located at (35.743115, −89.533872). According to the United States ...

, in the

Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yazo ...

region, to Isaac and Ganelle Nelson Winbush. His siblings included brothers Robert and Harold, and sisters Mary and Dorothy Jean."Obituary: Mary Arnold Winbush"
''Florida Times-Union'', October 20, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2012 His family grew up in the house built in 1908 by his maternal grandfather Louis Napoleon Nelson. As Nelson lived until 1934, Winbush had a few years as a young boy to absorb his vivid first-person accounts of slavery and service as an enslaved person under his enslavers, ER and Sidney Oldham, while the brothers served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Louis Napoleon Nelson, grandfather

Louis Napoleon Nelson (1847–1934) was an enslaved cook and body servant during the American Civil War. In 1862, Louis was a 14-year-old illiterate slave on James and Helen C. Oldham's

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

Lauderdale County, Tennessee Lauderdale County is a county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Tennessee, with its border the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,143. Its county seat is Ripley. Since the antebellum years, it has b ...

. The Oldhams were a prominent

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

family who owned over 40 slaves. Nelson was one of 19 enslaved children under the age of 16 on the plantation according to the United States Census (1860 Slave Schedule)."United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860," database with images, ''FamilySearch'' (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BSC-55S?cc=3161105&wc=8B6J-W38%3A1610412401%2C1610623301%2C1610313801 : October 16, 2019), Tennessee > Lauderdale > District 1 > image 12 of 12; citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). James and Helen had 3 sons, E.R. (18), Sidney (16), and James (12).

Experience during the Civil War

E.R. and Sidney enlisted in Company M, Tennessee 7th Cavalry (Duckworth’s) in April 1862. At 14 years old, Louis' owner sent him to serve as a personal servant for his sons. Based on the memoir of a member of Company M, Charles Stephen Olin Rice, the Oldham sons brought along another slave named Auterick. As a Confederate slave, Louis was responsible for duties such as cooking breakfast, cleaning, brushing uniforms, taking care of horses, foraging for food, shaving, delivering messages or any other task the owner needed. Sometimes slaves were also allowed to hire out their services if their owner permitted. Company M was one of many Confederate cavalry formations that fell under the overall command of the noted slave trader, planter and Confederate cavalry Lieutenant General,

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...

. Louis later served as a cook for Company M, but there is no record of how this service came about. It is unknown whether Louis was hired out by E.R. Oldham to the Confederate Army or ever received pay for his labor during this time.

Lore about Louis' life

In Winbush's speeches and writing he frequently discusses Nelson. Winbush claims that Nelson was allowed to serve as a

rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifling, rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction o ...

and later as chaplain to both blacks and whites; he had already memorized the

King James Bible The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by ...

by heart. In a 2007 ''

Florida Today ''Florida Today'' is the major daily newspaper serving Brevard County, Florida. Al Neuharth of the Gannett corporation started the paper in 1966, and some of the things he did with this newspaper presaged what he would later do at ''USA Toda ...

'' interview, Winbush stated that his grandfather served as a chaplain in 1862 after the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...

for 4 campaigns. There are no sources which corroborate any of these claims. In contrast to the story that Winbush tells his grandfather was quoted in a June 6, 1929 ''

Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. It is owned by Chatham Asset ...

'' article entitled, "Forrest's valet admits Lee and Jackson were good too".

"I looked a’ter dem houses when Cap’n Bedford wuzn’t ridin’ em an’ when he wasn’t too close to de fightin’. I always stayed as far away from de fightin’ as I could an’ wit’ all dat. I had to do some powerful good runnin’ ever now an’ den. " - Louis Napoleon Nelson

The September 10, 1863, issue of ''The Religious Herald'' is often used to bolster Louis' bonafides as the first black chaplain of the CSA. The story, which was reprinted in several newspapers, notes that a Confederate Tennessee regiment did not have a chaplain, but instead had services led by an "old negro" slave named "Uncle Lewis". Louis Nelson would have been around 15 years old at this time. Company M is not named in the articles. This lore directly contradicts the reality of the CSA's racial dynamics.

But were African American laborers in the Confederate army formally enlisted in the army, equipped with uniforms, arms, and accoutrements, and paid for their own work, as were African Americans in the U.S. Army? No. Their status was that of enslaved or marginally free laborers serving in capacities in a military setting analogous to their roles in civilian life. Referring to such men as “soldiers” ignores a fundamental distinction between forced labor and military service. - Jim Coski, American Civil War Museum

The CSA did not allow blacks to enlist and as a policy did not arm them. Confederate Army Regulations from 1861 to 1865 state that soldiers must be "free white males" and cannot be "the servant of a soldier". The first black soldiers enlisted in the CSA in March 1865 just a few weeks before the war's end and Louis was not in this number. Oldham and the rest of Company M surrendered in

Gainesville, Alabama Gainesville is a town in Sumter County, Alabama, Sumter County, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1832, it was incorporated in 1835. At the 2010 United States census, 2010 census the population was 208, down from 220. Confederate States of Amer ...

on May 12, 1865.

Pension records

E.R. Oldham served as a witness for Louis' pension application. E.R. Oldham wrote that Louis was there until the very end of the war and was "my cook, while I was a soldier". All existing records classify Louis as a cook and servant. Louis' pension application and obituary were absent of any mention of duties as a chaplain, rifleman or soldier. His widow was denied pension as the State of Tennessee only paid a pension to veterans, their widows, and ex-servants, but not to the widows of ex-servants. As a descendant of Nelson, Winbush qualified for membership in the

. He notes that his grandfather received a state pension from Tennessee for Confederate veterans beginning in 1921 according to his pension records.Aaron Jerome Martin, ''Behind the Dixie Stars''
video. Retrieved January 19, 2012 1921 was the first year that black cooks and servants were allowed to file.

Legacy

Louis was one of more than 280 men who appeared before the Tennessee pension board to receive the pension created to "provide for those colored men who served as servants and cooks in the Confederate Army.” Not every cook or servant qualified for a pension. Eligibility requirements included an inability to support oneself and proof they stayed in the war until the end. The pension paid $10 a month. White Confederate veterans received pensions in 1891 (about 26 years after the war) and their widows first received pensions in 1905. The majority of former Confederate slaves died before the pension bill passed in 1921, which was about 56 years after the war ended. The average age of black pensioners in Tennessee in 1921 was 79.9 years old. At 74, Louis was one of 195 men to receive a pension for being a cook or servant.

Family

Both Winbush's mother Ganelle and his maternal grandmother were teachers, and education was prized in their family. Winbush and his siblings all earned college degrees and some, like his sister Mary, also earned graduate degrees. She became a teacher and principal. Winbush married Naomi Daniel of

Mound Bayou, Mississippi Mound Bayou is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,533 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, down from 2,102 in 2000. It was founded as an independent black community in ...

. Mrs. Winbush passed in 1999. They have two children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Career

Winbush became a teacher and later an assistant principal, having a career in education like his mother and grandmother. In 1955, he moved with his family to Florida where the public school system resisted integration and retained segregated schools for years past the US Supreme Court ruling of ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the ...

'' (1954) that declared them unconstitutional. He earned an undergraduate degree in science and a master's degree in

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

from the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

Opinions on Confederate history

Membership in Sons of Confederate Veterans

In 1991, after the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

began a campaign against the Confederate flag being celebrated on public buildings, Winbush disagreed with such sentiment and efforts, and decided to join the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He is a member of the Son's of Confederate Veterans, Jacob Summerlin Camp #1516 in

Kissimmee, Florida Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a principal city of the Greater Orlando, O ...

. According to historian, Adam Domby, “throughout its history, the SCV has been linked with white supremacist groups, and historically it has avowedly supported white supremacist groups”. In the article, "''In defense of his Confederate pride''" which appeared in the

Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute ...

, highlighting Winbush, one young SCV member is quoted as saying Winbush's story "wipes out" the whole "segregation and racism argument", describing the Winbush's story as a way to neutralize critique of the Confederacy. The same article notes that, Winbush's comments sound like they could be coming from "the mouth of any white son of the Confederate veterans". Winbush has traveled widely, visiting various SCV camps and other organizations willing to listen and consider his views about the Civil War and his heritage. He has been known to sing a Confederate song including the line, "....Black is nothing other than a darker shade of

rebel A rebel is a participant in a rebellion. Rebel or rebels may also refer to: People * Rebel (given name) * Rebel (surname) * Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution * American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...

gray."

Opinions on Emancipation Proclamation

With his retirement from teaching, Winbush felt ready to speak out on public issues. For instance, unlike many other African Americans, he considers the

Confederate flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

part of Southern heritage and appropriate for public display. He has said that the South seceded from the Union because of

states' rights In United States, American politics of the United States, political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments of the United States, state governments rather than the federal government of the United States, ...

, not

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. He denies that

President Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederate State ...

freed the slaves, explaining that the

Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Proclamation had the eff ...

affected only the Confederate states, which were no longer under his authority. He then followed the statement up to say that it was just an exercise in rhetoric. As a counterpoint to this view, trained historians note that Lincoln never acknowledged the South's right to secede from the Union and therefore the Emancipation Proclamation provided the framework to free enslaved people once the areas came under Northern control.

Interview with Edward C. Smith, Black Southern Heritage

In 1998, Winbush participated in making a video on ''Black Southern Heritage,'' directed by Edward Smith of

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

, who is also an African-American SCV member. The video covers his grandfather's Confederate military service and qualification for a Confederate pension after the war, as well as elements of other African-American heritage. Edward C Smith's work has critiqued because he is not a trained historian. His work often incorrectly states "somewhere around "50,000 black men fought as combatants" and that the Confederate monument at the Arlington National Cemetery represents evidence of Black Confederate soldiers. Smith has made these claims since the early mid-1990s, but has never provided evidence.

Community reactions

The

and similar organizations have criticized Winbush for his support of what they believe are neo-Confederate causes; they think he misunderstands the history of the South. That idea may be fueled by statements Winbush makes in interviews which largely go without fact-checking. In one such interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Winbush stated, "People ask why a black person would fight for the Confederacy. (It was) for the same damned reason a white Southerner did." Like Edward C. Smith, Winbush has never produced evidence to support this claims. The claim that his grandfather was a private in the Confederate army was a regular feature in his earlier interviews. Most of Winbush's interviews include no pushback based on historical accuracy, one rare departure from that style is an interview that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel, Aug 18, 2004. His usual responses were paired with local black author and former librarian of 30 years, Mary L. Fears. Fears wrote, "Contrary to published accounts, the service of body servants was not given as 'loyal patriotism to the cause of the Southerners.' When told to go, the slaves, compelled to follow their owners' orders, went to military camps. While in camp, they remained 'slaves' and, in that position, they were forced to obey their masters, no matter where they were. They were sometimes given uniforms and photographed with their slave masters, turned Confederate soldiers. To fail to obey, or show any signs of possible non-compliance, or even the slightest insinuation that they favored a Union victory, led to suffering from immediate punishment.

References

External links

Aaron Jerome Martin, ''Behind the Dixie Stars''
7-minute video on YouTube about re-enactors and use of the Confederate flag; includes comments by Nelson Winbush {{DEFAULTSORT:Winbush, Nelson W. 1929 births Living people 20th-century African-American educators 21st-century African-American educators African-American activists African-American schoolteachers American school principals Black conservatism in the United States Members of Sons of Confederate Veterans People from Ripley, Tennessee Schoolteachers from Tennessee University of Tennessee alumni