Scoundrels, rogues and heroes of the Old North State : revised and updated with new stories and images

Can you call yourself a self-respecting North Carolinian if you don't know that Babe Ruth hit his first home run in the Tar Heel State? That Annie Oakley gave shooting lessons in Pinehurst? That renowned Siamese twins Chang and Eng lived in Surry County? Or that unrepenting bootleggers hid out in Rutherford County?

Father-daughter team K. Randell and Caitlin D. Jones think not, and to cure your curiosity, to supply you with clever quips at cocktail parties or to convince your teachers that you really have studied, they have gathered a wonderful collection of stories originally written by lauded North Carolina historian Dr. H.G. Jones for his long-standing "In Light of History" series.

This revised and updated edition contains ten additional accounts of Tar Heel history, accompanied by archival images from the lifetime collection of Dr. Jones and a map highlighting each story's geographic interest area.

• Introduction p. 11
• 1 Famous Imposter Bilked North Carolinians p. 13
• 2 The Hanging of Frankie Silver p. 17
• 3 Lewis Redmond, King of Outlaws p. 21
• 4 Was the Slave a Prince? p. 24
• 5 Frances Culpeper Married Three Governors p. 28
• 6 Amos Owens Made "Cherry Bounce" Famous p. 31
• 7 Anne Bonney, Woman Pirate p. 35
• 8 "Mr. Read" Was a Woman p. 38
• 9 Naomi Wise Memorialized in Song p. 41
• 10 Naomi Wise Rode Off to Death, Not Marriage p. 45
• 11 Malinda Blalock, North Carolina's Only Female Civil War Soldier p. 48
• 12 Otto Wood, Famous Prison Escape Artist p. 52
• 13 North Carolina Governor Married Fifteen-year-old Girl p. 56
• 14 Rains Brothers of New Bern p. 59
• 15 James H. Jones, The President's Valet p. 62
• 16 One of the South's Last Duels p. 66
• 17 Woman Buried Seated in Chair p. 69
• 18 Sam Brinkley Was the Authority on Pogonotrophy p. 72
• 19 Cyclone Mack Was Famed Evangelist p. 76
• 20 "Indian Chief" Was North Carolinian p. 80
• 21 Loud Hymn Singer Taken to Court p. 84
• 22 Ruben C. Bland, Champion Papa p. 86
• 23 Was the "Human Fly" a Tar Heel? p. 89
• 24 The Siamese Twins p. 94
• 25 Charity Bowery, North Carolina Slave p. 97
• 26 Postmaster Had Shady Reputation p. 100
• 27 Father, Nine Sons Fight for Confederacy p. 103
• 28 James Iredell Waddell Never Surrendered p. 106
• 29 Six of Seven Brothers Die in Civil War p. 110
• 30 Blackbeard, An Unlikely Ancestor p. 113
• 31 Hanging of Calvin and Thomas Coley p. 117
• 32 Martha McFarlane McGee Bell, Heroine p. 120
• 33 The Story of a Runaway p. 123
• 34 Was Nellie Cropsey Murdered? p. 126
• 35 North Carolinian Held Weight Record p. 130
• 36 Major George E. Preddy Jr., Flying Ace p. 133
• 37 Annie Oakley Thrilled Pinehurst Residents p. 136
• 38 Aunt Abby House Was "True Grit" p. 140
• 39 New Hanover Slave Finally Escapes p. 143
• 40 Camden County Slave Bought His Freedom p. 147
• 41 Let's Honor James Boone This Time p. 150
• 42 Woman Admitted to State Bar in 1878 after Debate p. 153
• 43 Phineas T. Barnum in North Carolina p. 156
• 44 Quaint Notebook Describes North Carolina Deaths p. 161
• 45 Cross Woodis Oldest North Carolinian? p. 164
• 46 Battle Against "Germ of Laziness" p. 167
• 47 Peter Francisco, Hercules of the Revolution p. 171
• 48 Tar Heel Governor Was Jinxed p. 175
• 49 Babe Ruth Hit First Home Run in North Carolina p. 179
• 50 L.A. Scruggs, North Carolina's First Black Doctor p. 182
• 51 Hamp Rich, North Carolina's Champion Monument Builder p. 186
• 52 Boys Patrolled North Carolina Rural Roads p. 189
• 53 Largest Mail-order Liquor Business p. 192
• 54 Spanish Invade North Carolina p. 196
• 55 John Lawson's Journey p. 199
• 56 Tiny Broadwicke, Pioneer Aviatrix p. 202
• 57 The Buggymobile Built in New Bern p. 207
• 58 Former Child Prodigy Founds Birch Society p. 210
• 59 Tar Heel Banjoist Gains New Fame p. 214
• 60 William Dudley Pelley (Part 1) p. 217
• 61 William Dudley Pelley (Part 2) p. 221
• 62 North Carolinian Escapes from Slavery p. 225
• 63 Sir Walter Raleigh's Death p. 229
• 64 Strange Birth in Columbus County p. 234
• 65 Twice Elected, Twice Rejected p. 238
• 66 Lady Olga, The Bearded Woman p. 241
• 67 Shocco Jones, "The Mammoth Humbug" p. 245
• About the Author p. 249
• About the Co-editors p. 253