The Macon County Race War

This is a true story originating atop Tennessee's scenic Highland Rim in the year 1911. This is a story of an old white man ripped to pieces by ravenous swine. This is a story of a young black man with a bloody shirt. This is a story of a conflicted county Sheriff. This is a story of an unnecessary tragedy. This is the story of the Macon County race war. This brief volume encompasses the story of the horrible events that occurred in this one small county in Tennessee more than a century ago. It also delves into the lasting effects of those events on Macon County; including, how it adversely affects the county to this day. However, the book looks at more than simply the maltreatment of a small group of people in one small, rural community in Middle Tennessee. The story of the Macon County race war is a unique piece of local history. However, it was not merely an isolated or even a very rare occurrence. One can find many similar stories of abuse, caused for almost identical reasons, across America at that time. These all too common eruptions dotted the United States like potholes on lonely country roads. Not just one section of the country, or one race, has suffered from the virus that is racial hatred. It has infected persons of every race in every region of the United States. In many ways, the Macon County race war is a study in the violent reactions to America's racial situation in microcosm.