I am Charles Rodenbough and beyond my role as husband, father, and grandfather, I suppose I can characterize myself as a writer and teacher, both capacities I have enjoyed since retiring from being a business manager. Many years ago I was aware of what I enjoyed doing but I let others convince me of my “responsibilities” and I gave up the desire to be a college professor. I don’t begrudge the choice nor do I regret what might have been. In my retirement I am getting to catch up on the avocation that I had continued even while functioning as a businessman.
History is my genre and my concentration has been associated with North Carolina. I chaired a Sesquicentennial Celebration (Madison, NC), organized Historic Districts, county chaired the National Bicentennial, Presided for the Historical Society, planned for a county museum, and all the while I read, researched, and collected for a time when I could write. When that time came, I was not starting from scratch but ready to compose from what I had assembled.
I like to structure my writing on the bare facts but I like to create beyond into the logic or lack thereof in how people, individually and collectively, accommodate to their circumstances. History writing is always interpreting the circumstances of one time or generation to another which sees through its own prism. The historian has to convey facts and situations in such a way that the reader begins to perceive in the historical moment. I have written biography, history, and historical fiction.
Most recently, I wrote a biography with my grandson that could be read and appreciated by multiple generations of readers. Stealing Andrew Jackson’s Headwas published this year by All Things That Matter Press. My wife, Jean Rodenbough, is also a published author with All Things That Matter Press.
Currently, I am involved with a project with the University of North Carolina, studying a unique common thread of slavery from Africa, through the West Indies, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana and Canada over a hundred year period.
Stealing Andrew Jackson’s Head
http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Andrew-Jacksons-Charles-Rodenbough/dp/0984651799/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322169788&sr=1-1
4 comments:
Charles, your book sounds like the kind that history buffs could really sink their teeth in! Good luck with it!
Charles, your work sounds very interesting. I hope more people will focus on your efforts, as ATTMP is building a tradition as a publisher willing to bring uncommon perspectives before the general public.
I am also very interested in the work you are doing regarding slavery. Hope to hear more about that as well.
Timothy N Stelly Sr
Charles, yet another book on my must read list.
I love history.
Mr Rodenbough,
I am a direct descendant (5th gr grandson) of John Slaton who lived in Surry (now Stokes co NC). In your Alexander Martin book, you have a footnote back to page 192, where you mention John and his probable brother George in connection with their land titles: The governor gave his affidavit September 11, 1804, at the home of James Davis in Stokes County. It demonstrated that Martin had twice since 1764 amended his claim to satisfy poor settlers, the Slatons and Robert Mayab [Mabe], who had not properly processed their titles but had moved onto the land and built improvements.
The footnote to this references Salisbury District Court , Civil Actions concerning Land, 1803-1804, where this affadavit is to be found.
Archivists as the State Archives in NC responded on June 13 2014 to my request for this record: did not find an affidavit of Alexander Martin or any related land materials, to the case referred in your inquiry.
Since may be a very important record for my research into my ancestor's family, I wonder if you have a text of this affidavit in your files. I visited Dobson and Danbury in hopes of finding any land details, and this mention in your book is the only lead I have seen in many years. Both John and George Slaton (along with another probable brother Major) migrated to Greenville/Pendleton SC after NC, and almost certainly came to NC from the vicinity of Albemarle VA, where a John Slaten signed a document in 1766 pertaining to the care of William Slatin (there over 30 spellings for this name).
If you can help, please respond at: cslayton19@windstream.net
Clinton Slayton
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Slaton Slatton Slayden Family Project
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