Some Memories of My Life by Waddell, Alfred Moore - 1908

Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Printing Company, 1908. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Good. 12mo. 249 pages, indexed. Hardcover bound in green cloth. Binding is rubbed and bumped and shows soiling from handling. A notation on front flyleaf reads, "A. C. Davis / Purchased from the author / March 30th, 1908." Some pages are dog eared. There is a little damping at the lower corner of the front cover which faintly translates onto the front flyleaves and title page. Text is toned but sound. Alfred Waddell (1834-1912) was a driving force in the Wilmington, North Carolina 1898 race riots. He led the whites against a local press the published the local African-American newspaper. By Waddell's account, the whites were putting down a riot by the blacks, and this account remained the standard version for some time. However, modern research has shown that the episode was instigated by the whites as a racial and political effort. Waddell's supporters were armed and forced the city council to resign, installing Waddell as mayor of Wilmington (he had run for the position but lost the election). He played an active part in putting down the riots, helped oust members of the City Council & Mayor, and was installed as Mayor afterwards.