In the 1870s a series of dramatic articles about the political, economic, and social scene in Reconstruction-era South Carolina appeared in The Atlantic Monthly and the New York Tribune. Although published anonymously, the author was Belton O’Neall Townsend from Florence, SC. Home House Press is pleased to republish all six of the essays, as well as his epic poem “Wild with All Regret: A Tale of Reconstruction.” This important new work includes an extensive biographical introduction by noted historian John Hammond Moore and will prove to be an important addition to your library. --From publisher description. This book is a unique and exceptionally revealing window into South Carolina's troubled Reconstruction history. Edited with a poignant introduction by John Hammond Moore, this volume introduces an unconventional view of Reconstruction from a brilliant and unconventional young South Carolinian. A frustrated poet, Belton O'Neall Townsend found fame as a trenchant and brutally honest commentator on Reconstruction South Carolina's politics, society, and morals. --From Lawrence S. Rowland, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of South Carolina-Beaufort