Dominic Sandbrook

And he says, look, you know, we've given them every chance.

And not one of them has been punished.

They've carried out thousands of crimes with impunity.

So they pass a bill that makes it illegal.

to join a secret organization for the purpose of disturbing the peace and they authorize brownlow to send in the state militia to any county where 10 people you need you need 10 people to say the law is not being enforced and then you can send in the state militia and those people can be black

Yes, exactly.

So this is now the great nightmare for the white people of Middle Tennessee, what Alan Trelease calls the ultimate horror, that their towns are going to be patrolled by black men with guns who are going to get revenge for all the years of slavery.

And actually, the funny thing is,

They blink.

It's their white supremacist ex-Confederates who crack because Nathan Bedford Forrest and George Gordon lead all their mates to go to Nashville and to see the governor.

And they say, fine.

We'll call off the dogs, as it were.

There'll be no more violence.

And they make a public promise that they will help the authorities maintain the peace and order of the state.

And actually, Gordon, General Gordon, gives a rally in Pulaski, the homeland of the Klan.

And he says, in future, we should obey the laws and uphold a spirit of peace and harmony.

And actually, at first, it seems to work.

So it seems that the tension dissipates.

And actually, Brownlow's hard line has paid off.

However, in the other states of the Confederacy, all this time clan support has been building.