Legends and Myths: the Life of Manse Jolly

Anderson County Museum Curator Dustin Norris discusses the life and legends of Manse Jolly. Learn about Jolly's life during the Civil War and his vow after his return from combat. Dustin discusses some of the myths surrounding Jolly and the role that these myths play in southern culture and in Anderson County.

[@railroad13]

As a Jolly I thank you for your work. 👍🏻

[@wewillovercome5834]

as an anderson man born and raised, I've heard many of the manse jolly tales and even drove along manse jolly road imagining the life he must have lived. however, I hadn't heard the one about benson st and main st before. that's a good one. Today I find myself feeling a bit like manse as I see my southern roots and our society decaying in these dark times so idk but good job on the video. hope you make some more for the Anderson folks like me

[@dee5298]

It is a difficult one for me. I have to empathize with a civil was soldier. At no time in history has so many Americans suffered so horribly. I also have to empathize with anyone defending their home. While the lost cause myth is just that, a myth, for the soldier living it there was nothing worth more than the ground they stood on. Slavery was as much of an issue then for poor southerners as the stock market is today. With a modern view of history it is still a bit much to stomache. As much as rural southern culture needs to shift, the shift just needs to be even more towards liberty. That is why I refuse to live in a damn city. Where I am I can do and be whatever I want. I like seeing more diversity in rural culture since it is mostly minding your own business. That's probably why the cause Manse Jolly was fighting for looks iffy to me, I grew up around rural people who were gay, followed other religions, etc. Most the rednecks I know now are black. They drink the same beer, carry pistols and burn the same diesel I do. I think there is a bit of evolution that would benefit us all. I just wonder what Manse would have thought of what life is like now. I also wonder how much I would be thinking about any of that if my brothers were killed in the war.

[@stevenanderson739]

@@dee5298 I imagine manse would be cool with other races and other points of view if he was raised up in today's world so long as it didn't infringe upon his liberty or his own people family and such. however with so many things that actually do infringe on all of our libertys I cant help but imagine he might be in the prison system uf he lived in today's world with his disregsrd for rules and order, he would probably be doin sone serious time in today's world I honestly think my entire lifetime has been a dark period of American society and i think we are all living through a monumental transition period of history with our schools dtill teaching us we are free yet when we go out into the world we find police and over reaching laws that surely prove there is no freedom here We are living in Denial of the truth truth is we are more communist and more enslaved as a people than we have ever dared to say this is world war 3 and if people don't start organizing there efforts and be prepared to defend this way of life we are en route to lose freedom altogether we are under attack but we all sit idle and complacent Watching it crumble from under our feet 911 was tge beginning of the war on terror it was the war that was declared on us the American people as they redefine terrorists from radical Muslims to radical Christians and trump supporters we tge people need to wake up and organize now its almost to late

[@jeffbowen2001]

I enjoyed the video. I went to see his grave while on a trip. I remember it well. There were a few graves by him all from Anderson and I remember seeing Cpt Jack Smith's grave which was just a few feet away from Manse's grave. In fact I took pictures of it. There were a few graves that held folks from Anderson there.

[@autoguy57]

Manse Jolly has roads and history written about him, and 160 plus years later we’re still talking about him. He was a true Southern Patriot, and that’s what matters. May his memory live on.

[@ellenking5505]

Very interesting. Thanks for doing these.

[@Russell.Jolly.2023]

That's a revealing look at my cousin, but I take exception to the slanderous terms of thief and murderer in a society where you are innocent until proven guilty. At no time was Manse ever arrested, tried, and convicted of those charges. And it can be argued that Manse saw himself as being at war with the occupying troops because they were stealing from, murdering, and oppressing the local population, as some have argued. Let's remember that Union troops had just concluded a long and bloody war and were in the state where the first shots of the war were fired. Perhaps those issues gave soldiers reason to resent and seek revenge on the people of SC and perhaps it was for this reason that Manse started his rampage.

[@jeffbowen2001]

Im with you on the terms of thief or murderer. If I steal something back from something that was stolen to begin with, I dont consider that being a thief. Im envious of you being related. I wish I could say that.

[@Russell.Jolly.2023]

@@jeffbowen2001 Just note that a lot of the stories published about Manse are based largely on fiction. The truth of what really happened remains to be discovered. I'm currently doing research into the history for a book I may write, but I fear there won't be enough in the historical record to say conclusively what actually happened.

[@autoguy57]

Huzzah!!

[@nledaig]

Seems like you verge precariously close to saying there is no such thing as truth.

[@johnmosby2631]

You've swallowed the dog.... tail and all.