MEMBER PROFILE
Robert "Tucker" Hibbitts
Colonel Ben E. Caudill Camp #1629

Tucker Hibbitts





























































Tucker is married to Beth (Pentry) and is the proud father of Taylor "Bubba" Hibbitts, Ally Hibbitts (daughter) and has a little rebel that is due in February! He attended East Tennessee State University in 1986 and spent 6 years in the United States Coast Guard (1989 - 1995). He is employed as a Freelance Illustrator and the United States Postal Service. He is a member of Ben E. Caudill Camp, Morgan's Men Association, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, 1st Kentucky Volunteers (reenactors - North Carolina), 27th North Carolina (reenactors - North Carolina), 5th Kentucky (reenactors - Kentucky) and a life member of the Disabled American Veterans. His hobbies include turkey hunting, bluegrass and mountain music, researching the Mountain warfare during the War of Northern Aggression and of course reenacting,

Tucker grew up roaming the mountains of eastern Kentucky (Pike County) and south West Virginia (Wise/Dickenson Counties). He has family (Hibbitts) located in the Poor Bottom area near Lookout and Ashcamp, Kentucky and in Wise and Clintwood, Virginia. He truly enjoys reenacting to both educate the public and to honor his Confederate ancestors. During the Hunley ceremony he was selected to stand guard over the Hunley crew on Friday before the funeral and was selected to be part of the 1st Company Honor Guard marching directly behind the funeral precession Saturday. He currently resides in North Carolina. He is a member of the 1st Kentucky Volunteers, which has several transplanted Kentuckians in the group and also fall in with the 27th North Carolina. As he stated during the interview with him, "2004 has been the most enjoyable year in my reenacting time. I have joined an SCV camp that is very active, I have made numerous new friends, I have traveled from North Carolina to Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and finally campaigning on "home soil" in Kentucky." "My most memorable moments would be Fighting alongside my Kentucky brothers at Saltville where my ancestors, both Confederate and Federal, fought against each other and the other would be sleeping on the hollow ground of Ol' Kentucky at Barbourville."

Sometimes a person's passion for something is expressed in writing that summates the pride and honor felt for one's ancestors. The following letter excerpt captures the heart of the man and speaks volumes of the character of the man. "Today for the first time I watched the movie "Pharaoh's Army" and it really hit home. Having family that sided with both Confederate and Federal and being that both sides were from the mountains and hollers of eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia. I personally had my Hibbitts line torn apart during the War. My ggg uncle, Charles Hibbitts, had 3 boys that joined the Confederacy. They were first with French's Battalion (Home Guard) out of the mountains of Wise County, VA and Pike County, KY. Later two of the Hibbitts brothers, Richard and Joseph, sided with the Federals. They joined up with the 39th Kentucky (Federal) under Alf Killen and John Dil. The other bother, John B. Hibbitts, stayed with the 10th Kentucky Cavalry. Their aunt, Martha Hibbitts Rose, wife of John Mac Rose, had two sons that fought for the Confederacy. William G. "Bill" Rose was a Captain with the 7th Battalion Confederate Cavalry out of Wise County, VA. and Pike County, KY. His brother and my gg grandpa, Elias Jackson Rose served for a time with the Confederacy. While growing up I would ask my grandpa about the other "Hibbitts" family and he always told me that we weren't related, but through research and trial and error I have proved that all were related and this was only 4-5 years ago. My family of Hibbitts and Rose all started in the mountains of North Carolina and moved on to Wise County, Virginia and on into Pike County, Kentucky during the 1800s. It took over 100 years for the Hibbitts to finally meet each other.

"As I sat there watching the movie and watching the scene of the Federal riding up the creek and up to the cabin where the mother and son were living, it made a visual how it must have been. The one moment in the movie that made it all clear was when the Federals heard gunshots up the mountain. When they made their way to the location of the gunshots they found a burned cabin and the farmer and wife thrown down the well. Upon returning to back to the cabin they told the Federal Capt. what they found and asked the mother if she knew who they were and her response was: Mother: "Yankees" Federal solider: "No, just a farmer and his wife" mother: "They put two boys in the Union Army. Their Yankee's"

"I have two ancestors that turned their backs on their country for whatever reason, but I also have one that stayed loyal. All three were brothers. They fought against each other several times as well as against their cousins and uncles. This is why you will never see me wear the Yankee blue during a reenactment. This is why you will never see me give these Federals a memorial service no matter how many times their family request. Never. Brother against brother, family against family, neighbor against neighbor. Yep, I know a thing or two about it.

"I think this movie is way better than Cold Mountain and Gods and Generals. Maybe I'm being biased. No, I am being biased. You can always see a movie about the big battles in Virginia and Tennessee with Lee and Jackson and there's nothing wrong with that, but rarely do you see what went on in the mountains. The War that changed several families until this day.

Tucker is a true southern gentleman filled with pride of his heritage and attempts to walk in their steps wherever opportunity presents itself. We are honored to have this man as our compatriot and welcome him into our band of brothers.




John B. Hibbitts