Who Was “Ten Cent Bill” Yopp?

One of my biggest complaints about the many stories about so-called “black Confederates” is that the authors in question have almost no interest in doing serious research.  Most of the stories that you will find on the Internet are simply cut and pasted from one site to another.  Essentially, these men are treated as a means to an end; they are used to reinforce assumptions that the authors themselves have a need to uphold.  Such is the case of Bill Yopp, who is the subject of a recent essay by Clint Johnson. The story:

The aging veterans, in the Confederate Soldier’s Home, were proud men who had braved many a battle in the 1860s. One of these men was former Captain Thomas Yopp who saw such battles as that of Fredericksburg, VA, where a cannon shell burst knocked him unconscious.   The man who stayed with him until he recovered was his servant who had also joined the 14th Georgia Regiment, Company H. Bill Yopp was more then a servant; he and Thomas Yopp were friends who hunted and fished together.  Bill Yopp, a Black Confederate, was sympathetic to the men of Atlanta’s soldiers home who had been his compatriots in arms over fifty years earlier.

During the War Between the States, 1861-1865, Bill Yopp was nicknamed “Ten Cent Bill” because of the money he made shining shoes. He did this for the soldiers at a dime a shine and ended up with more money than most of his comrades. These men, also, cared for him when he was sick.  During the Christmas of 1919, Bill wanted to pay back the kindness that was shown to him. He caught a train from Atlanta to Macon, where he was offered help from the editor of a local newspaper [The Macon Telegraph]. He then caught a train to Savannah to raise Christmas money for the old veterans. Bill met many generous people on his trip.  Just weeks before the Christmas of 1919, he had raised the money and Georgia’s Governor Hugh Dorsey helped him distribute envelopes of three dollars to each veteran. That was a lot of money in those days.  The old Confederates were speechless. Tears were shed because of Bill Yopp’s good heart and kind deed. Many of these men had little or nothing. Bill was invited to come into the home’s Chapel and say a few words.   Bill Yopp was later presented a medal of appreciation for his support of the old soldiers and also voted in as a resident of the Confederate Soldier’s Home.

It’s unfortunate that Bill Yopp is irrelevant to this story.  Think about it.  We learn nothing about this man other than how he fits into those timeless tropes of loyalty and reconciliation.  It seems obvious to me that Bill Yopp was owned by Thomas Yopp and yet Johnson continues to refer to him as a “servant” who “joined” the 14the Georgia.  Well, that can easily be confirmed.

But beyond that there is so much that we don’t know about Bill Yopp.  What did he do after the war?  What was his economic situation before 1919?  And while it is comforting to believe that Yopp “wanted to pay back the kindness” of former “comrades” we are obligated to ask for evidence.  I am always struck by the ease with which writers like Johnson assume the motivation of former slaves during the Jim Crow Era.  I am also curious about Governor Dorsey’s involvement in Yopp’s project.  What was his motivation?  It would be interesting to know how Yopp fits into Atlanta politics during the period following WWI.  Perhaps the governor’s archival record might yield some answers.  Finally, I am very interested in a more sophisticated analysis of Bill Yopp’s place in the Confederate Soldiers Home.  We need to understand more about the culture and social structure of veterans homes and part of the problem is that we still need more research in this area.  [I am looking forward to Rusty Williams’s forthcoming study, My Old Confederate Home: A Respectable Place for Civil War Veterans (University of Kentucky Press, 2010).  How common was it for former slaves in the Confederate army to gain admittance into these homes?  Were they, in fact, treated as veterans?  Did they have equal access to the available resources?  The questions are numerous, but if we have any interest at all in better understanding these men than they must be addressed.  Unfortunately, organizations such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans and other writers have no interest in looking into these stories for fear that what they find will complicate and muddy their preferred interpretation.

Better to use the past to make us feel all warm and cozy during the Christmas season.

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23 comments… add one
  • Mandy Doughtie. Jul 11, 2020 @ 8:15

    My husband is a descendant from thomas yopp. He and bill were extremely close. Bill was initially allowed into the VA to take care of Thomas Yopp. When a Thomas yopp passed away , he (Bill) was allowed to continue living as a resident in the hospital until the day he passed. Yes, thomas purchased William. Yes he was his slave, but Thomas paid Bill a wage is 10 cent a day while he worked the plantation as well as worked along side him. Bill fought along side of Thomas in the war, and even retuned home briefly after the war with Thomas. He returned numerous times over the years. When thomas fell ill and was put in the VA , bill was allowed to come along as Thomas’ caretaker. As I described above when Thomas died, Bill was allowed to stay as a resident and was cared for until he passed. These two men, were not owner and slave. They were friends. Bill didn’t fight in the war because he had to, but because he wanted too. Both he and Thomas yopp were extraordinary men and definitely role models for all. There is actually a book that was written and passed down through my husbands family. I just recently learned of this story and am extremely interested in it. I plan to ask to read the book.

    • J Ward Apr 11, 2022 @ 6:06

      Worked on Yopps for close to 40 years.
      I’m connected to Thomas Yopp through the Onslow County NC Yopp family.
      Happy to know I have many relatives all over. There is a lot more to the story of their lives than probably will ever know. I have a copy of the original booklet “type “on Bill.
      My family knew about Bill Yopp as all of you.
      I personally I’m proud of the relationship Thomas and Bill had as it had been passed down that Bill saved the Captain’s life.
      Problem with revisionist history is it leaves out the true relationship of these two men and others like them.
      I honor Bill for his compassion and love he shared with Thomas and the other soldiers at the Confederate Home. When others found out Bill’s mission towards all of those soldiers there were those whose contributed to Bill’s mission to give the soldiers something to look forward to in their last days.
      As far as I’m concerned he is family!

  • alexis yopp Jun 15, 2017 @ 18:58

    My name is Alexis Yopp, so I am grateful for this information.my 2nd great grandfather John Jeremiah Yopp was in the 3rd regiment, NC cavalry and fought at Gettysburg

  • Wyn McDonald Jan 28, 2017 @ 10:27

    I read a book many years ago (a VERY old paperback with paper aged in orange-yellow. Not sure of the title, but it was about 10 Cent Bill Yopp. The book’s owner is a Colonel Yopp. It portrayed Bill as a servant/slave, but more so as the best friend of the Yopp boy he served. They did EVERYTHING together, and formed a brotherly bond. Bill went on to use the education he received from attending school with the Yopp child to better his own circumstances, and was apparently consulted in some pretty important affairs. Like I said, it has been MANY years since I read this book, so my memory on it is more or less vague, but the points I do remember are that Bill and the Yopp boy were very bonded, and that Bill was very respected. The stories from Colonel Yopp that were told to me confirmed this….not because of what the book states, but of the stories told to him by his parents who were there. Of course, perception is a factor in every story, spoken or written, and determined by the speaker and listener.

    • Andy Hall Jan 28, 2017 @ 15:35

      That might have been Bill Yopp “10-cent Bill” Narrative of a Slave by Charles W. Hampton, privately published in 1969. I haven’t seen it, but it sounds very much like the classic, cliched “friends” story that was a staple of the postwar South, very similar to the stories told by the white descendants of Andrew Chandler; Silas Chandler’s descendants had a very different understanding of their relationship.

    • Mandy Jul 11, 2020 @ 8:25

      This is exactly the truth. That book has been passed Down through my husbands family. Thomas yopp was my husbands great great grandfather. Hers something else I don’t think anyone knows. Thomas taught bill to read, write and do the books. Which in that time was Illegal. Bill chose to stay with Thomas after the war briefly. They stayed friends as long as Thomas lived. When Thomas was in the va as a resident, Bill was allowed to stay with him. When Thomas passed bill was allowed to stay as a resident as the first black man who was allowed to stay as a resident.

      • Kevin Levin Jul 11, 2020 @ 8:29

        Thank you for sharing your perspective. I wonder how the descendants of Bill Yopp would characterize their relationship.

  • Robert Grizzle Sep 16, 2015 @ 11:07

    I am currently preparing top work on my masters thesis. This id’s one of the topics I am considering. Just have met the grand children of Mr Yopp at an SCV function. They are very proud of their ancestor and hold to these stories.

  • Sparks Ramey Jan 21, 2015 @ 12:29

    I recently visited the Marietta Confederate Cemetery and found Bill Yopp’s US Govt VA headstone. It is labeled Drummer Bill Yopp. Has Co And Reg. Interestingly the stone and surrounding grassy area are covered with dimes – I assume left in tribute to the man’s memory.

    • Andy Hall Jan 21, 2015 @ 12:48

      Bell Wiley wrote about Bill Yopp in his first book, Southern Negroes. Wiley, who actually knew Yopp, explained his nickname a little differently than the shoe-shine story posted above, which is that Yopp used to do all manner of odd jobs for soldiers around camp, and only charged ten cents each time, regardless of the size of the job or length of time it took.

      The critical thing to remember about Yopp — who by all accounts was a good and generous man — is that his admission to the veterans’ home in his old age was in recognition of the support he had given the veterans there for years, rather than because of his status in 1861-65.

  • Rosalind Hillhouse Jun 16, 2013 @ 7:23

    I don’t know what to think of all of this, I can only muddy waters more. Last evening, I stood at Mr. Yopp’s headstone, not in Marietta, Ga but in the Historic African American section of Atlanta’s Historic Oakland Cemetery. The is mention of Captain Thomas Yopp on the bottom of the stone. It is a family provided stone or so it seems because the first inscription above his name is Uncle Bill. I am a guide at Oakland and I would like to be loyal to the memory of Mr. Yopp by presenting his memory respectfully without slanting it to suit anyone else’s politics. But mainly I want to know which cemetery has his remains now and who merely has a cynataph.

    • Andy Hall Jun 16, 2013 @ 7:48

      Wow, that’s really interesting. Everything I’ve seen has him buried in the Marietta Confederate Cemetery, under a traditional CS military-style headstone. This fits with his being admitted to the Confederate Soldier’s Home, and is a key part of Yopp’s story as it’s told today. Do you have pictures of the stone at Oakland? Are there any other family members in that Oakland plot, of is it just Bill Yopp’s stone?

  • PC Mar 20, 2012 @ 20:31

    Copied from findagrave.com

    William H. “Ten-Cent Bill” Yopp;
    Company H of the 14th Georgia

    Residence Laurens County GA;
    Enlisted on 7/9/1861 as a Drummer-Colored.
    On 7/9/1861 he mustered into “H” Co. GA 14th Infantry
    He was Surrendered on 4/9/1865 at Appomattox Court House, VA.

    After the war, now a free man, he returned to the Yopp plantation in Georgia and worked there until 1870. He then secured a job as bell boy at the Brown House in Macon. From there he went to New York, California, Europe, and then worked as a porter on the private car of the President of the Delaware and Hudson Railway.

    In his later years he returned to Georgia to find his former master, Captain T.M. Yopp, ready to be enrolled in the Confederate Soldier’s Home in Atlanta. Bill was a frequent visitor to the home, not only to see his former master but the other Confederate veterans as well. At Christmas, with the help of the Macon Telegraph, he raised enough money to give each resident in the home $3.

    In 1920 Bill wrote a book entitled “Bill Yopp, ‘Ten-Cent’ Bill”. The book was about his exploits before, during, and after the war. The book sold for 15 cents a copy, or $1.50 for a dozen. Proceeds were shared by Bill and the Confederate Soldier’s Home. The Confederate veterans were so appreciative of Bills help that they took up a collection and awarded him a medal. The board of trustees voted to allow Bill to stay at the Home for as long as he lived. He was one of the last remaining veterans in the Home when it closed its doors in the 1940’s. Bill was also a member of the Atlanta U.C.V. Camp.

    1880 United States Federal Census:
    Name: William H. Yopp, Home in 1880: Albany, Albany, New York, Age: 34, Estimated birth year: abt 1846
    Birthplace: Georgia, Relation to head-of-household: Self (Head), Spouse’s name: Mary J., Occupation: Waiter,
    Marital Status: Married, Race: Black, Gender: Male
    Household Members:, William H. Yopp 34, Mary J. Yopp 34,
    Phoebe Woods 75, Forester E. Alford 20

    Sources:
    Census Source: Dainah Chandler
    http://www.civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?C&125020
    http://www.37thtexas.org/html/HistRef.html

    Burial:
    Marietta Confederate Cemetery
    Marietta
    Cobb County
    Georgia, USA

    • Andy Hall Mar 21, 2012 @ 4:12

      Ah, copy-and-paste. Is there no historical question you can’t answer? 😉

      Bill Yopp’s story is an interesting one, but it doesn’t get us anywhere when it comes to understanding the concept of African Americans enlisted as soldiers in the Confederate Army. A few key points here:

      1. Bell Irvin Wiley, the famous Civil War historian, knew Bill Yopp and wrote about him in his first book, Southern Negroes. Wiley was very clear about Yopp’s wartime status as a personal servant, not as a soldier.

      2. Yopp’s admittance to the soldier’s home was not in recognition of his wartime service, but of his contributions to the residents’ well-being, decades after the war.

      3. Yopp was admitted to the home only after a special vote by the trustees for admittance, because he did not otherwise qualify. His admittance is, as the saying goes, the exception that proves the rule, in that the old soldiers’ home did not generally admit former body servants.

      Note that none of this is a criticism of Yopp, nor a diminution of his role, either during the war or after; those things are a matter of record. Rather, it’s to correct exaggerated and false claims being made about Bill Yopp, decades after his passing.

      • Kevin Levin Mar 21, 2012 @ 4:14

        Thanks, Andy. One less thing to worry about this morning. I particularly like your qualifier at the end. 🙂

  • C.W. Roden Dec 27, 2009 @ 16:21

    Actually the Sons of Confederate Veterans is very supportive of remembering Black Confederates and their service to the cause of Southern Independence.
    I myself do presentations for my SCV camp and others on the history and individual stories of Black Confederates and their services with the Armies. These include: both slaves and freed black men who joined up; laborers, wagoners, body servants, musicians ect. Stories include those who were loyal, even under torture in Union POW camps.
    20 years of research into these individual stories is very eye-opening.

    I am pleased by your story about Bill Yopp and his service both during and after the War Between the States. Sometime later next year, I am planning a trip to visit the grave of this Confederate soldier, as well as the battlefield of Chickamauga where my own Confederate Ancestor fell in defense of his home state of Alabama.

  • Rusty Williams Dec 18, 2009 @ 12:38

    There’s a different picture of Ten Cent Bill Yopp in the Chicago Defender, a newspaper published for black readers in the Midwest.

    Under the headline, “Ex-Slave Prays at Death Bed of Oppressor,” the newspaper describes how Bill Yopp knelt and prayed at the deathbed of his former master, asking forgiveness for the “man, who it is said, had been a Southern slave trader and fought against the freedom of his race.” (January 31, 1920; p. 11)

    • Kevin Levin Dec 18, 2009 @ 13:20

      Nice to hear from you and thanks for the tip re: the Chicago Defender. Well, as you know all too well, the idea of loyal ex-slaves praying over the graves of their masters is well ingrained in our Civil War memory.

  • Tom Dec 17, 2009 @ 13:19

    Well, it wasn't common in NC for former slaves to gain admittance to the Confederate Soldiers' Home. In fact, it didn't happen. I've done a lot of research in the NC Soldier Home records and there weren't any former slaves staying there, I never even saw the question of that possibility coming up. I've researched the NC Home in the records of the home itself, newspaper articles, state legislative and governor's records, and private manuscript collections; and it is not mentioned. Evidence points to the fact that the question was never even asked. They did have a black family living there, the husband worked as a caretaker and the wife was a maid. I don't have the research in front of me, but at one time they refer to him as something along the lines of “Old Toby” or something like that. I do need to do some research on the caretaker family that lived there.

    I'm looking forward to the Rusty Williams book. I recommend “Living Monuments: Confederate Soldiers' Homes in the New South” by R.B. Rosenburg.

    • Kevin Levin Dec 17, 2009 @ 15:22

      Thanks for the comment. I wouldn't be surprised if Yopp turned out to be something other than a resident in the Georgia home. Perhaps was employed in some capacity. I never doubted that a black presence would be a rare occurrence in these homes.

    • C.W. Roden Dec 31, 2009 @ 5:21

      A Soldier’s Christmas Gift

      By Calvin E. Johnson, Jr., A Freelance Writer, Author of book ‘When America Stood for God, Family and Country’ and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
      cjohnson1861@bellsouth.net

      This is a True Christmas Story.

      Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate with family, friends and supper at Grandma's house. Grandpa will gather the children around the fire place and tell them the story of Jesus Christ who was born on Christmas Day while Grandma makes ginger bread cookies and Daddy brings the Christmas tree in the family room for decorating. Mamma as always will lead us in the singing of ‘Silent Night—Holy Night’ as the Star of Bethlehem is placed on top of the tree.
      90 years ago….

      during the year 1919, one year after the end of World War I, the people of Atlanta, Georgia were celebrating the Christmas Season. Many people attended Church or Synagogue and gave thanks to God for his many blessings. Folks, while shopping, were uplifted by sweet sounds of Christmas music played by the Salvation Army Band. There was a friendly and charitable atmosphere during this time of the year.

      There were, however, some who were not as fortunate!

      The aging veterans, in the Confederate Soldier’s Home, were proud men who had braved many a battle in the 1860s. One of these men was former Captain Thomas Yopp who saw such battles as that of Fredericksburg where a cannon shell burst knocked him unconscious.

      The man who stayed with him until he recovered was his servant who had also joined the 14th Georgia Regiment, Company H. Bill Yopp was more then a servant; he and Thomas Yopp were friends who hunted and fished together.

      Bill Yopp, a Black Confederate, was sympathetic to the men of Atlanta’s soldiers home who had been his compatriots in arms over fifty years earlier.

      During the War Between the States, 1861-1865, Bill Yopp was nicknamed “Ten Cent Bill” because of the money he made shining shoes. He did this for the soldiers at a dime a shine and ended up with more money than most of his comrades. These men, also, cared for him when he was sick.

      During the Christmas of 1919, Bill wanted to pay back the kindness that was shown to him. He caught a train from Atlanta to Macon, where he was offered help from the editor of a local newspaper [The Macon Telegraph]. He then caught a train to Savannah to raise Christmas money for the old veterans. Bill met many generous people on his trip.

      Just weeks before the Christmas of 1919, he had raised the money and Georgia’s Governor Hugh Dorsey helped him distribute envelopes of three dollars to each veteran. That was a lot of money in those days.

      The old Confederates were speechless. Tears were shed because of Bill Yopp's good heart and kind deed. Many of these men had little or nothing. Bill was invited to come into the home's Chapel and say a few words.

      Bill Yopp was later presented a medal of appreciation for his support of the old soldiers and also voted in as a resident of the Confederate Soldier's Home.

      Bill died on June 3, 1936, the 128th birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He was buried at Marietta, Georgia’s Confederate Cemetery with his compatriots.

      The Confederate Soldier’s Home was located at 401 Confederate Ave., in Atlanta, Georgia.

      Christmas is about love, forgiveness, old friends, family and the Child who became a savior.

      Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

      The source of information for this story came from the book, entitled: Bill Yopp “Ten Cent Bill” Narrative of a Slave! This book was written in 1969 by Charles W. Hampton.

      • Kevin Levin Jan 1, 2010 @ 1:09

        I don't know why you are linking to this story since it is the very story that I based this post on. Please understand that Calvin Johnson is not a historian. His article is pretty much cut and pasted from the countless stories about Yopp that can be found Online. Unfortunately, just about all of it lacks any serious scholarly rigor and is worth little.

    • Mandy Jul 11, 2020 @ 8:18

      My husband great great grandfather was thomas yopp. Bill was his slave, however he paid him and worked along side of him. They were very close friends. Thomas shop taught him how to read write and do the books. With that time was illegal to do. They had an extremely special relationship and they were more like family. Bill did return back to the plantation numerous times to visit and sometimes they frequently with Thomas. When Thomas fell ill and had to go to the VA, Bill was allowed to stay with him. When Thomas passed away bill was actually the first black man allowed to become a resident at the VA

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