BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Judkin Browning, I.G. Greer Distinguished Professor in the Appalachian State University Department of History, has received the 2026 Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction for his book, Deserter Declarations: Letters from North Carolinians Who Abandoned Their Confederate Units (University of Georgia Press, 2026).
Presented annually as part of the North Carolina Book Awards, the Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction recognizes achievement in nonfiction writing. Established in 2003, the award honors Sam Ragan, poet, critic, publisher, and the first secretary of the present North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR). The Office of Archives and History, housed in NCDNCR, administers the North Carolina Book Awards program.
Browning's book explores nearly 200 letters written between 1861 and 1865 by Confederate deserters and by friends and family members petitioning on their behalf. Drawing from these firsthand accounts, the book examines the experiences and motivations of North Carolina soldiers who abandoned military service during the Civil War and sheds light on changing attitudes toward desertion over the course of the conflict. North Carolina provides a particularly significant case study, as the state recorded the highest number of Confederate deserters during the war.
A professor of military history at App State, Browning is the author or coauthor of five books on the Civil War, including An Environmental History of the Civil War, which he co-authored with Department of History colleague Dr. Timothy Silver. Browning also maintains Tar Heel Troops, a digital humanities project that provides databases, letters, and research resources related to North Carolina soldiers during the Civil War.
Browning joined App State's faculty in 2006 and has received numerous honors for his research, teaching, and mentorship. Most recently, he was named an I.G. Greer Distinguished Professor for 2025–28 and received the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies 100 Scholars Research Award in 2024. He was inducted into App State's Academy of Outstanding Graduate Mentors in 2022 and previously received the Wayne Duncan Faculty Enrichment and Teaching Fellowship for Outstanding Teaching and the William C. Strickland Outstanding Junior Faculty Award.
The 2026 North Carolina Book Awards will be presented Dec. 4 during the annual meeting of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association in Raleigh.
To read more, see the NCDNCR press release.
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About the Department of History
The Department of History at Appalachian State University offers a broad curriculum in local, national, regional, and world history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which encourages history majors to develop a comprehensive approach to human problems. The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and offers valuable preparation for many careers, such as law, journalism, public history, public service, and business, as well as in teaching and the advanced discipline of history. Learn more about the Department of History
By Lauren Gibbs
November 10, 2026
BOONE, N.C.
Portrait of a man with short hair wearing a blue checked shirt against a black background, looking at the camera with a smile.
Dr. Judkin Browning is the I.G. Greer Distinguished Professor in the Appalachian State University Department of History. Photo by App State University Communications