Cornelius was a southern gentleman, through and through.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to established merchants who moved their way up through society and eventually purchased a plantation to supply their small chain of general stores with cloth and other necessities. They were never true nobility, and the old money would make that clear to the Dickersons, but it didn't stop them from trying to raise young Cornelius III from inheriting the values of a true gentleman and son of the south.
When he came of age, it was all he could do to immediately enlist to support his state, but his parents insisted he go to academy and become and officer, especially since they could afford prestigious West Point. By the time he had graduated, the war was over, and Cornelius had yet to prove himself to his home and his new nation, and now he is chomping at the bit to be of service to The Confederacy.
Cornelius believes in honor, manners, respect, and what he refers to as "proper behavior befitting a gentleman." He has a long fuse and a cool disposition, but he is no pushover, and will come to blows if the cause is just. He prefers to let his winning smile and honey coated words win battles before bullets and blades, however.
