Book description
In the antebellum American South, a family who were among the first to
enter east central Mississippi in the 1830s are forced into the Civil
War despite their opposition to slavery. Many hardships in the unspoiled
wilderness, their unusual friendship with the native Choctaws, and
extreme trials following the crushing events of defeat in the war are
woven into this story that takes the reader back into an era when a
society that supported slavery as an institution was considered both
moral and necessary. JOHNNY NEIL SMITH has always been interested in
history and as an educator in Mississippi and Georgia, has taught
Mississippi, Georgia, American and World History. He is now retired as
headmaster of Piedmont Academy in Monticello, Georgia. Over the years,
he has spent numerous hours reading about the War Between the States and
visiting battlefields where his great-grandfathers fought. The main
character, John Wilson, was named after his grandfather and many of the
accounts of battle and prison life relate to his great grandfather,
Joseph Williams, who lost an arm in the battle for Atlanta and was sent
to a Federal prison in Illinois. Smith has tried to recapture the
emotion that existed during this time in history as was told to him by
people who lived during that era. In one sense, this is their story.
