The Shiloh Commanders Killed

General Albert Sidney Johnston at Shiloh

       After writing a three part blog about the Confederate colonel's killed or mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, I decided to do the same for the regimental commanders and above killed at Shiloh. There weren't as many colonel's killed at Shiloh (nor at any other battle for that matter), so I decided to include anyone that commanded a regiment regardless of his rank when killed. 

       Colonel James Tappan who would later become a Confederate brigadier general was absent because of sickness at the Battle of Shiloh. Lieutenant Colonel Adam D. Grayson was in command of the 13th Arkansas Infantry on the first day of the battle. The 13th Arkansas was a part of A.P. Stewart's Brigade, of Clark's Division, Leonidas Polk's Corps at Shiloh. Grayson was mortally wounded and died 11 days later. Grayson was mortally wounded while leading a charge. No one knows the exact location of his grave to this day. Grayson, born in Tennessee, was 24 years old, had a wife and six kids. 

       Colonel A.K. Blythe was an attorney born in Tennessee when he arrived at Shiloh in command of the 44th Mississippi Infantry. At the time of the battle, the regiment was known as Blythe's Mississippi Regiment. When the war began in 1860, Colonel Blythe was 39 years old with a wife who was 28 years old. The couple had no children in 1860. They lived in Oakland, Mississippi Colonel Blythe was shot dead while leading his regiment forward on the first day of Shiloh. At the moment of his death, he was leading his men as a conspicuous target on horseback. 

Lieutenant Colonel David Luckie Herron

       When Colonel Blythe fell, Lieutenant Colonel David Luckie Herron took command of the 44th Mississippi Infantry. He was killed about 2 p.m. on the first day of the Battle of Shiloh. He was a pre-war prosperous farmer. He took command of the regiment following the death of Colonel Blythe. According to the 1860 census, there is no age and no state of birth. This confuses matters greatly. Looking at his photograph above, one might conclude that David Luckie Herron was not yet 40 years old. His body servant recovered his remains and brought them home to Coffeeville, Mississippi for burial. He rests there today. Colonel Herron was probably about 37 years old. 

       Charles Wickliffe commanded the 7th Kentucky Infantry at Shiloh. He was a graduate of West Point and was born in 1819. He had fought in the Mexican War and was a lawyer when that conflict was over. When he was killed at Shiloh, he had a wife and two sons back home in Kentucky. He was killed from wounds received on Monday near the end of the battle. He was leading his regiment forward attempting to regain control of the field from the Federals. He was forty-three years old. He rests today in Bardstown City Cemetery in Bardstown, Kentucky. 

General Albert Sidney Johnston

       The highest ranking field officer of the Civil War was Albert Sidney Johnston. I have already written a blog or two about him and won't go into repetitive detail here. For more information, see my blog on the great man from a year or so ago.

       Major Anatole Placide Avegno commanded the 13th Louisiana Infantry at Shiloh. He survived the first days fighting and was mortally wounded on April 7, 1862. He would die later the same die on the field of battle. His commander Randall Lee Gibson had been moved up to command of the brigade the day before. Major Avegno was 26 years old. He rests today in Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Brigadier General Adley Hogan Gladden the other Confederate General killed at Shiloh

       Brigadier General Adley Hogan Gladden was the other Confederate General that fell at Shiloh. I recently took my brother-in-law, his son, and our father-in-law to Shiloh and showed them the spot on the field where General Gladden fell. In the visitor center is the sword of General Gladden. I explained to them how important this sword happens to be because I have held a sword that belonged to Nathan Bedford Forrest after the war and the diary that was in Brigadier General Lewis Henry Little's pocket when he was killed at Iuka. I can never complain in my old age (which happens to be very soon for me) about not being treated right. I can never complain because I have had opportunities that I never thought I'd get with Confederate general's personal belongings. 

       Lieutenant Colonel William A. Rankin commanded the 9th Mississippi Infantry at the Battle of Shiloh. He was wounded during the battle and died six or seven days later in Corinth, Mississippi. To learn more about how these guys returned to Corinth, read my book called "Betrayed." 

       

Lieutenant Colonel John M. Dean of the 7th Arkansas Infantry

       John Dean was killed at Shiloh leading the 7th Arkansas Infantry as a part of Hindman's brigade at the battle. He has a stone at Oakwood Cemetery at Spartanburg, South Carolina, yet that stone is a cenotaph, his body was buried on the field and never recovered. His body probably still rests in a trench at Shiloh today. 

       Archibald Kennedy Patton fell at Shiloh on the first day of battle on April 6, 1862. He was forty-two years old. As commander of the 15th Arkansas Infantry, a regiment in Patrick Cleburne's Brigade of Hardee's Corps at the battle. 

       Christopher Harris "Kit" Williams, colonel of the 27th Tennessee Infantry was killed on the first day of the Battle of Shiloh. The regiment lost over half of its command on the first day at Shiloh. They served at Shiloh under the command of S.A.M. Wood and his brigade served in Hardee's Corps. Colonel Williams was 32 years old at the time of his death. He rests today on Cedar Grove Plantation in Yazoo City, Mississippi. 

       When Colonel Williams fell, his second in command Major Samuel T. Love took command of the regiment. Once Colonel Williams and his second in command Lieutenant Colonel Blackburn Brown was severally wounded, Major Samuel T. Love took command of the regiment. He too would fall in the great Battle of Shiloh. Commanding the 27th Tennessee Infantry, he would be mortally wounded and captured. Carried north to Mound City, Illinois, he would die there and be buried in Mound City National Cemetery, something that rarely happened to Confederate soldiers. 

       

Lucius Rich's Gravestone

       The biggest surprise of all for me when writing this blog was the founding of Colonel Lucuis Lyon Rich's grave in Mobile, Alabama. I've actually spent quite a bit of time with my good buddy Jerry searching Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, Alabama. I had been told by Confederate General John Bell Hood's nephew when I was writing my book "Die Like Men" that his good West Point friend Lucius Rich had fought for the north and died in battle at Shiloh. I was surprised to find that Lucius Rich was a Confederate colonel that died at Shiloh and was buried at Shiloh. I can't blame Sam Hood (the nephew of John Bell Hood for this mistake, more than likely it was my mistake because of my ADD, I probably heard what I wanted to hear). Nevertheless, I now know that Lucius Rich was mortally wounded at Shiloh, brought back to Okolona, Mississippi where he died two months after being wounded in Tennessee. 

       This brings us to the last of the regimental commanders that served and died at Shiloh. Colonel Charles G. Nelms (listed in the Official Records as Charles S. Nelms) was mortally wounded on the last day of the Battle of Shiloh on April 7, 1862. He died 8 days later on April 15, 1862. At the time he was in command of the 22nd Mississippi Infantry. His regiment was a part of Statham's Brigade of Breckinridge's Reserve Corps. Either way, he led a regiment against a vastly superior Federal force and gave his life leading him men in defense of their homeland. 

       I carried my wife's sister's husband, their son, and my father-in-law on a tour of this magnificent battlefield this past Friday. The next task I have before me is carrying Shirley McKenzie and her family on a tour of this battlefield, but I have to carry them with my best Civil War buddy Jerry Smith to do things right. Jerry won't allow me to return home and latter that night remember something I left out that I never should have. That is the most difficult part of all. All I have to say is get yourself ready for the tour, Shirley!!!!

Reviewers Needed

Tim will be releasing a new book soon and we need some people to review it for us.  If you feel up to a great historical mystery/fiction story please email me at stacieckent@gmail.com and I will have his PR person get in contact with you.  We will need the reviews by September 25th.

Thanks!!!

World War II Family Letters

Price Kent, Seaman 1st Class

October 6, 1944

To Mrs. Oma Kent

Rt. 1, Leighton, Alabama

From Price Kent, Seaman 1^st Class

U.S.S. Escalante

Fleet Post Office, New York City, N.Y.

Dear Wife,

I thought I would write you all a few lines to let you hear from me, let you all know I am well and hope you all are well. You all not worry about me. Say I got a bunch of letters from you. I got one letter from Burnice (his brother). Maybe it won't be so long til I will be back. Say, did you get that two dollar bill that I sent you? Say, if little Price Kent am growing? He soon be big as I am won't he. Well, I like all right so far. I hope it won't be so long til the war is over. Say, tell the baby's I would like to see them. Say you should get a bond this month. You write and tell me when you get it. Say, I got your telegram you sent me. I will close this time with lots of love. I will write as often as I can answer soon. Price with lots of love, so long.

April 29, 1945

In Port

Dear Wife and Kids,

How are you both, just fine I hope. I'm well and hope you all are. I sure wold like to see you all but I don't know when that will be. I guess by now you have received the money I sent you. One of the places we have been is Siapan. I made a few liberty's there. So you see I'm pretty far away from home. I almost forgot I received your letter dated April 15 and sure was glad to hear from you. Please write and let me know what the kids buy with the money I sent them. I'd love to write more but I don't know what to say. May God bless you all. Love Price.

July 1, 1945

Hello darling,

Today I will answer your letter which I got yesterday. I sure was glad to hear from you and the children and I am glad to know that you and the children are well as this leaves me well. Say darling I got a letter from Alzonia (his sister) yesterday and she was well. Say the children must having good luck with their chickens. Say they ought go into the chicken business. Say darling Burnice (his brother serving in the Pacific also) and I are also clse together and can't get to see each other. I sure would like to see him. Well, darling, it sure is hot here. How are the weather at home, fine I hope. Say darling, you got Jess (her brother) to see what Sherman would take for that house when I come home I might want to buy it if he not to high. Well, darling, I don't know much to write I will close for now. Answer soon with a long lovely letter. From your husband Price with lots love wife and children. XXXXXXXXXX

July 26, 1945, Thursday

Hello darling,

To night I will try and answer your letters which I received a few days ago. I sure was glad to hear from you all and to know that you and the children are well as this leaves me well. Well, we had a long busy day fueling to day. Say, darling, tell Martha (his daughter) and Laverne (his daughter) to be good and I hope Martha likes school and learns fast. Say, darling, tell the children when I come home I will fix them a place and they can raise chickens. Darling, I sure was sorry about Dean getting killed. Say, darling, don't put too much money in bonds, keep plenty for using. Price Kent, Seaman First Class.

September 10, 1945, Monday

Hello darling,

To night I will answer your letters which I receive yesterday. You don't know how glad I was to hear from you and the children and to know that you all are well as this leaves me well and getting along fine. Well, darling, I am hoping I will be in the states by Christmas, but I am not sure most of the men thinks we will. Well, they are having beer party, maybe I get to go tomorrow, there are lots of soldiers and sailors and lots of coconuts. Say darling, how much money do you have in the bank. Say, is those bonds you got yours and mine. Say, how many have you from me? Say, darling, I have two hundred and thrity dollars on the books. Say, if I have enough money when I come home we will try to put up a little store. Say, darling, I got sixteen letters in all and thirteen of them are from you. Say, I guess it will be about the first of the year before I get out of service. Say, darling, tell the children I sure would like to se them. Say, when you don't hear from me for awhile don't worry for when we go out to sea I can't mail any letters I will write as often as I can. Say, you said Bama (her sister) didn't look like herself, why doesn't she? Well, I don't know anything to write, I will close. I write again before we go out to sea. So answer soon with a long lovely letter and all the news. Price Kent, Seaman, First Class. Love to all wife and children good night. I hope it isn't too long til I can see you all with lots hugs and kisses, so long.

September 12, 1945, Wednesday

Hello,

To day I will try and write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines find you all the same. I thought I would answer your letter which I received a few days ago. Well, I sure would like to see you all but I guess it will be a while yet. Maybe it won't be later than Christmas. Say, we are celebrating a two day today. Say, I am making the children a locket a piece today. I didn't have anything else to do. Say, I guess lots of the boys are in the states are getting discharges. If I were in the states I probably get a discharge and I think I seen enough of the world. About all grows over here is coconuts. Well, I am going to tell some of the places I been if I haven't told you. I spent one hour in Marshall Islands and then to Alithi (?) and this is our home base and we went to Saipan and to the Phillipines and Leyte and out off Iwo Jima and Okinawa in a operation and was in a operation off Tokyo and maybe I will get to go to Japan in a feew days, but I am not sure. We are going out to sea in a few days. I am at Alithi (?) now. That where we will leave out from. Well, their ain't much out here to write nor to do only go to movie every night so I will close for now. Answer soon with a long lovely letter and all the news. Price Kent, Seaman First Class. Love to all, so long.

September 14, 1945, Friday

Hello darling,

To night I will write you all a few lines to let you and the children know that I am well and I hope these few lines finds you and the children in the best of health. Darling, it has been raining here about all day and it rains about every night. Say, darling, I have you and the children a neckless about made. Say, do you want me to send them home or wait til I come home and bring them. Well, I like about three points having enough to get out. Maybe I can get them before so long and I could be home by Christmas. Well, we are still here at alithi (?) and we might go out to sea anytime, so if you don't hear from me very often I am out to sea and can't mail a letter, nor can't get one til we get in port. Say, darling, tell Roman I would fast. Say, I guess I will get to go to Tokyo this time I hope so and I hate to stay out here this long and then not get to see Tokyo. Well, darling, I don't know anything else to write it so easy to run out of anything to write out here. So I guess I better close for now. I sure would like to see you and the children maybe it want be long til I will get to come home to stay. Anyway, I hope so answer soon with a long lovely letter and all the news, Price Kent, Seaman First Class, love to all. Wife and children good night with lots of kisses. XXXXXXXXX 

Antebellum Dueling

Thanks to Mary Carton and Carl with Remember Tuscumbia for all the photos in this blog.

Me on the left dueling my buddy Duane Broyles

       This past Saturday I had the honor of performing a duel with James Connings original 1854 dueling pistols made in London and valued today at $250,000. Of course my civilians suit was paid for and Duane's was rented, we knew the outcome ahead of time. I knew I was to die, so I quickly fired each time first so I could get my shot off. I felt like Clint Eastwood, but I always missed my target. Before the past weekend, I had no idea there were so many rules to antebellum dueling.

      

James Mitchell (in the tall hat) of Auburn, Alabama owner of the dueling pistols marking off ten paces

       I learned a lot about dueling in the old south. For one thing, it was extremely rare for men to stand back to back and march in the opposite direction. They usually stood and fired from ten paces and it was considered cowardly to turn sideways to present a smaller target. 

Lanny Perry me second (who knows what he's doing here)

       Each duelist had a second and Lanny Perry was my second on this occasion. I have no idea what he was doing at this point, possibly picking his nose. His job is to shoot a duelist that attempts to shoot before the command is given. Mr. Mitchell gave the commands, "Ready, Fire, One, Two, Three, Halt!" It was that quick and that is the reason there were so many misses. If you fired before the word 'fire' or after the command 'halt' one of the second's was to shoot you.

Leland Free is the surgeon, but I accused him of being an undertaker drumming up business

       On the field during a duel there were only a certain number of people allowed. The two duelists of course, the two seconds, and a surgeon, and possible two assistant surgeons. Now if you had a problem with a man that was not on your social level, you did not duel him, you caned him with a walking stick. 

Me taking a bullet in the duel

       There were duels long after dueling was outlawed in the South. Mr. Mitchell gave us a talk on dueling that was really great and we learned a lot about dueling. I loved every minute of his talk. 

Lanny my second is running to check on me

The surgeon confirming the worst

A moment of silence for the dearly departed

Resurrected from the dead because my last name is Kent, I'm Superman

My second Lanny Perry and I posing together

Betrayed: An Excerpt From My Upcoming Book

June 14, 1912

Brick, Mississippi

       The boy slowly made his way up the dust-covered road toward the shack on top of the hill. He had spent a week trying to work up the courage to visit the old man who lived up here. He paused and looked back at the town below. The view was breathtaking for a ten-year-old boy.

       His school teacher, Miss Harman, was the reason he was coming up here today. She’d taught her class about the war that had ravaged this country almost fifty years ago. Until that day, he had never imagined men fighting a war on the very land where he lived. He’d asked around town and no one was able to tell him what had happened here during the war. One name kept coming up though. They called him Old Man Saunders. Everyone said the old recluse had lived here his entire life and would probably be able to tell him anything he’d want to know.

He stood there staring down at the town watching people going about their busy lives. No one seemed to care what had happened here before them. He found that hard to fathom.

       He glanced over his shoulder at the dilapidated shack on top of the hill. He dreaded going up there, but he was determined. All the kids in town said the old man was crazy. They said he kept a shotgun at his side at all times, just to shoot trespassers.

       He took a deep breath and continued on up the hill. Old Man Saunders sat on the front porch in a rocking chair. He wore an old pair of overalls with nothing underneath. When the boy got close enough, he could see tobacco stains on the old man’s bare feet.

       The boy eyed the shotgun propped against the wall behind the old man. A shudder hung at an odd angle from the window. The one on the other side had long since disappeared.

       “Miss…Mister Saunders,” the boy stuttered, betraying his nervousness.

Saunders eyeballed the boy for a long moment. “That shore is some purdy red hair. Almost shines out in that sun. I ain’t seen hair that red in years.”

       “Thank you,” the boy didn’t quite know how to take him.

       “What’s your name, boy?” Saunders leaned forward and spat a stream of tobacco juice across the porch. Tiny clouds of dust rose from the impact in the dry soil.

       “I’m Charles Rich, sir,” the boy kept his head down, hands stuffed into large pockets. “Everybody calls me Charlie.”

      “Ain’t your pa Thomas Rich?” Saunders wiped his mouth. Tobacco juice stained his bare arm.

       “Yes sir,” Charlie glanced up. He still wasn’t sure how to take the old man. He’d heard too many stories about him. The boys at school said he had gone insane because he had lost his entire family during the war.

       “I know ʼim,” the old man managed a small grin. “He come up here and seen about my arthritis.”

       Charlie saw Saunders grin, and smiled back. He hadn’t known his dad tended to Mister Saunders. Strange how he had never mentioned it before. He said,          “Yeah, his daddy was a doctor also. They say he fought in the Civil War.”

       “Hmmph,” the old man replied. He stopped grinning. Charlie wondered what he’d said. Saunders looked down at his feet. His face now wore a sad expression.

Charlie quickly added, “I hope I’m not bothering you, sir. I came up here to see if you could tell me about the war.”

       “The war?” Saunders’s eyebrows shot up. “I figured a boy your age would be more interested in that boat that sunk a couple months ago. What’s the name of it?”

       “The Titanic,” Charlie replied. He was surprised the old man had even heard of it.

       “I hear’d about it in the journals,” Saunders shot another stream of tobacco juice off the porch. “Great loss of life is what it said. It weren’t nothing compared to the war though.”

       Charlie stepped closer to the porch. He figured this was his chance. He would make his play. The old man would either tell him about the war or send him home. He said, “I can’t find anyone that can tell me what happened around here during the war. Miss Harman, my teacher, taught us a few things, but she doesn’t know a thing about what happened around here. She mostly talked about Gettysburg and Vicksburg and what a great man Abraham Lincoln was.”

       Saunders grimaced. “This Miss Harman ain’t from around these parts, is she?”

       “No sir,” Charlie smiled. He had expected this kind of reaction from the old man. “I think her family moved here from Indiana.”

       “Look, boy,” Saunders pointed toward the porch, “you better come on in here out of that sun before you blister. Ya’ll fair skinned redheads get burned too easy. I used to have a cousin with the same color hair as you. When we was kids and playing out in the sun, he would get so blistered that his ears would peel off. Now, back when we was boys, the Mexican War was a being fought. We marched all over these here hills and hollers. Bet we killed a million Mexicans. That boy always wanted to grow up and be a soldier, but his maw was agin it.”

       Charlie relaxed. He watched Saunders smile as he reveled in his childhood games. The old man seemed to be warming up to him. He wondered why he stayed up here to himself anyway. He acted as though he just wanted some company. John Tucker had told him that Saunders even had his groceries delivered up here to keep from having to come into town and be around people.

       He stepped onto the porch and looked around. Junk was piled everywhere, but there were no more chairs. Saunders stood up and began to dig through a pile of garbage and pulled out an old bucket. He flipped it over and sat it down beside his rocking chair.

       Charlie took a seat on the bucket and waited. Saunders stared down the hill toward the town. After a long moment he said, “Don’t know much to tell you really.”

       “Were there any battles fought around here?” Charlie was on the edge of the bucket eagerly waiting.

      “If you mean battles like with armies and such,” Saunders began to slowly shake his head, “we had one nice skirmish that I can remember. It was right down there in town.”

       “Oh,” Charlie looked down, his face betraying his disappointment. “Dad says my grandpa was a doctor in the war. Do you remember what he did?”

       “I reckon he went up to Jackson in sixty-three when Grant was a throwin’ his weight around central Mississippi.” Saunders spat, sniffed, and wiped at the tobacco juice on his chin. “I hear’d he did some amputatin’ and such ʼbout that time.”

       Charlie looked a little let down. He asked, “So we didn’t have nobody from here fight in the war?”

       Saunders’s eyebrows shot up. He laughed and said, “Well, now, I didn’t say that, now did I?”

       “No sir,” Charlie smiled. “Did you fight?”

       “Most all of us that was of age fought.” Saunders raised his chin. He had a proud look on his face. He said, “The boys from Brick, Mississippi, formed Company H, Sixth Mississippi Infantry. I still remember all the ladies a crying as we marched out of town. You know when they’s a war, all young men must go.”

       Charlie’s eyes grew wide. He waited for the old man to continue, but Saunders was deep in thought. Charlie said, “Tell me all about it.”

       “Ain’t much to tell ya,” Saunders’s expression changed to sadness. He looked down at the ground just in front of the porch. “There was thirty of us went up to Shiloh in sixty-two. The whole regiment attacked this little old bald hill. There was a little over four hunnerd in the regiment. It didn’t last five minutes. Anyway, thirty of us in Company H went in and only five came out. The rest were either killed, wounded, or missin’. Just like that and our war service with the Sixth Mississippi was over.”

       “That’s it?” Charlie looked incredulous.

       “That’s it,” Saunders replied. He rubbed the stubble on his chin while he studied the expression on Charlie’s face. “I suppose I could tell you ʼbout the best soldier I ever knowed. He fought through the whole war. He started out a lieutenant.”

       “Sure,” Charlie was back up on the edge of the bucket.

       “Ain’t gonna be able to tell it all in one day. You’ll have to come by from time to time and visit a spell. I don’t get much company up here.” Saunders spat another stream of tobacco juice off the porch.

       “Sure, I’ll come every day if you want,” Charlie looked as though he were about to explode with excitement. He watched Saunders’s eyes as he continued to rub his chin. The old man was in deep thought now. He had just gone back to 1862.

       Saunders said, “Our story starts in Corinth, Mississippi, up in the northeast part of the state….”

A Walk With Pat Cleburne

This is for my husband who loves Pat Cleburne.  He took me on a journey on the way back from Nashville and as we pulled up in front of St. Johns Church he was reading this part of his book to me.  It was such a special moment because I know Pat is his favorite General and this church has become one of our favorite places.  Now I would like to share this journey with you.   This is an excerpt from Tim's book, Die Like Men.  I hope you enjoy....

"...They had ridden up in front of Saint John's Episcopal Church.  Leonidas Polk had built it before the war.  They stopped their horses to admire it.  It was beautiful in the mist and fog.  Ivy grew on the walls, and magnolias and cedar trees dotted the churchyard.  A three-foot-high rock wall surrounded the place.  It was almost identical to St. Mary's Church back in County Cork, Ireland.  He wondered what the odds were that he would happen upon a church built identical to the one he'd been baptized in years ago and half a world away.
   
     The rest of Cleburne's staff had ridden up and were staring at the beautiful structure.  Cleburne climbed from the saddle and handed the reins to Mangum.  Mangum said, "That's the most beautiful thing I've seen since we've been in Tennessee."

     Cleburne walked through the opening in the rock wall and began to slowly make his way beneath the magnolias.  He seemed to be in awe at the place.  His staff watched him moving slowly about the churchyard.  It was as if he was studying the place.  The men of his division were trudging past them moving on north toward Columbia.

 

 Cleburne eventually made his way to the rear of the church.  There was a small cemetery there.  His staff could see him at times back there moving among the stones.  He seemed to stop and read every marker, pausing in deep thought at each one.  The staff officers began to eye each other warily. They'd all noticed how depressed he'd been lately.  

 What they didn't know, was that Pat Cleburne wasn't really studying the markers.  He was in deep thought.  He was thinking about Susan again.  He was ready for this war to end so he could get on with life and a family.

     He'd been back there for what seemed a long time to his staff, when he came slowly around the other side of the church.  He had his head down as he moved back toward the gate.  He walked over to his horse and gently patted the muzzle.  "Red Pepper" was his favorite horse.  He took the reins from Mangum and climbed back in the saddle."

     Staff member, Captain Charles Hill was on the north side of Cleburne.  As Cleburne turned his horse northward, he looked at Hill and said, "It would almost be worth dying to be buried in such a beautiful place.

     He spurred his horse and began moving toward Columbia with his division.  Mangum noticed him turning in the saddle and taking one last look at the beautiful churchyard."

     Pat Cleburne must have had a sense of foreboding or a seventh sense because several days later he would be interred into the very ground he had just walked on.  Unfortunately the people of Helena, Arkansas would have him moved, at a later date and interred in this town.  I think he should have been left where he felt like he was closest to the place he grew up.

     This is the spot where Tim thinks he could have been buried.  We have visited it many times and it still seems like hallowed ground every time I am there.

     Tim, I love you so much and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did living and experiencing it.  Thank  you so much for making history come alive for me.  You are a very talented man and I am honored to be your wife.

Stacie

Never Smile Again

My latest book cover

       My third book was released last month and I'm just getting around to blogging about it. I've been so busy writing a script for a documentary on Colbert County during the Civil War, I haven't had time to promote my own book. To be honest, I've been quite stressed out about the documentary because I've been given just two weeks to get it written. On the opposite side, it has been fun working on something different. 

       Never Smile Again is based on the Shiloh Campaign and I do my best to keep things historically correct although it's written in novel form. I still believe Die Like Men is a much better book, but my wife doesn't agree. She actually cried when she read the part where General Albert Sidney Johnston died. I guess I liked Die Like Men better because it is my favorite campaign of the war. It demonstrated to what extent men are willing to go when called on to do their duty. 

       The one thing I wasn't real happy about was the cover. I didn't want my picture plastered across the front for fear of people thinking I have a huge ego. Unfortunately, I didn't have any say in that part. My publisher Angela Broyles and my wife Stacie were determined for this picture of me standing on the back porch of the Carter House in Franklin, Tennessee would be on the cover. I've learned in life, there is no use in arguing with women.

       The following is an excerpt from Never Smile Again.

       All the men were watching their commander’s temper rise with each passing moment. Suddenly, Forrest spun and shouted, “Boys, do you hear that musketry and artillery?”

                His men knew what was about to happen. Their commander had had enough. Everyone yelled in reply.

                Forrest shouted, “It means our friends are falling by the hundreds while we’re back here guarding a damned creek! I didn‘t ride all the way up here to guard no damned ford! We didn’t enter the service for such work! May as well be guarding a damned latrine! We are needed on the field! I say we go and help our men! What do you say?”

                Every man in the command replied with a shout. Forrest climbed on his horse and watched as his men began to mount. He yelled, “We’re goin’ up there, and we gonna bust hell wide open!”

                They rode north and soon turned on the Hamburg-Purdy Road. There were long-range artillery shells bursting overhead. Forrest rode on, impervious to the shrapnel raining down around him. Just up the road he found General Frank Cheatham.

                Forrest approached Cheatham, and not bothering to salute, he said, “I can’t have my men back here in this artillery fire. I need to charge.”

                Cheatham looked at Forrest with an expression of indifference. He wondered why Forrest was telling him this.

                Forrest asked, “Will you give me permission to charge?”

                Cheatham shook his head. “I don’t have the authority to give you permission to charge. You’re not under my command. Besides, several charges have been bloodily repulsed from going across that field already.”

                Cheatham noticed Forrest’s face growing redder by the minute. His blue eyes flashed. Cheatham quickly added, “I can’t order you to charge, but you can charge under your own orders. The responsibility will rest on you.”

                “Then I’ll charge under my own orders,” Forrest grumbled. He spun in the saddle and shouted to his men. “Form ranks in column of fours. We will advance in that formation.”

       Never Smile Again can be purchased from Amazon, Bluewater Publications, and should be available in Books-a-million any day now. 

Guest Blog by Tim's Wife on the 150th Re enactment of the Battle of Shiloh

Tim, me and Carlee taking a break

On Thursday afternoon of the re-enactment the confederate army marched out of camp to do a little fighting and try to experience a little of what the soldiers did way back when, including sleeping on the ground all night.  It was extremely hot this afternoon and I thought I was going to be seriously ill for a few minutes but I forgot all about it when we started firing on the Yankees.  There is nothing like holding an original 1855 Harpers Ferry in your hands and actually getting to shoot it.  (Still can't believe Tim lets me use this!) We did this off and on for a couple of hours with a few breaks in between.  Then our fearless leaders lead us to the campsite for the night.  In my mind I had imagined  we would be lying in a field under the beautiful dark night with the stars scattered above us.  Wrong!  I was jerked from my fantasy when we were told to go up into the tree line of the woods behind us and pick a spot.  The woods?  You have got to be kidding!  Ticks, spiders and chiggers! Oh my!  Luckily Tim's best friend Jerry was with us and we stayed together and whatever scent Jerry had on attracted all the ticks from our vicinity. 

Jerry waiting to go fight

Darkness began to fall and we were all lazing on our blanket rolls talking when all of a sudden Tim Kent and Jerry Smith started doing what they do best.  Storytelling.  They told stories about aunts turning into mules, small killer spiders, boiling cats, and who knows what else.  All I know is after a few hours of this I was begging them to stop because my sides were hurting so bad.  Not to mention our fellow soldiers scattered around us.  Needless to say they kept us entertained.

After things had calmed down a bit we started hearing rumors about a night fight.  Sure enough here comes the word to get up and go.  So we jumped up, put on our gear and marched as silently as we could through the night.  Unfortunately we didn't get very close but did get to shoot a few times.

The one good thing about it was I was finally worn out enough to actually get a little sleep.  Waking only when some part of my body that was on the ground either went to sleep or started hurting really bad.  

Tim and Captain Hunter waiting on the word to go in

I know it's not even close to what the soldiers went through 150 years ago but I can say those poor guys had it rough.  I definitely have a renewed respect for these brave men.