The Mockingbird's Ballad

His letters requesting reinstatement in the regular army went unanswered. Sponsored by his congressman, Elihu B. Washburn, he organized and trained Union volunteers from Galena. He was appointed colonel in the 21st Illinois Infantry in June 1861. Promoted to brigadier general, he quickly proved to be a good commander and effective, tenacious leader, capturing Ft. Donelson, Tennessee in February 1862. When sued for terms of surrender by his old West Point classmate, Simon B. Buckner, he answered, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately on your words." With that capture of a vital Confederate waterway (Tennessee River), he gave the Union their first major victory and launched his reclaimed military career and reputation.

In early November, the struggle in eastern Tennessee and north Georgia was heating up. Bragg, struggling with suspicion of his officers and the intentions of the Union army, anointed James Longstreet, Lee's "War Horse", savior of the situation. In a brilliant plan, impossible to execute, Bragg sent half his force, 10,000, with Longstreet and his Army of Northern Virginian boys to Knoxville to attack the Union force there. The idea was that this would draw off the Union buildup in Chattanooga and with Knoxville pinned down by Longstreet, Grant would be forced to send troops to re-enforce Ambrose E. Burnside in Knoxville. The Confederates could then strike a weakened and disoriented Union army in Chattanooga. This had to happen before Sherman could get deployed to Chattanooga. It didn't.

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The major had been back in Dalton for two days. He walked away from Bragg's headquarters and moved into the tree line nearest the clearing. He had gone far enough into the woods for the bustle of headquarters activities to be mostly muted. Pulling out the stopper of his canteen, he took a long drink of old, cold coffee.

He put his canteen on the ground and rummaged into his haversack. He pulled out a one-inch thick, beaten leather bound notebook he bought at a fancy store in Mobile in June of 1861. He sat down on an abandoned rail field fence. The book had a 5 x 9-inch cover with a faded gold imprint of an oil lamp. The first half had been written in. The other half awaited notations.

He read the first page.

"Journal of Amos Solon Stevenson, born Fayetteville, Lincoln Co., Tenn. Sept.14, 1829. This journal commenced June 5 1861." Halfway down the first page was written in pencil: "5/5/1861 - Mobile, Ala., joined the 19th Ala Infantry with rank of 1st Sgt."

He flipped a few pages to find the general's place.

"Sept. 4, 1861 - We got a colonel today, a Colonel Joseph Wheeler from Georgia. Lord he looks like he ain't 20 years old yet. Must be in early twenties. He is a graduate of West Point, class of '59. He was with the old army's Mounted Rifles in New Mexico, dancing with Apaches for a spell. One of the first sergeants, from Huntsville I think, says they christened him 'Fightin' Joe' out there. We'll see, I guess."