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ОглавлениеThe Burning Barn: Speed and Hattie In Civil War Missouri
A Novel
by
Richard Black
Copyright © 2012 Richard Black
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0930-6
This novel is a work of fiction. Although there is a correspondence with some events in the lives of John Speed Smith Wilson and Harriet Willis Wilson, names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Although I have included historical personages of the time, including James Craig, General Marmaduke and Jefferson Price, the actions and words attributed to them are fictional. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Blessed are the peacemakers….
For Donna
Forward
When I applied for Conscientious Objector status in the summer of 1966, my parents wrote a letter of support to my draft board. It was then I learned a neighbor burnt the barn of my great-grandfather, one John Speed Smith Wilson, when he refused to participate in the civil war. I already knew that my great-grandfather was in prison, that he chewed buttons while he was there. Several years ago my sister, Caroline Utley, and my cousin, Barbara Bryson, shared copies of letters our great-grandfather and his wife, Harriet Wilson, exchanged in the winter of 1863. I then located two websites with relevant information: Civil War Saint Louis (http://www.civilwarstlouis.com) with material on Gratiot Street Prison and the Union Provost Marshall’s Papers in the Missouri State Archives (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/Provost/provostpdf.asp. View roll 1605, images 422-426). Barbara Bryson also shared a copy of a page from the Wilson family bible with the names and dates of birth and death for JSS Wilson, Harriet Wilson, and their family. She provided JSS Wilson’s obituary as well. On these documents and family understandings I have composed this civil war fiction.
I would like to acknowledge the careful review of my work given by the Datura Writers Group of Oakland, California, (Jesus Sierra, Robert Pressnall, Farinaz Taidi, Lorna Partington, Laura Riggs, Jamey Jenna, Adele Mendelson, and Susan Murray) as well as Amy Wallen of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program.
I am indebted to Jessica Rose for the cover design and Alex Black for the cover photograph. Norma Lent and Marnie Sperry proofread the manuscript. Russell Silverstein has been a constant support and prod as I worked on this project.
Always and overall I am indebted to my wife, Donna Arganbright, for her editorial comments and continued encouragement.
