A Distant FlameIn the spring of 1864, the Confederate Army in Georgia is faced with the onrushing storm of General William T. Sherman's troops. A young sharpshooter for the South, Charlie Merrill, who has suffered many losses in his life already, must find a way to endure---and grow---if he is to survive the battles that will culminate in July at the gates of Atlanta. From the opening salvos on Rocky Face Ridge near Dalton, through the trials of Resaca and Kennesaw Mountain, Charlie must face the overwhelming force of the Federal army and a growing uncertainty about his place in the war. Never before has the Atlanta Campaign been rendered---in all its swift and terrible action---with such attention to history or with writing that reaches the level of art. This crucial episode in the Civil War's western theater comes alive with unexcelled power and drama as it unfolds in soldiers' hands and hearts. Throughout the course of the novel, Charlie's life is laid out in powerful detail. The experiences from his childhood, through the war, and into his twilight years are to a great extent on his mind half a century later when he is to give a major speech in the park of his small Georgia town A Distant Flame is a book about the cost of war and the running conflict that led Sherman's Army to the Battle of Atlanta---and the March to the Sea. It stands as a testament to love, dedication, and growth, from the Civil War's fields of fire to the slow steps of old age. |
Contents
Section 1 | 16 |
Section 2 | 21 |
Section 3 | 26 |
Section 4 | 36 |
Section 5 | 43 |
Section 6 | 47 |
Section 7 | 63 |
Section 8 | 68 |
Section 13 | 140 |
Section 14 | 166 |
Section 15 | 172 |
Section 16 | 191 |
Section 17 | 205 |
Section 18 | 217 |
Section 19 | 234 |
Section 20 | 265 |
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Common terms and phrases
abatis ain't arms army Army of Tennessee artillery artillery battery asked Charlie Atlanta Atlanta campaign battle Battle of Atlanta began believe beneath Betsy blood Bob Rainey Branton Brigade Cephus Char Charlie and Duncan Charlie felt Charlie knew Charlie looked Charlie Merrill Charlie saw Charlie thought Charlie's Chickamauga Cleburne Cleburne's Confederate dark dead death dream Duncan McGregor Enfield eyes Ezra Atkinson father Federal fell fight fire flank Georgia goddamn gone Grace House hair hand head hear held horse Jack John Bell Hood Joseph Johnston Kennesaw Mountain laughed light lines marching Martha minié balls morning mother move never night numbers Patrick Cleburne rain Reverend Merrill rifle Sarah Sarah Pierce screamed seemed sharpshooters shot sick skirmishers smell smiled soldiers sorrow speech stood stopped thing took town tree troops turned Union walked Whitworth Whitworth rifle wondered wounded Yankees yards