Skip to Content
Indiana University

Search Options




View Options

[Hide Table of Contents]
On the border. Gilmore, James R. (1822–1903).
Requires cookie*[Print]
no previous
next
page: (TitlePage) [View Page (TitlePage) ]

ON THE BORDER.

BY

EDMUND KIRKE,

AUTHOR or "AMONG THE PINES," "LIFE OF JESUS," "PATRIOT BOYS AND PRISON PICTURES," ETC.

BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD.

1867.
page: iii[View Page iii]

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by LEE & SHEPARD, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. CAMBRIDGE: STEREOTYPED BY JOHN STONE. BOSTON: PRINTED BY GEORGE C. RAND & AVERY.

To
WILLIAM LEE,
This Volume
IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED,
BY

THE AUTHOR.

page: iv-v[View Page iv-v]

PREFACE.

THE facts which form the groundwork of the following story were communicated to the writer during a visit which he made to the "Army of the Cumberland" in the spring of 1863. Their romantic interest at once fascinated his imagination, and he readily listened to the suggestion, which was then made him, to write the history of Garfield's campaign in Eastern Kentucky. In pursuance of this purpose he opened a correspondence with the principal actors in that "eventful history," and within the following eighteen months accumulated a mass of material that would, of itself, make a respectable volume. A careful examination of this material, however, showed him that many of the statements of his correspondents were so inconsistent and so contradictory, that no reliable history could be compiled from it without an amount of sifting and research which he had not the time to make. In these circumstances, he decided not to write a history, but a story, that should embrace, and be founded on, the acknowledged facts of the campaign.

page: vi-vii (Table of Contents) [View Page vi-vii (Table of Contents) ]

In following out this plan he has endeavored to relate events as accurately as possible. Whenever he speaks of known and living men he writes authentic history, and only in describing subordinate characters and circumstances does he give any play to his imagination. The events related of Jordan are mainly facts; but are not all facts true of him. This one man, as he appears in the story, is a combination of two men,—one of them named John Jordan, the other, Joseph Sowards. The adventurous ride, and the midnight visit to Marshall's camp on the eve of the battle of Middle Creek, are true of Jordan; the killing of Cecil, the double outlawry, and the unparalleled patriotism which made him, while under sentence of death from both his friends and his enemies, do such great services to his country, are true of Sowards.

In a pretty wide reading the writer has met with no such character, and the proverbial ingratitude of republics only can account for the fact that this brave man and pure patriot went to his grave unknown and unwept save among his native mountains.

CONTENTS.

no previous
next