Hi After reading your message concerning the book Sabre abd Scalpel, by John Allan Wyeth M D. I found a eletronic copy online at http://docsouth.unc.edu/wyeth/wyeth.html#wyeth1 Because of some of my personal family history I am very interested in this frist person account of Marshall county in this period. My ggrandmother was the result of a rape during this period . I have not had time to more than just glance at the book but am looking forward to getting into it. Thanks so much for bring this book to our attention. Linda Davis ---------- > From: RBSGEN@aol.com > To: ALMARSHA-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [ALMARSHA] North Alabama Civil War history > Date: Saturday, June 09, 2001 11:07 AM > > May I recommend to all a most compelling book written by a native Marshall > Countian, entitled "With Sabre and Scalpel, the autobiography of a soldier > and surgeon" by John Allan Wyeth, M.D.,LL.D. It chronicles his growing up in > Guntersville and becoming a scout for Nathan Bedford Forrest at age 15, being > too young to legally join units of the Confederacy. Later he did join > Russell's 4th AL Cavalry and for those whose ancestors were in this unit, you > can have an almost day by day account of their activities until his capture > and imprisonment. To quote a portion as his mother and father had gone to the > prison in Indianapolis to return him to his home at the conclusion of the > war," As we came West on the train nothing but lonesome looking chimneys > remained of the villages and farmhouses. They were suggestive of tombstones > in a grave yard. Bridgeport, Stevenson, Bellefonte, Scotsboro, Larkinsville, > Woodville, Paint Rock- in fact every town in northern Alabama to and > including Decatur (except Huntsville, which, being used as headquarters, had > been spared)- had been wiped out by the war policy of starvation by > fire....................Northern Alabama had paid dearly for the devotion of > her people to the cause of the South................in obedience to the order > to leave it so desolate that a crow flying over would have to carry its own > rations. Our county of Marshall had suffered in a double sense, being over > run for the last year and a half of the war by bands of marauders who robbed > the defenseless people of the little the two armies had left". > This is one of the most gripping books I've ever read and tho it will > probably be difficult to find, the Birmingham Library has a copy which can be > obtained on Interlibrary Loan if your local library is a participant of the > program. Enquire and order through your local library. > Good reading! > > > ==== ALMARSHA Mailing List ==== > To post your queries to the list send them to ALMARSHA-L@rootsweb.com. > To contact the listowner send a message to ALMARSHA-admin@rootsweb.com. > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB >