Soft airs that whisper “Rest,” And sunset clouds of gold; A bird’s low murmur from its hidden nest Across the wold. Red rose leaves falling, falling, ’Neath swiftly fading skies, The faint, far voices of dead summers calling, All ghostly-wise. Twilight and darkening woods; Smell of the dew-drenched sod; And over all, while perfect silence broods, The peace of God. _Allen Clark, Jr._ LITTLE CITIZENS OF THE SOUTH [Illustration: MARGARET MCNUTT Crossville, Tennessee _Taylor, Nashville_] [Illustration: CLAUDE DESHA ANDERSON, JR. Memphis HAMILTON PARKS, JR. Nashville JAMES HARBERT BENNETT Trenton, Tennessee] [Illustration: FLORENCE KENT WULFF Louisville _Standiford, Louisville_] [Illustration: ALBERT STOCKTON LINDSEY, JR. Jackson, Tennessee _Strauss, St. Louis_] [Illustration: WILLIAM STATES JACOBS, JR. Houston, Texas _Taylor, Nashville_ EDITH HOLT McMinnville, Tennessee _Southern School of Photography, McMinnville_] HISTORIC HIGHWAYS OF THE SOUTH By John Trotwood Moore CHAPTER XVII—A BOY AT SHILOH By John A. Cockerill _Mr. John Trotwood Moore, Editor of_ TAYLOR-TROTWOOD MAGAZINE: DEAR SIR: There are many persons who credit to the pen of Mr. John A. Cockerill the best war story ever written. As you will remember, Mr. John A. Cockerill was the distinguished editor of the _St. Louis Post Dispatch_, also editor-in-chief of the _Cincinnati Enquirer_. Later he was the editor-in-chief of the _New York World_, and altogether was one of the most brilliant descriptive writers this country has ever produced. He died a few years ago in Cairo, Egypt, being at the time of his death connected with the _New York Herald_. At the outbreak of the war in 1861, John A. Cockerill was about fifteen years old, and the recruiting officers had refused to enlist him in the ranks of the fighting line by reason of his youth, but accepted him as a drummer boy in the Twenty-fourth Ohio Infantry, in which regiment his brother was then a first lieutenant and later captain and colonel. It is in no way surprising to the personal friends of John A. Cockerill that anything written by him should be the best of its kind. The best war story ever written is on the Battle of Shiloh, as seen by John A. Cockerill, which story I send you herewith, with the earnest request that you permit it to occupy a place in your interesting and valuable Historic Highways of the South. Yours very truly, THEODORE F. ALLEN, Cincinnati, Ohio. [The editor agrees with Mr. Allen that this story is above praise and should find an abiding place in history.] * * * * * Shiloh Church, April 6th, 1862.