With it Thomas wrung victory from defeat on the bloody fields of Stone River and Chickamauga; with it he dealt the final crushing blow of the Atlanta campaign, and with it defeat was again turned to victory at Bentonville.
The characters introduced into the story all belonged to or co-operated with the First Division of the Fourteenth Corps.

The Corps' badge was the Acorn.

As was the custom in the army, the divisions in each Corps were distinguished by the color of the badges--the First's being red, the Second's white, and the Third's blue.

There was a time when this explanation was hardly necessary, but now eighteen years have elapsed since the Acorn flags fluttered victoriously over the last field of battle, and a generation has grown up to which they are but a tradition.
J.M.
Contents.
Chapter I .-- A Declaration, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 Chapter II .-- First Shots, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 Chapter III .-- A Race, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 Chapter IV .-- Disgrace, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38 Chapter V .-- The Lint-Scraping and Bandage-making Union, - - - 52 Chapter VI .-- The Awakening, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 62 Chapter VII .-- Pomp and Circumstance of Glorious War, - - - - 71 Chapter VIII .-- The Tedium of Camp, - - - - - - - - - - - - - 85 Chapter IX .-- On the March, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 92 Chapter X .-- The Mountaineer's Revenge, - - - - - - - - - - - 112 Chapter XI .-- Through the Mountain and the Night, - - - - - - 126 Chapter XII .-- Aunt Debby Brill, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 141 Chapter XIII .-- An Apple Jack Raid, - - - - - - - - - - - - - 160 Chapter XIV .-- In the Hospital, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 175 Chapter XV .-- Making Acquaintance with Duty, - - - - - - - - - 184 Chapter XVI .-- The Ambuscade, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 204 Chapter XVII .-- Alspaugh on a Bed of Pain, - - - - - - - - - - 230 Chapter XVIII .-- Secret Service, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 252 Chapter XIX .-- The Battle of Stone River, - - - - - - - - - - 279.