John R. Kelso’s Civil Wars:
A Graphic History - Episode 20
More on the text
Teacher, Preacher, Soldier, Spy, 239-42. In early August, 1864 a detachment of 60 men in Kelso’s regiment left camp to pursue a large band of rebels led by the crafty Confederate Major Andrew J. Piercey. The Federals were commanded by Lt. Malcolm Hunter, with William Haycock—who would become famous after the war as “Wild Bill” Hickok—as the scout. Kelso, left behind this time and doubting Hunter’s command abilities, feared disaster. He predicted his comrades would be routed, and he was right. Hunter marched them right into an ambush. Thanks to Haycock, though, they were able to stage an orderly retreat, a running fight for over four miles, until the rebels gave up the chase. They lost six men.
Three days later the Federals sent 175 men back out into the field, this time commanded by Major Burch and including Captains Kelso and Ruark. They tracked Piercy’s force thirty miles until they found them occupying a strong position in a forest beyond the banks of Buffalo Creek. In reconnoitering the rebels’ position Burch had his horse shot out from under him, and Kelso and Lt. Baxter received “terrific fire” from the enemy that, miraculously, left them without a scratch. But then Sergeant Grantham led his six men into an ambush at a horseshoe bend in the creek.
More on the Illustration
I go fishing a lot and I’ve often been in a horseshoe turn in a creek or river, and I can imagine where those men were, looking up, before the enemy opened fire. When you’re reading the text, it’s like you’re right there.
The viewer’s position here reminds me of “Caught by the Rebels,” although this time we’re looking up not at a noose but at Kelso putting his hand up there trying to calm the horse, even though he can't do anything about it. The initial drawing that I had done was quite a bit gorier than this one. What I really wanted to do was to show the other horses standing off in the distance or limping, kind of emotionless because they're in such shock. But I felt like I was trying to cram too much into it.So I decided to simplify it, and rely more on the power of suggestion.