RIDE WITH A REBEL shows the readers the reality of men’s lives who fought on both sides of the Civil War (The War Between the States).
Jack Holman fought the enemy in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters during World War II. He understands “The horrors of this war,” about which Lieutenant Jesse Sparkman wrote in his diary.
Jack, with his wife, Mildred (Miekie), and her mother, Sallie Doris Killebrew, devoted a few summers visiting most of the battlefields on which Jesse fought to preserve the Confederacy, and thus become a REBEL.
They visited all of these interesting battlefields: Manassas, Brandy Station, Culpeper, Gettvsburg, Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Antietam, Sharpsburg, Appomattox, Shennadoah Valley, and many other national battlefields mentioned in the diary. They realized the agony their Lt. Sparkman experienced on horseback and foot. It certainly made them appreciate all that he accomplished in all types of weather as he fought with the best equipment available at the time.
Jesse was elected Lieutenant by his fellow soldiers. Later, he was appointed acting Major with all his duties assigned by his superiors. He was alone scouting the country-side for the enemy, and often found them. He reported back to the headquarters to prepare attacks. This was often the situation where they would win battles, but lose the war.
Because he had a good horse, Jesse was selected to ride with the flag of truce at the surrender. On 28, April, 1865, General Johnston surrendered his army eight miles from Hillsborough, North Carolina, on the Raleigh Road.
Lieutenant Sparkman arrived in Greensboro at the company shops the next day. General Hampton made a speech to them, telling about their deportment as soldiers during the past four years. He recited to them the glories in bygone days
