Have you read my Carnton novel With This Pledge?
If you have, then these photographs of the real people who lived and worked at Carnton—and who populate this novel—will mean even more to you.
Especially the image of the heroine, Lizzie, that was just unearthed this year!
Roland and Lizzie met following the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, and the story in With This Pledge was inspired by their love letters that Carnton (and the Jones family) shared with me.
The wild thing about this image of Lizzie is that this portrait was only found a handful of months ago following the death of one of Roland’s ancestors!
David Doty, the great-great-great grandson of Captain Jones buried his dear father earlier this year (his father, of course, being the great-great grandson of Roland). As David was going through file after file of historical documents and images his father had meticulously collected through the years, low and behold, what does David come across?
This portrait of two women…
You can imagine how excited I was to see this image of (who we really think is) Lizzie. All I knew about Lizzie as I was writing the novel was that she had brown hair. Because in one of his letters, Roland references her “brown curls.”
The period of the photograph and the historical documents with which it was found points with overwhelming probability that this is Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clouston seated for a portrait with her mother, Sena.
Next, meet the McGavock family…
John and Carrie McGavock, the owners of Carnton, were Scotch-Irish immigrants (two generations back) from County Antrim, Ireland, where my own ancestors hail from, if you can believe that! #smallworld #Carntonismyhome #UncleJohn #AuntCarrie
The McGavocks never referred to Carnton as an estate or plantation. It was always simply “the farm.” The image of Hattie and Winder above was captured in 1864 (the timeframe depicted in With This Pledge), and I kept this photograph close at hand as I wrote the book.
Next, meet Dr. George Phillips…
Dr. Phillips was a surgeon who operated on and treated wounded soldiers that night at Carnton following the Battle of Franklin (November 30, 1864). Dr. Phillips is the most prominently featured “real” doctor in the novel, and he and Roland really did know one another and also served together in the Civil War.
Finally, meet some of the real Federal and Confederate military generals who populate the novel...
As depicted in the story (and true to life), General Forrest burst into the house only hours before the battle and wordlessly strode up the staircase to the second-story porch to view the Federal Army’s progress on the breastworks. Then promptly left without a word.
General Hood was the Confederate commander of the Army of Tennessee, and General Schofield was the Federal commander of the United States troops. Hood and Schofield were former classmates at West Point, and their armies met in the Harpeth Valley in the small town of Franklin that afternoon at 4PM in what became one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
Next, meet these Confederate generals who were killed at the Battle of Franklin…
Early on the morning of December 1, 1864, their bodies were laid out on the back gallery porch at Carnton so their men could pay last respects.
Next, meet Second Lieutenant James Shuler…
Lieutenant James Shuler (so young, around 16) fought at the Battle of Franklin and is a prominent secondary character in the novel. I really grew to love James as I wrote this book.
Finally, meet Preacher E.M. Bounds…
E.M. Bounds (Edward McKendree Bounds) was an extraordinary man whose ministry impacted countless lives and whose writings on prayer (especially his remarkable devotional classic Power Through Prayer—click for more) are well worth reading! He is also an influential character in With This Pledge.
Note: Every quote in the novel that’s attributed to Bounds are really his words on prayer and his beliefs about God.
Would you like to read more about what’s Truth or Fiction in With This Pledge? And my other novels? Click below!
Finally, be sure to sign up for this month’s GIVEAWAY on my website. It’s something I love…and think you will too!
Do you live near a famous historical site? Or have a historical home or landmark scheduled for your summer travels? What historical landmark have you visited that had an especially profound impact on you?
Also, HarperCollins and I recently filmed SIX video vignettes at Carnton and they’ll be ready soon! Can’t wait to share!
Blessings on your week!
Tamera
What? Only .99 cents for the month of July
Tamera blogs every first and third Tuesday at Inspired by Life . . . and Fiction, a group blog she shares with a wonderful community of authors. If you'd like to join the conversation on this post, Tamera would love to see you there!