David Owens has done an excellent job in presenting the events of the little-known Battle of Camp Wildcat, KY in masterful detail. Although overlooked by historians and eclipsed by larger battles of the war, the affair at Camp Wildcat was the first Union victory of the Civil War. This brief encounter halted Confederate General Felix K. Zollicoffer's advance into Kentucky and eventually led to his ill-fated move to Mill Springs, KY, where he was killed. Owens takes first-hand accounts from letters, diaries, and official reports and weaves them into a readable and understandable narrative that any Civil War enthusiast will enjoy. I have personally walked the battlefield with David on several occasions, and I can honestly say that he understands the scope of the conflict at Camp Wildcat from both the Union and Confederate perspectives. When you read Baptism in Blood you can almost hear the rattle of the muskets and the resolute voice of Colonel James E. Rains as he gives orders to his beleagured 11th Tennessee Infantry as they lay in the valley below Hoozier Knob pinned down by a murderous Yankee crossfire.

Todd Cathey, Ed.D.

Baptism in Blood-The Camp Wildcat Affair Kentucky Enters the Civil War By David Owens Reviewed by John P. Holbrook, The Civil War Courier, Morristown, Tn Your right of course. There have been books and articles about General Felix Zollicoffer’s Confederate Campaign into southeastern Kentucky in the fall of 1861 that resulted in the battles of Barbourville and Camp Wildcat but there’s never really been the book. Now there is. Noted Kentucky Military Historian David Owens has provided us with one of the most informative and interesting Civil War campaign and battle narratives coupled with an invaluable collection of soldier’s first hand accounts. The narrative, written in a military magazine format is both entertaining and quick hitting as has become the style associated with Owens’ past works. While the 30 first hand accounts expertly edited by Owens offer valuable glimpses into the lives of the average western theater soldier and reminds us that the war was not simply a struggle between north and south but a time of competing ethnic and culture identities. The book is very organized and attractively laid out with plenty of pictures of soldiers, terrain features, and maps. Baptism in Blood is written in a reader friendly format that will keep both the serious history student and civil war buff interested in a time when the future of our nation was unsure. Long over looked-the battles of Barbourville (Sep 19, 1861) and Camp Wildcat (Oct 21, 1861), Kentucky, this part of Civil War history has been given a fresh review by the author. I highly recommend this book as a must for the student of the western theater. The book is 198 pages and costs $25.00 and is available on line through Lulu Publications at www.lulu.com or you may contact the author at davidowens24@yahoo.com. Baptism in Blood is also available at or through the following: Brookhaven Christian Books, London, Ky, brookbooks@mikrotec.com, 606-864-8630. Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, Renfro Valley, Ky, info@kentuckymusicmuscum.com Toll free 1-877-356-3263, local 606-256-1000. Cox Hardware Store, Mt. Vernon, Ky, james-cox@usa.com, 606-256-2815. Camp Wildcat Preservation Society, London, Ky President James Cass, maxineandjim@earthlink.net. Laurel County Home Guards, Annville/London,Ky, nita@2geton.net, 606-364-3161. Rockcastle River Trading Co., Livingston, Ky, 606-843-0854 Sons of Confederate Veterans, E.F. Arthur Camp #1783, Corbin, Ky, leswilliamson@newwavecomm.net