"The Shades of the Wilderness" by Joseph A. Altsheler is a novel set during the American Civil War, specifically after the Battle of Gettysburg. Lee's army is retreating, wounded soldiers fill the wagons, and Harry Kenton, a young Confederate cavalryman, is sent to observe and report on the enemy's movements. Harry reflects on the loss of the Confederate army's lieutenant, Stonewall Jackson, and his belief that they could have won the battle if Jackson had been there. Despite the victory, Harry feels melancholic about the loss of so many men. Harry's friends, St. Clair and Langdon, who are also wounded, are in high spirits and believe that they will win the next battle. Harry, however, is more contemplative and less optimistic about the future. The novel is an exploration of the emotional and psychological impact of war on soldiers, and their deep sense of loyalty to their cause and their leaders.
Joseph A. Altsheler was born on April 29, 1862, in Three Springs, Hart County, Kentucky, to Joseph and Louise Altsheler. He was a newspaper reporter, editor, and author of popular juvenile historical fiction. He wrote fifty novels and at least fifty-three short stories. Seven of his novels were in sequence. He worked as an editor at the Louisville Courier-Journal in 1885. In 1892, he started to work for New York World and then as the editor of the World's tri-weekly magazine. He wrote children’s stories due to a lack of suitable stories. On May 30, 1880, Altsheler married Sarah Boles and had a son named Sidney. In 1914, during World War I Altsheler and his family were in Germany and they were forced to remain there. Altsheler died at the age of 57, on June 5, 1919, in New York. His wife, Sarah Boles died after 30 years. Their bodies are buried at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. Although each of the thirty-two novels constitutes an independent story, Altsheler suggested reading in sequence for each series (that is, he numbered the volumes). You can read the remaining eighteen novels in any order.
