With Might and Main

How about that guy. More than a bird, more than an eagle. He’s All-American, wide-eyed and laser-focused on his job. On this Memorial Day weekend, I think that photograph superbly exemplifies our military servicemen and women. Bless them all.

Now, moving back in time, since my 2019 novel-in-progress tells a tale about the 17^th Texas Infantry during the Civil War, here are two photographs of Texas soldiers who served in that regiment. Both were similarly wounded in the Battle at Milliken’s Bend on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Louisiana on June 7, 1863. Both were shot in the shoulder during the Confederate assault.

You can see that the first image is of a young man. That’s Captain Elijah P. Petty of Bastrop, Texas, whose collection of dozens of letters he wrote home to his wife and daughter have been published in a book titled Journey to Pleasant Hill. Fascinating letters. They reveal a loving, honorable husband and father, and dedicated officer.  There’s no post-war photo of Captain Petty because he died leading his company in battle on April 8, 1864 at the Battle of Pleasant Hill. He was killed when a little iron ball—grapeshot—fired from a cannon smashed into his chest.

This second photo is of another officer in the 17^th Texas Infantry, Captain Samuel McDowell of Lockhart, Texas, my hometown. McDowell led Company K, the company that I’m writing about.

 After being wounded in battle, McDowell became ill and couldn’t shake the debilitation, so he was sent back to Texas. He recovered and lived until 1920, and was 87 at the time of the photo.

At age 93, as Americans were fighting in Europe during WWI, he wrote a simplistic but charming poem about being a soldier for his eight-year-old great-grandson’s birthday.  Here’s one verse, one line of which I’ve lifted to be the title of my Civil War novel about the 17^th Texas Infantry, the outfit in which Captains Petty and McDowell honorably served.

Oh, I wish I were a soldier, you bet.

I’d fight with might and main,

Maybe I’d strut around with epaulets

When home I’d come again.

I mentioned in a post earlier this year that I was still searching for a good title for my new novel about the 17^th Texas. With Might and Main, it is, even if that’s not a phrase that’s still used today, it does the job for me and came from the pen of a real soldier who is central to my tale. Thank you, Captain McDowell.

On Memorial Day weekend, a day of remembering that began in 1866 in honor of those who gave their ‘last full measure’ during the Civil War, I hope you will hold still for a minute or two. Hold still while you cast a prayer of thanks for all the military service men and women who still protect us, and the memory of all those who for nearly 250 years have fought ‘with might and main’ for our country.