Caught in the middle between the north and the south, in a war that was unwinnable at any price; the people of Winston County Alabama had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide from either side. Just fifty years earlier many of their fathers fought to preserve the Union, so the thought of seceding from it was reprehensible. Secessionists led by William Yancey thought they could do better and preserve a life style based on slavery. William Looney, nicknamed the Black Fox by the Confederate Army, owned a tavern in Winston County where local leaders decided was a good place to vote on how to deal with their state's desire to leave the Union. With his superior knowledge of the forests and his skill in hunting Bill Looney was especially suited for the role that would ultimately make him famous - but was the price too high? The 1st Alabama Cavalry, made up of Alabama men would play an important role. Bill's brother Anderson Looney was among the many who joined because they believed in preserving the union. Others joined to avoid being conscripted into the Confederate Army. Their knowledge of the area would prove to be of significant help.
About the Author: Patricia H. Quinlan was born in her grandmother's farmhouse in Winston County, Alabama. After growing up in Virginia and graduating from Virginia Tech she moved around, spending seven years at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. This experience led to her first book, Beneath Their Feet, a novel about the history of Mammoth Cave. A reluctance to do research after writing her first book led to Amanda, a book of pure fiction. Her third book, The Story of Peter Looney, was inspired by an article written in 1757 about an ancestor who had been captured by the Indians and later escaped. Her mother often spoke lovingly of her own grandmother. So Growing up in The Free State of Winston, the story of her great-grandmother, Etta Looney was born. After many years in beautiful Colorado she has recently returned to the southeast which is a little like a 180 degree turn. Pat did not grow up aspiring to be a writer. She wanted to be an artist and finally earned her art degree at Western Kentucky University in 1979. However, she felt compelled to write the history of Mammoth Cave, and after six years of hard work self published her first book. The bug bit and she continued writing. She assumed she could write that second book without doing any research, but it didn't turn out that way. Her intention was to see if she could develop a character. Whether or not she was successful others will decide.