Traci was the author of Onward Southern Soldiers, while I served as co-researcher, editor, caption writer, and indexer. In John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero, those roles will be reversed, and Traci will serve as my editor, providing me with valuable assistance throughout the research and writing process. I can't begin to express how grateful I am for having a supportive spouse and partner in my life and my work.
In my book, I want to answer critical questions about how this pioneer, soldier, and statesman became “Tennessee’s First Hero.” This moniker was bestowed upon John Sevier over eighty years ago by Dr. Carl S. Driver, whose book, John Sevier: Pioneer of the Old Southwest, remains the last book-length, scholarly attempt to examine John Sevier’s life in full detail. The title of my book is a tribute to Dr. Driver's work, and an apt description of the story that I plan to tell.
John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero will touch on themes expressed on this blog, exploring John Sevier's life through the lens of history and memory -- separating fact from myth by examining the efforts of early Tennessee historians, antiquarians, novelists, genealogists, and amateur writers to chronicle John Sevier’s life and exploits.
During the next several months, blog posts on The Posterity Project will chronicle my progress on the book. Throughout the writing process, I plan to share anecdotes and information discovered during my research on this topic in a build-up to the release of the book. I hope you'll continue to follow me along this journey, and I look forward to sharing more news about this project in future posts.
