Acknowledgements:

Early family researchers such as Laurel Mussman, Irving C. Best, T.C. Wimberly, Archie Crothers and Xena Carman collected information or wrote significant memoirs, passing the family legacy onto their children before going to their final rest. Sarah BORTON Best wrote a detailed letter to her sister following the war, which outlined the roles played by various family members in the war, as well as the impact those events had upon them. Ruth, the daughter of John Nelson Best, wrote a ten-page letter to her brother Walter in 1901. This document told the story of Ed's carrying the colors at Perryville until being wounded, of Nels taking the flag until being wounded himself, and how he was left for dead under the hot sun for two days. Her accounts of the early family history explained the steel plate placed in Nels' head, and the difficulties this later caused him. She also told a romantic version of Ed escaping from Anderson Prison and coming all the way home with one of the prison dogs; and though it's likely he may have been one of the many escapees who were caught and returned to the prison, his military records clearly show that he was released in a prisoner exchange at Florence, South Carolina.

Erwin, Ruth, and Kenneth Crothers showed me around Big Spring, took me to the area cemeteries, and pointed out the locations of the original family farms and Indian campgrounds. Their family authored some area histories, which they kindly provided, along with a copy of Reminiscences by Sophronius S. Landt. Landt's book had copies of the original newspaper articles for each battle, as well as detailed personal notes. Erwin also recited some oral tradition regarding Alexander Hubbard Best (family tradition said that he'd once killed a man with his bare hands, and when he came to town, some of the women would mumble under their breaths, "He should be boiled in oil."), and Robert Monroe Ramsey (he fended off highway robbers, killing one with the ball bearings in the end of his oxen whip). These stories were passed to Erwin by his father, Archie Crothers, though I've taken considerable liberty in interpreting them. Erwin, a current town supervisor, has patiently explained a few town meeting notes from 1855 through the last years of the Civil War.

The Portage area historical information regarding the city and the Best family was researched by Edwyna Curry, former archivist of the Portage Public libray. Edwyna's work provided great insight into Portage itself, the Portage Light Guard, Eusebius Swift Best's letter home from Libby Prison, and Dr. Thomas Best's enrollment in the army as an assistant surgeon. Additional historical material and architectural descriptions of Portage were provided by Karen Kappenman, research librarian of the Portage Public library. Conversations with Fred Galley, a Portage photographer and historical enthusiast, helped describe various buildings and the character of the town in its earliest years. Information, photographs, and documentation regarding Dr. Thomas Best's family was provided by Geraldine and Daniel Draney of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Socrates' story was told in detail within the Chippewa Valley historical sketches, obituaries and military records. Details of the battles in which he fought, as evidenced in his military records, were taken from the Kansas Adjutant General Reports and memoirs of: Vincent Osborne, Col. W. F. Cloud (regional military commander), Samuel Crawford (later Kansas Secretary of War), and a special memorial for Captain Edward Lines. Materials regarding Daingerfield, Texas were provided by James Henry Conrad of the University of Northeast Texas Historical Archives. Gus and Willie's disruptive trip home and the name of the misguided chaplain who abandoned them was taken from Gus's obituary. Ellen's tragic life is clearly told in a series of letters written by her, Socrates, and Ellen's sisters to various members of the Langston family. Those letters were collected and compiled by the late Laurel Mussman, to whom the Best story owes a great deal.

A special word of thanks goes out to Dee Grunzeth at the Wisconsin Historical Archives for steering me to the diaries, letters, and memoirs of various men of the Wisconsin Tenth, and to Frank Idzikowski for locating W.W. Day's book in Athens, Georgia. Jim Blackwell and Jim Ogden of the Eastern National Park and Monument Association, gave me assistance and encouragement at Chickamauga battlefield, providing letters, maps and other information that helped me better understand the progression of battle. Lynnette Wolf, operations manager of the Wisconsin Veterans Museums, provided copies of Dyer's and Rusk's compendiums of the Wisconsin Adjutant General's reports for both the Wisconsin Second and Tenth Regiments. The unit roster (Wisconsin Red and Blue Books) gave information such as ages, height, hair and eye color.

Steve Anderson, of Ross and Haines Bookstores in Hudson, Wisconsin, enthusiastically turned me to various sources of information, such as Billing's Hard Tack and Coffee, and Gaff's If This is War. The latter text provided detailed diary notes from Julius Chandler, Charles Dow, and other newspapermen who served in the Wisconsin Second Voluntary Infantry from the formation of the Portage Light Guard to the Battle of Bull Run. Imagine my delight when Mr. Anderson showed me, within the pages of that book, an account of Swift Best becoming wounded, carried for a time, and finally being left behind as the Rebels counterattacked.

Kevin Dier-Zimmel researched the reunion books of the Tenth, providing a detailed account of the Battle of Paint Rock Bridge. He also supplied excerpts from Cozzen's book: "This Terrible Sound," which added pertinent information to the unit's surrender at Chickamauga. Turner's "Chickamauga, Bloody Battle in the West," and Shelby Foote's three volume Civil War series provided needed maps, statistics, and other objective information regarding important battles. In addition, the Adjutant General's reports from Wisconsin and Kansas gave a descriptive framework for the sequence and nature of the events each regiment experienced.

The song, Pawn Your Soul, was written by my friend and former traveling companion Douglas Bremicker(© 1969, all rights reserved) who has an exhaustive knowledge of early American folk songs that includes a host of Civil War favorites. Possessing a rich baritone voice and a modified Pete Seeger style, Brem has and will always be a musical inspiration to me.

I would also like to thank The United States National Archives in Washington, D.C. for providing the Civil War military records of the Bests from Portage and Big Spring. The United States War College Library supplied copies of Jackson Webster's personal diary. The University of Georgia at Athens allowed me to review microfilm copies of the memoirs of W.W. Day: Fifteen Months in Dixie. Additional assistance was received by Cobb County Public Library, Marietta, GA, National Park Services at Americus, GA (Andersonville Prison), Perryville, KY (Chaplain Hills battlefield), Murfreesboro, TN (Stones River battlefield), Fort Oglethorpe, GA (Chickamauga battlefield), The Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Portage Public Library, Chippewa Valley Historical Society, University of Wisconsin at River Falls area Historical Center, University of Northeast Texas Historical Archives, University of Texas Historical Archives, Neligh (Nebraska) Public Library, Historical Societies of Wisconsin, Kansas, and Nebraska.

These institutions researched information and provided photocopies of an immense amount of records.

Donna Best, Nicholas Best, Annika Best, and Ryan Johansson gave much needed clerical assistance. Ellen Pine, Jerry Goodmanson and Gary Fricks patiently and enthusiastically helped with proof reading. Nancy Baxter of Guild Press read my first draft and gave meaningful suggestions. Greg Zeck of the University of Minnesota, and Susan Malone, of Malone editorial Services, guided me through the long critique and editing process. But none of this would be possible without the cooperative and understanding spirit of my wife, Paulette, who encouraged me through a seven-year process of research and writing.