“The Smoke at Dawn,” Jeff Shaara’s latest historical novel about the Civil War, has been released and it has a Cecil County angle. This third volume, part of a four part series, focuses on the critical Battle of Chattanooga.
Kyle Dixon has been listening to the audio version of the book., He informs me that William Whann Mackall, a Confederate General from Cecil County, appears on the pages of this just released volume. Mackall, a graduate of West Point, grew up near Childs. When the war broke out he resigned his U.S. Army commission and joined the confederacy.
A state historical marker near the boyhood home on Blue Ball Road provides additional information on Mackall. And here is a link to an article Milt Diggins did on the general.
