Ferguson led a group of independent partisans based in Sparta, TN (my hometown.) They occasionally operated with the Confederate Army, but more often acted on their own in a bitter war with similar Union guerrillas also based in the region, and any civilians who got in the way. Champ was idolized by pro-Confederate Tennesseans and demonized by pro-Union ones (for good reason.) Many legends grew up around him, and there is evidence that Forrest Carter combined Ferguson with Quantrill riders such as Bloody Bill Anderson to serve as the template for The Outlaw Josey Wales. He was tried and hanged by a military tribunal in Nashville at the end of the Civil War. His last request was for his body to be returned to Sparta and buried "in good Rebel soil."
Here is the description from the back cover of the novel: "To some he was a brutal thug, a heartless murderer – a monster. To others he was a protector, a beloved martyr to the Confederate cause – a hero. To a few he was a family man, a good old boy caught up in passions beyond his control – a man.He was all these things, and more. He was an American tragedy. He was Champ Ferguson."
I am honored to have received this ringing endorsement from my friend, renowned Western author (and previous president of Western Fictioneers) Frank Roderus: "Troy Smith is a superb writer. The life of Champ Ferguson is a powerful story. Put the two together and you have a wonderful read. I highly recommend Good Rebel Soil."
The book is now available for most ebook platforms from smashwords.com at this location and should be up at amazon soon, in paperback as well as ebook.
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