Camp-Fire and Cotton-Field: Southern Adventure in Time of War - Life with the Union Armies, and Residence on a Louisiana Plantation Thomas Knox was the first war correspondent court-martialed by a military officer. Thomas Wallace Knox (1835 - 1896) was a journalist, author, and world traveler, known primarily for his work as a New York Herald correspondent during the American Civil War. As an author, Knox wrote over 45 books, including a popular series of travel adventure books for boys. In 1860, at the age of 25, Knox headed west to take part in the gold rush in Colorado. He soon started working for the Denver Daily News. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Knox joined the Union cause. He was wounded in a Missouri skirmish, and subsequently discharged. At that point, Knox returned to journalism, as a correspondent for the New York Herald. He soon ran afoul of General Sherman. Knox was well known for his written attacks on William Tecumseh Sherman and his Union soldiers, which reintroduced into the public debate the issue of Sherman's sanity. His work was controversial as he published important information pertaining to the Vicksburg Campaign. Knox was acquitted on spy charges but found guilty of disobeying orders. Knox authored articles describing the battles at Wilson Creek, Memphis and Vicksburg. General Grant later allowed Knox to report on battles in the eastern theater. Knox's 1865 book "Camp-fire and Cotton-field" contains his wartime correspondence. Other books by Knox include: Hunters Three: Sport and Adventure in South Africa The Land of the Kangaroo The Underground World Overland Through Asia Decisive Battles Since Waterloo The Oriental World: Or, New Travels in Turkey, Russia, Egypt, Asia Captain John Crane, 1800-1815 Life and Work of Henry Ward Beecher How to Travel |
