Hawk Spencer walked toward Elizabeth, leading his horse, with a determined step. He had a serious expression on his face that Elizabeth could not read. Hawk continued in that steady gait until he stood directly in front of her.
“Elizabeth . . .”
“Oh, Hawk, I thought I would never see you again.” Elizabeth recovered from the shock of seeing him, but she could think of nothing to say to this man who had left her weeks before in anger for her refusal to marry him. After a long silence, she looked down and saw the bucket she had dropped. It still contained some water. Not knowing what else to say to this man she had come to care so much for, she muttered, “Would you like a drink of water?”
Hawk finally smiled, which made his dark blue eyes sparkle, and said, “After the drink I have taken from the well of Jesus Christ, I’ll never thirst again.”
Elizabeth suddenly understood Hawk’s meaning, and the tears welled up in her eyes and began to gently spill down her cheeks. “Tell me, Hawk.”
He turned and tenderly put his arm around her as they began walking toward the creek. “Elizabeth, I have been wandering most of my life. Out there”—he pointed toward the wilderness that seemed to stretch forever—“I got to a place in my wanderings when I felt I couldn’t go another step. It was at that point I knew I needed to return to the Lord. I was thirsty for something real after all these years of running. I . . . I don’t understand it all, but I know the anger and hopelessness are gone now.”
Elizabeth stopped and turned toward Hawk. She reached up and pulled his head down and gently kissed him. His arms went around her and he held her tightly. A moment later Elizabeth looked up at Hawk’s peaceful face and knew that she was where she belonged—in the arms of the man who loved her but who now loved God more.
Notes to Our Readers
Gilbert and I want to thank you for taking this journey to America’s first frontier. We have enjoyed working together to tell the story of Hawk Spencer and Elizabeth MacNeal and the characters of Over the Misty Mountains as they bravely stepped out—at great personal risk—to forge a new life in the untamed wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains. We hope that you will join us in the future volumes of The Spirit of Appalachia series as we continue their story. Andrew and Sarah, and the other settlers must work through problems with the Cherokee. And Jacob and his family are caught up in the turmoil of the American Revolution, which reaches across the misty mountains.
The history of our nation is replete with courageous men and women who undauntingly braved the obstacles that this wild frontier set before them. Together we will discover how the settlers relied on their faith to see them through all of the struggles they faced as they strived to carve out new homes on the frontier. That is why I love historical fiction. It allows us to catch a glimpse of history as it comes alive through real characters who formed the spiritual and moral fabric of our nation. It is our prayer that you will benefit from the spiritual lessons found in the pages of The Spirit of Appalachia series. As we learn to put God first in our lives, just as Hawk had to learn, we see that a vital dependence on Him is the only way we can find the peace and steadiness to make it through the struggles we will inevitably encounter on life’s journey. He is the only constant on whom we can depend.
The history of the vast lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains are so rich and colorful that we thought you would enjoy knowing which characters and events in the novel are true. Little Carpenter was a leader of the Cherokee who worked for peace between the English and his people. It was his skills in diplomacy that kept the Cherokee on the side of the English for much of the French and Indian War, enabling them to concentrate on defeating the French. The Cherokee Indians did fight the English after suffering mistreatment at their hands, and they captured Fort Loudoun in 1760. The fort was retaken in 1761 as depicted in the story. This ended the Cherokee participation in the French and Indian War, which was a major step toward ultimate victory for the English and helped to open the lands over the Appalachians for future settlements.
Daniel Boone was probably the most famous frontiersman who ever lived. The reference to his marking a tree where he “cilled a bar” in 1760 is absolutely true. The tree stood until it was blown down in a storm in 1920. A marker erected by the Tennessee DAR points out the location near present-day Johnson City.
William and Lydia Bean did establish the first permanent settlement in what is now the state of Tennessee in 1769. They settled near the Watauga River with many friends and families, and their son, Russell, was the first white child born in Tennessee. The settlement they established, Watauga, was the first self-governing territory on the North American continent.
James Robertson left North Carolina and settled on the frontier in 1770 with his wife, Charlotte. They eventually moved on to settle in Nashborough. Robertson had a large impact on the future of the area that we know today as the state of Tennessee, earning him the monikers “The Father of Tennessee” and “The Father of Middle Tennessee.”
The Regulators were a group of people in North Carolina who vehemently opposed the taxing practices of the rich eastern landowners who wanted to build the governor’s “palace.” The political strife resulted in the Battle of Alamance, where two thousand Regulators were defeated by the smaller army of Governor Tryon. Six Regulators were hanged, and many others were taken prisoner. After being promised that they would be pardoned, six thousand Regulators surrendered to the authority of the colony. However, many of these families, fleeing the oppression, left their homes and moved to the Watauga settlements so they could find freedom.
John and Valentine Sevier and Evan Shelby are also true characters. John Sevier became the first governor of the state of Tennessee. His story as well as that of all of these people will be continued along with the stories of the Spencers and the MacNeals. Please write us in care of Bethany House Publishers and let us know what you think of The Spirit of Appalachia.
GILBERT MORRIS spent ten years as a pastor before becoming Professor of English at Ouachita Baptist University of Arkansas. During the summers of 1984 and 1985, he did postgraduate work at the University of London. A prolific writer, he has had over twenty-five scholarly articles and two hundred poems published in various periodicals. He and his wife live on the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
AARON McCARVER teaches drama and Christian literature at Wesley College in Florence, Mississippi. His deep interest in Christian fiction and broad knowledge of the CBA market have given him the background for editorial consultation with all the “writing Morrises” as well as other novelists. It was through his editorial relationship with Gilbert that this book series came to life.
Over the Misty Mountains Page 37
