The Origins of TO LIVE A PATRIOT: My Personal Journey

Welcome to my blog dedicated to my novel "TO LIVE A PATRIOT." Here, I will share all things related to my novel journey, the Civil War, patriotism, and more. My goal is to share something big or significant on the tenth of each month in honor of John Whitfield Newton Doak's birthday (December 10th, 1838).

I welcome you to join the Bluebelly Patriots. Just provide your email to join, and you can opt out whenever you wish. Subscribers will get content, updates, and insights about my journey. Even though it's a long shot, my goal is to have this novel published in the coming years. I've learned that agents and publishers prefer authors with large email lists, ideally consisting of hundreds or even thousands of supporters. While traditional publishing is a long shot, I've decided to continue trying for another year before exploring other avenues.

For more than two years, I've been researching, writing, and revising my novel about the Civil War experiences of my great-great-grandfather, John Whitfield Newton Doak. Although I'm still revising, the 109,888-word manuscript is essentially complete. (In the past three months, I've cut 35,000 words, killing off many of "my darlings!")

This journey began in May 2023 when an assistant principal at my school informed me on the Friday before summer school was set to start: “Oh no, Owen! Only two students have enrolled in your Civics and Government class. Your class won't run. I feel awful. What will you do this summer now?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe I will start writing my novel.”

“What?!” she responded, smiling. “Really?” 

“Sure. I think I have an idea.” I was half-joking.

Whether joking or not, I indeed had an idea. Over the past thirty years, I have incorporated John W.N. Doak’s Civil War letters into my high school U.S. History classes, becoming thoroughly familiar with his experiences. Students at three different high schools asked similar questions: "What was his life like? Why did he become a soldier, did he volunteer or was he drafted? What were his views on slavery? Which battles did he participate in? Did he marry Emma? What ultimately happened to him?" Based on how my students responded and the questions they asked, I knew this was a great story.

However, I must confess that I knew very little about John Whitfield Newton Doak until I started incorporating his letters into my lessons on the Civil War. As a child, I knew the man in the portrait in my father's den was a relative, but I wasn't certain if he was a great uncle or great-grandfather. It was only through using his letters in my classroom that I came to learn about his remarkable story of sacrifice and survival.

But could I really write a novel? I had no idea how to start. Should I create an outline first? How many characters are necessary? How much dialogue should there be? How do I craft dialogue? Where do I begin? I was lost. Then a family member offered some great advice: “Just start writing!” 

And so I did. 

And then I experienced a surge of creative energy. I reviewed my grandfather’s letters and the family history compiled by my Aunt Frannie and began piecing together the details of his life. However, there were numerous gaps that historical records did not address. Consequently, I took the liberty of embellishing and inventing details. It is a novel, after all. For example, the manner in which John and Emma met remains unknown, so I had to imagine that aspect.

However, I continued to devote a significant amount of time to research, determined to accurately capture the history. I borrowed around a dozen books from the Crystal Lake Public Library and returned for another dozen. I thoroughly explored the internet for YouTube videos, maps, and websites related to all the battles involving the Western Sharpshooters/66th Illinois. I needed to understand how soldiers trained and distinguish between a squad, company, regiment, brigade, and division. I researched the battles Corporal Doak participated in and pinpointed his regiment's location in each conflict. Additionally, I learned about lesser-known battles, such as the Battle of Mount Zion Church, Missouri (1861).

I discovered that his regiment gained some fame following the Battle of Fort Donelson, with the New York Times praising them and dubbing them the “squirrel tail regiment” due to their distinctive hats. I learned how to find and access the National Archives' Official Records of the Civil War, the orders of battles, and found a remarkable diary written by a 16-year-old Western Sharpshooter from Sheffield, Illinois named Arminius Bill. Ranger Tom at the Corinth Interpretive Center brought Arminius Bill's diary to my attention, for which I am very grateful. However, it wasn't until the summer of 2024 that I felt confident that I had placed John and his regiment at the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Corinth.

During that initial summer of writing, I frequently dedicated 12 hours a day in my basement, often typing with great intensity. I completed the first draft of my manuscript in the second week of August, right before school began. It consisted of nineteen chapters and 113,000 words.  I put it aside for three months and resumed working on it in November while commuting on the Metra train. (It's challenging to remember your stop when your mind is occupied with crafting dialogue between Civil War soldiers.) During the winter break of 2023-2024, I spent time revising and adding an entire chapter, which I have since taken out. Additionally, I must have rewritten the first chapter ten times in that first year.

The highlight of 2024 was a research trip to Edgar Cemetery to visit John W. N. Doak’s grave, followed by trips to Fort Donelson and Shiloh in Tennessee, and Corinth, Mississippi. Thank you to my sister and cousin for joining and assisting me! 

Which brings me to 2025. This year, in addition to continuing to rewrite and revise my novel, I have been sending out queries to agents. I have sent out 40 so far, with 16 responses. Almost all of them have been a version of "it's not you, it's me," so that is encouraging.

As I progress on this journey, I extend my gratitude to friends and family who have helped edit and given me feedback on the book. About a half dozen friends and family have read the entire manuscript. My father even listened to a few chapters last weekend. Thank you.

Big thanks to my amazing wife for being so patient, supportive, and generous while I continue to work on this project. Love you!

Owen C. Doak

June 9th, 2025