Chapter 1

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, IV.

Who?

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, IV. Twenty-three years old, incredibly handsome, a man whose physique defines the term "fit". His coal black hair is always "just tussled" enough to be perfect, and when he smiles at a girl, she has a sudden feeling of warmth, giddiness, and submission all at the same time. Nearly every sorority on campus declared him the Most Desirable Bachelor. At first glance, you would be awed by his good looks and physique. Standing six feet three inches, he is taller than an average man. He carries his one hundred sixty pounds very well, maintaining a lean body through strenuous exercise four mornings a week. Ask any man in his gym and they would probably caution that he hides his strength exceeding well. When you speak with him, you will be similarly impressed with his soft, gentle voice and understanding of whatever is the topic of conversation. When you finally get to know him, his compassion and concern for helping others will make you proud to tell others that you do. If you are a woman, and he had invited you to his bed, you would still be smiling.

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox IV, the seventh generation descendant of his namesake, General Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, Army of Northern Virginia, and a graduate of the University of Georgia like so many of his lineage. He was the first individual to be elected President of the Student Body while only a second year student at that institution and, like his father and grandfather had done, after graduation, was successfully admitted to the Bar in the Great State of Georgia.

General Wilcox, prior to the secession of Tennessee, had served admirably in the U.S. Army following his graduation from the Military Academy. His promotions followed rapidly as he became known as a man quite capable of accomplishing a mission. He resigned his U.S. commission at the outbreak of hostilities and joined the First Alabama Regulars with the rank of Colonel. Throughout the war, General Wilcox made certain that his troops were trained and ready to move into battle on short notice, traveling throughout the region in search of the opposition. From a strictly military point of view, General Wilcox was undoubtedly the most talented battlefield commander of the war, on either side. Perhaps if his fellow commanders had enjoyed his same talents, the outcome of hostilities may have been different. Following the war, every child in a southern grade school learned of his successes and accomplishments, and the legacy of the name continued to grow. Ironically, the name of General Wilcox does not even appear in most history books printed in the North. Even today, school children in Georgia learn about the life and accomplishments of the General. Virginia may have Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, but Georgia had and still has Cadmus Wilcox.

All through his schooling, his teachers asked young Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox IV to share some of the stories and accomplishments of his famous relative. In the early grades, he was shy and his stories were always short and disjointed. Many times he expressed wishes to his father that the teachers and schools just treat him as any ordinary kid. His father would explain, again and again, that while the Confederate Army had indeed surrendered to the North, and maybe because of that fact, the South was desperately in need of heroes and his great grandfather was one person that they chose to anoint. He added, "Just as the Kennedy children have learned, you, too, will find that doors open for you, for no other reason that you name is Wilcox."