About the Author

While reading Battles and Leaders of the Civil War in 1977, Deryl Sellmeyer stumbled across mention of a cavalry fight at Prairie DíAne, Arkansas. He recalled the name as a battle mentioned in a brief biography his late grandmother had given him of her grandfatherís life. He realized that her grandfather, a soldier in Shelbyís Brigade, had fought at Prairie DíAne, and he was hooked. He began researching voraciously, and his interest never waned. In 1983, he self-published his first book, Saline County Soldier, a brief biography of his great-great-grandfatherís service in the Civil War. After retiring in 2003, Mr. Sellmeyer completely devoted his time to completing his manuscript of the history of Shelbyís Brigade.