This section contains perhaps the best account of the Civil War experiences of John Charles Black and William Perkins Black, and the actions leading to their Medals of Honor. It was written by David Hinze, and titled as "Double Honor: The Story of John Black and William Black", University of Illinois Press, Illinois State Historical Society, Vol. 104, No.1/2 Spring Summer 2011. (Re-print rights provided)
A trip to the Arkansas battlefields at Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove where the Black brothers earned their Medals of Honor, and a visit to the exact marked battlefield locations where the brothers were wounded, leaves one with the appreciation that it is remarkable that the brothers were not killed. In the case of the Pea Ridge battle site, one is also able to visit the site of the field hospital, the staff of which included Dr. William Fithian, the step-father of John and William.
The account by Mr. Hinze is well done and extraordinarily factual. It complements an earlier work found in the form of a book written by Michael Banasik, "Duty, Honor and Country" (2006). Mr. Banasik's work contains a remarkable collection of letters, mostly written by William Black, from the Civil War battlefields. Many are written to his mother and sister, in which he confides on a number of subjects---some personal and others related to his military service. These letters are an insightful resource not only into William and his family, but also into the actions and movements of the 37th Illinois Infantry during key phases of the war in Arkansas. Given the extraordinary number of letters, Banasik however necessarily had to limit his selection of correspondence for his book, and he has done an excellent job in doing so. However, the Abraham Lincoln Public Library and Museum contains an even greater number of such war-time Black family letters, including more involving John. They offer even more insight into this remarkable family.
At the end of this section is a note dated December 14, 1862 from President Lincoln to Major General Custis who commanded at Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862 where John Black was shot. Apparently, as President Lincoln's note reflects, he thought (incorrectly) that John had been mortally wounded. Both John and William had been previously and personally known to Abraham Lincoln through the brothers' stepfather, Dr. William Fithian, who was a friend of the President during the days in the 1850s when he practiced law and rode the circuit in Central Illinois (including Danville).
