▁the ▁firm ▁continued ▁as ▁Col yar ▁and ▁Mark s . ▁ ▁Civil ▁War ▁ ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Southern ▁Dem ocrat , ▁Mark s ▁was ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁se cess ion . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁he ▁ran ▁as ▁the ▁pro - Union ▁candidate ▁for ▁his ▁district ' s ▁representative ▁to ▁the ▁state ' s ▁proposed ▁convention ▁on ▁se cess ion , ▁and ▁can v ass ed ▁with ▁his ▁oppon ent , ▁future ▁governor ▁Peter ▁Tur ney . ▁ ▁When ▁war ▁broke ▁out , ▁Mark s ▁never theless ▁joined ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁Army . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁captain ▁of ▁Company ▁E , ▁ 1 7 th ▁Tennessee ▁Infantry , ▁which ▁was ▁initially ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Felix ▁K . ▁Z ol lic of fer , ▁and ▁saw ▁action ▁at ▁the ▁batt les ▁of ▁Camp ▁Wild cat ▁( Oct ober ▁ 1 8 6 1 ) ▁and ▁Mill ▁Spr ings ▁( J anu ary ▁ 1 8 6 2 ) ▁in ▁Kentucky . ▁ ▁After ▁Z ol lic of fer ' s ▁death ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁eng agement , ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁was ▁re ass igned ▁to ▁General ▁Bush rod ▁Johnson ' s ▁forces . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁Mark s ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁major . ▁ ▁During ▁a ▁re organ ization ▁of ▁Confeder ate ▁forces ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁Mark s ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁colon el , ▁and ▁placed ▁in ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁ 1