Walking to Gatlinburg by Howard Frank Mosher

Morgan Kinneson, a Vermont teen involved in the Underground Railroad, makes a fatal mistake and one of his charges is killed. He heads South to find his older brother, who has been reported missing in action at Gettysburg, and also to solve the riddle of a mysterious carved stone given to him by the escaped slave. A strange and murderous band of escaped convicts are after the stone and attempt to intercept him along the way. Morgan's travels and travails make for a wonderful thriller, coming of age story, and adventure yarn. Morgan struggles with the concepts of justice, forgiveness, faith and love in his own quest and also in light of the bloody war that has torn his country apart. I loved it!