The Civil War had a profound effect on the soldiers and their families, and it is this aspect that is often neglected. We fail to grasp the horrible, day-to-day reality of the conflict, and we cannot fully appreciate the individual sacrifices made both by the fighting men and by their families.

The civilians who were swept along by the tidal wave of events which propelled the states into such violent combat, and those who fought each other for four long and gruelling years, were men and women with families and communities not so unlike our own. It is in studying the fascinating and compelling stories of these individuals that we can begin to appreciate the effects of the war on the soldiers and on the wives and children they left behind.

Only by understanding some of what they endured, can we properly honor them, which is the primary reason for this book.