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For the English reader many of the events in the American Civil War, or as many like to call it, The War Between the States, will seem unfamiliar. And yet I would be just as unfamiliar writing about Agincourt, or The Battle of Naseby in that period of English Civil War. There is enough in the following story to keep the interest of a reader without an American history lesson; at least this is my hope.

Ever since I was a young boy the history of the United States has been a fascination, and no period in the past two hundred and thirty-four years stands out like the American Civil War. I have read all the great books on the subject by the authors of renown... Bruce Catton, Shelby Foote, and legions of others. I highly recommend them for an in-depth look.

It was a time of great turmoil, no matter which side of the conflict is viewed or favored; it was a moment in time when this nation almost ceased to exist. The youngest soldiers who fought were from the south, some as young as twelve years of age. And so when I read about the battles and saw the early photographic results I found the image of a dead Confederate boy sadly compelling, he was just fourteen.

This story was gleaned from years of reading and hours of research, beginning with the cadets of the Virginia Military Institute, the youngest fighting unit to ever take the field... and win. Two hundred and fifty-seven cadets, many of them only fifteen years of age. Their place in our history is like no other, and the school still maintains a monument to honor their glory in the Battle of New Market. This is where my story begins.

The reader is cautioned to understand that this is a fictional story, although I have tried to stick to the facts and timeline of the events portrayed. Most of these characters never existed; they are a product of the writer's imagination. I have included historical figures only to lend credibility to the action; they are accurately quoted whenever possible.

There is little adult material in this story, and that which is portrayed is common among young teenage boys. But I wanted this to be a grand romantic adventure for the reader, a unique look at what America was like in the not too distant past. Only your comments will tell me if I succeeded.

Chris James 2010

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