The book is a fictional-historical story about a young boy who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He lived with his family on a beautiful farm in Currituck, North Carolina. But in 1861, his state became the enemy of the United States, and the Yankee army was coming toward his farm. His father knew he had to protect his son from this war. His decision set his young son on a course that few men would ever travel. The son in this book is based on my great-grandfather, Patrick Henry Morgan. It is a story based on true historical events and is told by Patrick as he lived it.
Patrick left his farm in 1862 to begin his schooling at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. His father pulled some strings to get him accepted. His father had lost five of his eleven children to disease, and he did not want his oldest to die in war.
Patrick takes us through his time at VMI (1862-1864). Patrick discovers quickly that VMI is not for the faint of heart. He tells many stories about his time at VMI, some bad and some happy, but mostly funny.
Patrick takes the reader through his part of the Battle of New Market. After the battle, the glory of the victory quickly faded as the realization that many of his friends had died or were wounded.
He ended up in Richmond, digging defensive positions while waiting for the Yankees to attack. The Confederates surrendered at Richmond and his quest to get home. He and four other cadets with five dollars between them traveled 200 miles through Yankee-occupied territory to finally make it home.
He helped his community and state by becoming a lawyer, a State Senator of North Carolina, a superintendent of the Lifesaving Service that became the United States Coast Guard in 1915, and much more. Patrick takes the reader along with him as he helps rebuild his state and tells the stories of meeting incredible men and women along with some famous people who changed the world. All based on true events and people with a few assumptions to make a good story.