The drama and color of six days leading to and including the Kentucky Civil War Battle of Richmond are experienced by a cast of real and fictional characters in The Draw, a Kentucky Civil War story, a novelette based on the most overwhelming Confederate victory of the War Between the States.      The Draw is fast-paced fiction based on fact as the Confederacy invades Kentucky in late summer 1862 in a campaign designed to win the Commonwealth and carry the fight across the Ohio River. The story focuses on Chad Spencer, a tall rawboned Confederate corporal whose “get he-job-done” demeanor is tempered by doing that which is right. The tragedy and drudgery of war unfolds through Spencer and his Tennessee infantry comrades as they fight hunger, thirst and fatigue to overcome an inexperienced Union army.      The book, by Battle of Richmond preservationist Ed Ford, involves such actual battle figures as Union Gen. William (Bull) Nelson and emancipationist Cassius Clay. Their personal conflict enforces Nelson’s resolve to move Union troops to a less-defensible position that changes the course of the battle. A female Confederate spy and her relationship with CSA Cavalry Col. John Scott adds intrigue to the story and sets the stage for a dramatic finish in the streets of Richmond.      An early confrontation between Spencer, the principal character, and Henry Alford, a wounded Federal private, leads to an unlikely acquaintanceship that provides an understanding of the battle from the Union point of view. Spencer and his 13th Tennessee Regiment are involved in nearly wiping-out Alford’s Indiana infantry unit, but Henry survives to tell how Chad spared his life.      The Draw captures the spirit and color of the Battle of Richmond in 100 pages. It’s a historical novelette for all those interested in the Civil War and fast-paced adventure. Priced at $19.95, the book is available at Berea and Richmond bookstores and through the Battle of Richmond Association and A/E Press.  Click HERE for ordering information.

What really happened at the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House? That’s what this pamphlet attempts to accomplish – the true account of Lee’s surrender to Grant.      When two or more people see the same event at the same time, why do reports of that event sometimes differ? It happens in conversation, news stories and even in photographs. Such is the case with the Surrender at Appomattox Court House. Confederate Col. Charles Marshall and Union Brig. Gen. Horace Porter, both eyewitnesses, recorded detailed descriptions of what occurred on April 9, 1865. However, some details – although minor – differed somewhat. That notwithstanding, their accounts of this historic event formed a solid foundation for this story of a major occurrence in American history.      The story of the Surrender, of course, is a story about the two principal figures – Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant. But a more human version is the involvement of the Wilmer and Virginia McLean family. The McLeans saw the war start in the back yard of their farm in Manassas and end in the parlor of their home at Appomattox Court House. This is their story as much as it is about Grant and Lee and the North and the South. And, it was the favorite doll of their daughter that was the silent witness to the entire event.       The Silent Witness: The Surrender at Appomattox is also featured as a four-act Civil War play.  Click HERE for ordering information.