The Secret Of War: A Dramatic History Of Civil War Crime In Western North Carolina

by Terrell T. Garren, Trena Parker (Contributor)

Civil War crime in western North Carolina is the subject of The Secret of War, by Terrell T. Garren. Based on the true-life experience of Delia Russell Youngblood, the great-grandmother of the author, the book "captures what the Civil War was like in the mountains and throughout the south." After hearing his great-grandmother's story, Garren spent nearly fifteen years researching this story in particular and the Civil War history of western North Carolina in general. It is the story of Joseph Youngblood and Delia Russell of Hoopers Creek in Henderson County, North Carolina. The reader will follow Joseph through his enlistment as a part of Company H, the "Cane Creek Rifles," of the 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment to the Battle of Malvern Hill, Virginia, and to battle in Sharpsburg, Maryland, where he was captured. Taken to the Union Camp Morton in Indianapolis, Indiana, he finally escapes and make his way down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers into Mississippi. Attempting to make his way back to North Carolina, he is in Dalton, Georgia, in May of 1864 when fourteen Confederate soldiers, including a brother, are executed for "desertion." Ultimately, being recaptured, he goes back to Camp Morton until the end of the war. Told with historical accuracy, names, battles, and places in this story are true to fact. Readers will recognize place names in Henderson, Jackson, Haywood, Cherokee, Transylvania, Clay, Macon, and Buncombe Counties in North Carolina. Family names mentioned include Fletcher, Carland, Lewis, Bishop, Bryson, Freeman, Henderson, Fowler, Whitaker, Wheeler, Summey, Russell, Barnwell, Ward, Lanning, Hammond, Garren, Youngblood, and Blake. What sets this book apart from many, however, is the story of what happened to the women left behind at home. The story reveals how the lowest criminal element found its way into the Union Army. Many mountain men motivated by greed and an awareness of the demise of Confederate authority signed up with no interest in any cause but their own. Union officers who enter the picture include Generals George Stoneman, Alavan C. Gillem, and William J. Palmer. Palmer enters the story late but emerges as a man of genuine integrity and selfless bravery opposed to and fighting this element in his own army. Dr. Newton Smith of Western Carolina University says, "The Secret of War" is that rare historical novel that captures both the romance and the grit and gore of war on the home front without distorting the history. It is about time someone did the story of the Civil War in the southern mountains right." Rob Neufeld, writing in the Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times, has said the book "is a must read" and "as a contribution to our understanding of the most disturbing passage in our history, it is indelible." He further writes, "Fiction? It really happened; and, if it hadn't, the author wouldn't be around to tell it....Although Garren has written fiction, he wants you to treat it as history. After all, at the back of his book, he provides an index."

Genres: Historical Fiction, American Civil War

387 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a page-turner, and very accessible. It has given new sobering dimension to the places I drive past daily. There are some atrocities against women, slaves and children described in this book that are really disturbing, so trigger warning on that

[Bruce Mendelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a very good, although somewhat disturbing, book about the American Civil War. It is a novelized account of the true life experiences of a family that lived Western North Carolina. The book revolves around the lives of Delia Russell and Joseph Youngblood of Henderson Country, North Carolina. Joseph enlists in the army of the South. The book follows him through many conflicts where he witnesses heroic deeds as well as many war crimes committed by people that were on both sides of the conflict. Delia stays behind at the family residence and experiences some of the horrors that occurred to civilian individuals who were left without support. The book is very well written. It is fast paced and appears to be historically accurate. This volume should appeal to anyone interested American history, particularly if one has an interest in the American Civil war.

[Brenda Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is raw and real. At times it was very hard to read due to the stark realities of human nature. Terrell Garren paints a very real picture of war without taking sides. He shows the best of both sides and the worst. This is a fiction based very closely on the real events of his family. My favorite part of the book is the scenery of the areas in which I live and the culture of the people in it..

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because the story line features characters with my family name. But the story compelled my interest from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down. Should one ever be depressed about his current state of life, country or world affairs, he just needs to read this book! Compared to the horrific decisions and actions required of our ancestors in the great Civil War, our generation is extremely fortunate.

[Kristie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my Dad, who bought it because he now has a house in the area where the author's ancestors lived in North Carolina.
I liked the way that it showed historical events of the Civil War from different perspectives. It shows you the horrible things that happen in any war.

[Christina Salvage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some interesting surprises and is well written. I stopped reading it for awhile because I know something bad is about to happen. Ok, so the bad thing happened. Yikes. Still a good book.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lost me early on when "Nanny enjoyed her work so much she forgot she was a slave"....and for whom is "the secret of war" really a secret?