The Scott Boys: A Civil War Novel- Inspired by Actual Events

by S Scott Anderson

From East Tennessee, the Scott family faces Civil War
confl icts. One brother and his son decide to fi ght for the
Southern Cause, while four other brothers escape into
Kentucky to join the Union Army, fi ghting against slavery
and preserving the Union. Th e Scott family adheres to
the Presbyterian faith as Covenanters, embracing Native
American perspectives, combining those values to provide
guidance through a most challenging time.
Th e family members who remain in East Tennessee are
subjected to suff ering from the plundering bushwhackers
who see the Scott family allegiance to the Union as cause
for punishment. Th at retribution also applies to slaves with
whom the Scotts live as farmers, loggers and millers, all
working the land of others.
How THE SCOTT BOYS approach the decision to fi ght,
how they react during events, and how they face the fears
and the mental challenges of war are presented with the
realization that none of us knows for certain what those
feelings were like in 1860. Follow each brother through
the war during battle, in prison, marching, and dealing
with the harshness of exposure to the weather. Many of
the characters portrayed are real life men and women. Th e
locations are all actual.

298 pages, Hardcover

Published June 23, 2025

Reviews

[READER VIEWS · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year was 1861, and the Scott Brothers were facing a consequential decision. As a war between the Union and the Confederacy began, they would need to choose a side to fight for. While the state of Tennessee had seceded from the Union, the men of East Tennessee were more conflicted about their loyalties. As spring turned to fall in 1861 and able-bodied men were sought to fill out the ranks of both armies, the six Scott siblings would make their fateful choices in enlisting in a war that would last the next four years and cost hundreds of thousands of lives.

The toll of human misery wrought by war is deftly chronicled in The Scott Boys, a historical fiction novel inspired by true events, that tells the story of a Southern family riven by the war between the states. The compelling narrative explores the experiences of the young Scotts as they fight on both sides of the line and attempt to survive the fierce and pitched battles that unfolded throughout the course of the war. Author S. Scott Anderson has written a rousing narrative that is filled with high drama and intense action. Anderson proves adept at crafting a convincing multiperspective storyline that never loses its edge as the book progresses.

The heart of the story is the Scott Boys (Robert, James, Elisha, Israel, John R, Billy) and their respective experiences during the destructive war. Their reactions to enlisting, whether it be enthusiasm or trepidation, provide a layer of authenticity to their characters. The trauma that each of the men deals with as a result of the horrors they witness both on and off the battlefield is handled with gravity and sensitivity. The bond between the brothers is both palpable and often portrayed with a particular poignancy.

The Scott Boys effectively explores the incomparable bond of brotherhood during wartime. The story is filled with both heart and depth, and populated with terrific characters that keep the narrative moving with a steady flow. S. Scott Anderson’s period piece is affecting, well-researched, and compares equably with the work of Jeffrey Shaara (Gods and Generals, The Last Full Measure) & Shelby Foote (Shiloh).

[Glenn]

It is clear to the reader that the author poured his heart, soul and time into the book. Lawd I reckon that it is bout the best book I have read about the Civil War in a long time. It stirred emotions and feeling about the Civil War that I had not felt since visiting Gettysburg many years ago.

[Scott Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a revelation, and an immensely engaging one, about the personal toll of the Civil War on soldiers and their families. As an east Tennessee native, I knew this part of the state was divided, but The Scott Boys goes much deeper. It portrays the extreme wartime experiences of one family who never enslaved other humans and whose sons wore both blue and gray when forced to choose sides.

Anderson's extensive research and vivid, tightly paced narrative convey the stories of those Scott boys with passion and historical accuracy. Bravo!