The Thorny Truth and Their Civil War

From the mystic Blue Ridge Mountain country in North Carolina come the stories of two families who struggled to survive during the dreadful years of Civil War. Like so many other soldiers, Branch and John did not take up arms until they were conscripted in 1862. Their subsequent sacrifice and experiences, as well as those of their wives and children, have been shared with seven generations of their posterity. Now, The Thorny Truth and Their Civil War continues to share their personal and poignant stories through the voice of poetry. The poems are filled with the history of the War as it took place in western North Carolina-the raids, the battles and skirmishes, the victories, ultimate defeat, and particularly, with the everyday life of the men and women who lived in Haywood County. The "ugliness of war" was there in the "beauty of the Smoky Mountains" for four years, and the "thorny truth" of the Civil War will haunt the hearts of Americans forever. These poems remember-so that we may never forget, so that America shall never again tremble from within.