A High Price To Pay

When Rensey joins the Confederate Army with a group of teenagers from his home town, he s absolutely certain he's doing the right thing. After all, he's heroically protecting his state from Northern invaders. But Rensey and his friends quickly discover that war is not the glorious adventure of their boyhood dreams. Rather, it becomes a nightmare of terror as he is forced to kill or be killed. Through countless battles and determined bravery, Rensey becomes a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers, but ... deep inside Rensey can't help but wonder ... am I doing the right thing? But as the months of war turn to years, the battle-hardened boys begin to wonder if they'll even survive. Rensey yearns for the day when he can be back home for good and start a family of his own. At one point, this young man, a heroic soldier only a few months earlier, considers desertion from the army. He is constantly trying to see God’s hand in the war, but while his world is crashing around him, he struggles with his faith. 

My Grandmother used to tell us stories about her ancestors in the American Civil War, so I've always had an interest in the subject. When I read about my North Carolina ancestors' involvement (as well as my wife's North Carolina ancestors), fighting against the Northern states, I was amazed at what they went through. I decided to put them all into one story, changing the names a bit, placing them all into one NC Regiment (the 34th Infantry - the one my grandmother's Grandfather fought in from 1862 to 1865). Some deserted, some were killed, some ran across the field at Gettysburg on the third day, some surrendered with Lee at Appomattox. Many of my ancestors were too poor to even own land, so slavery was not important to them. Most of my ancestors were drafted by the Confederate government against their wishes. Anyway, war is such a difficult situation for anyone to be in, especially teenagers, so it was interesting to see what came out in my novel. I hope you enjoy the story.