Sequatchie Valley JUSTICE

This book focuses on a Southern state, Tennessee, caught in the grip of volatile change, emanating from the drift toward joining the Confederacy. A third of the state, East Tennessee, was pro-Union and opposed to secession. When the war started it underscored an allegiance by providing thousands of soldiers to fight for the North. The Sequatchie Valley was bordered by counties to the West favoring the Confederacy and to the East, counties that favored the Union. The valley became a fault line of opposing factions yielding unfathomable consequences, sometimes brother against brother. An obvious demarcation occurred with the election of Lincoln in 1860, as the valley was thrust into an imperfect balancing act between those who viewed the national government suspiciously and those who didn't. The president had been elected without receiving one electoral vote from the South. Furthermore, he had declared that he would not support a divided house. The implications were apparent. The story follows the Espy family that enjoyed strong support in the valley. However, reality was changing as emerging issues were redefining the political landscape. The family was targeted early. Rumors about the family patriarch, William Espy, were behind the acts committed, but the real reason was political. The new reality is a life and death struggle for survival. During the upheaval, the eldest son, a West Point Cadet, is in a difficult situation. Some of his fellow cadets are resigning and returning home to the South. He is determined to finish, but before he can, the war starts. Now the issue is how to get home and share in the family's struggle.