This book is written as a prequel to my novel "Gone Home for Angels." In "Gone Home," I covered the experiences of Nicholas Siler in the American Civil War, from the battle of Gettysburg through the end of the tragic conflict. In this novel, I will cover his adventures from the onset of war up to the point where "Gone Home" begins. You will also meet civilian characters Nick encounters in "Gone Home" who played a pivotal role in his life. The story of the American immigrant is the story of America. German Americans made up the largest ethnic immigrant group to fight in the American Civil War. Many of those men, especially the officers, were experienced soldiers from European conflicts in previous decades. They all came to America seeking freedom and a better life for themselves and for their families. This novel tells the story of three families; one German-American family and the sacrifices they made during the most turbulent era of our history, an African American family and their struggles to secure freedom and an Irish American family whose life becomes disrupted by the storm clouds of war. Their stories are only a few of millions of similar stories of this period, both North and South.