It's been 150 years since Fort Sumpter was fired upon by Confederate troops and the start of the Civil War and although it may seem that California didn't have a part in the War Between the States, that isn't entirely true.
Alcatraz, located in the San Francisco Bay and best known as the federal prison that housed such infamous criminals as Al Capone and Robert Stroud, was actually the location of the San Francisco Arsenal and prison to Confederate sympathizers and blockade runners during the Civil War.
Fort Humboldt, located a few hours north of San Francisco in Humboldt County, is where a young captain in the U.S. army by the name of Ulysses S. Grant served five months during 1854. Other well-known military figures of the Civil War that served at Fort Humboldt include Charles S. Lovell, Robert C. Buchanan, George Crook, and Gabriel J. Rains.
Fans of historical fiction, and especially historical fiction set during the time of the Civil War, should add the following books to their reading list. Three of the following books have been reviewed by the Examiner and those reviews can be accessed by clicking on the title of the book. The Examiner also encourages readers to visit Fort Humboldt and Alcatraz and try to imagine what it may have been like living there during the 1860's.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - Published nearly 20 years after the Civil War ended and set in the period before the start of the war, the author speaks out, in fiction, about the state of the nation after the war that ripped it apart.
The Adversaries by Jack Cavanaugh - Two families that have been united in friendship and faith for generations will find their loyalties tested when the Civil War finds them on different sides of the issue.
An Eye for Glory: The Civil War Chronicles of a Citizen Soldier by Karl Bacon - Written as a memoir to his children, the story of Michael Palmer is a compelling one. The depiction of soldier life and battles like Gettysburg include great detail.
Angels Watching Over Me by Michael Phillips - The daughter of a plantation owner and the daughter of a slave must depend on one another when they are left without the aid of their families.
Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin - Told as a series of memories, the reader first meets the main character in 1853 and living in Richmond, Virginia. She is 12 years old and her life is about to change dramatically in the next ten years.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - Although the CIvil War plays a minor role in the storyline, it was published just three years after the Civil War ended. Alcott spent time as a nurse in a military hospital during the war and the letters she wrote during that time were published as Hospital Sketches.
William Henry is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke - The first title in the Civil War series, this book won a Christy Award. It tells the story of 13-year-old Robert. His father works in the Underground Railroad and his mother views slavery as a way of life.
All of these books can be purchased online from retailers like Amazon, Powell's, and Berean Christian. They can also be found at retailers like the ones listed below.
Vine & Branches
110 W Oak St
Lodi, CA 95240-3506
Jireh's Christian Books, LLC
4340 Golden Center Dr Ste A
Placerville, CA 95667-6280
Harvest Bookstore
1239 Noriega St
San Francisco, CA 94122-4407
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