A Civil War Story

This is the story of two families, one from New England and the other from Texas. On April 8, 1857, Sam Harrison, a ship builder in Boston, Massachusetts, purchases the ranch he always planned to own. He and his family move to Texas. Their Texas neighbors live on the Circle C Ranch, owned by Yancey Coates. The families become close friends. In June of 1857, Harrisons son, Ben enters West Point. Over the next four years Ben falls in love with Yanceys daughter, Kathy. They often speak of marriage. Emily, the daughter of Sam and Mary Harrison, falls in love with Yanceys son Arney. They also plan to marry. On July 4, 1861 the Civil War begins. Ben, now a graduate of West Point, leads a Union cavalry company. Arney becomes a Confederate cavalry officer. The families friendship comes apart. The story personalizes actual Civil War battles, but the main plot shows what happens to the two families, before, during and after the war.