Defending Dixie Book

The Civil War has begun and Kentucky is ready to explode as family loyalties are torn apart as fathers and sons join the fight, many on opposite sides. Bowling Green is at the heart of the conflict as Confederate troops move into the city in late 1861. Weaving a fictional love story with factual events surrounding the Army of Tennessee, Sally Flanagan and her family become more entangled in the Western theater battles and the lives of legendary Southern commanders than they ever imagined. When Sally falls for a Confederate Captain, the excitement begins and Bowling Green is filled with activity until the Yankees drive the Rebels south into Tennessee. When Sally’s brother is ousted as a Northern spy, family shame leads the younger twins to run away. As Sally starts the hazardous journey south to find them, little does she know she will be caught up in battles which lead her to her own injured Rebel Captain. Bedford Forrest, John Hunt Morgan, and other Confederate leaders are realistically depicted in some of the South’s finest, and worst, moments. The Army of Tennessee, from their beginning in Bowling Green through their demise at Nashville in 1864, leaves a legacy unsurpassed by others. Their desperate battles, hardships and courage are portrayed with historical accuracy, shedding light on the strange “neutrality” which Kentucky maintained throughout the conflict. As for Sally, the war brings excitement and danger, but most of all, it brings the love of her life and the need for strength she never knew she had.Read More