For those of you who are interested in life on the home front in South Carolinaduring the Civil War, there is a new book based upons 75 letters that were exchanged between a soldier in company I, the Dutch Fork Guards, and his wife during the War. The soldier's name was John Eliza Jacobs and his wife was Ellen. The author is Dr. Elwood Jones, a professor at Broward Community College in Florida. Dr. Jones has done an outstanding job of using these letters plus additional family information in his book, "Yesterday When We Were Young, Life in the Dutch Fork."

All of my previous research on the 15th South Carolina was focused on this regiment in the War. Dr. Jones' book shows the reality of what the soldiers' families endured on the home front. Left along to run a small farm and care for 3 babies, Ellen Jacobs did what she had to do to literally survive. How she did so is very well presented in this informative and very touching book.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have.

Jim Clary
Author of "A History of the 15th South Carolina Infantry: 1861-1865"

Cary, NC