COMING IN 2025!
A TRUE STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR
In August 1861 William Kennedy was a harness-maker living in LaSalle, Illinois. Married with four young children, he volunteered to recruit a company in response to Lincoln’s call for more troops. During the next two years, he saw action at Shiloh, Corinth, Chickasaw Bayou, and finally the Siege of Vicksburg. Observant, patriotic and sometimes cynical, Kennedy’s letters give us an intriguing picture of how people of the North really experienced the war.
“In telling the story of William Kennedy through his own letters, the authors of this fine book do a service to the memory of both this man and all the men who fought in America’s bloodiest war. Simply put, this is a Civil War story well told and one that is grounded on the actual words of a common yet uncommon man who served the Union cause he believed in and sacrificed everything for it.”
— Greg Romaneck, Civil War Courier
About rachael
Rachael is a teacher, writer, genealogist and historian. Educated at the University of London (UK), she earned a Master’s in Humanities from California State University Dominguez Hills. She lives in Peru, Illinois and is thrilled to share the story of William Kennedy with you.
Meet the mellen family
Writer Rachael Mellen is shown with her late husband, Robert, and their children, Elizabeth, Robin, and Alice, in 1992. This family was involved in Battery G, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery, participating in reenactments and community events. Photo by Nicholas Burman.
BOOK A PRESENTATION!
I would love to share William Kennedy’s Civil War story with your group! Presentations can be tailored to your needs. I guarantee you will come away with a new understanding of this turbulent time in the nation’s history.