Moonlight and Freedom

Sounds of war rumble in the distance. From within the ranks of the Army of Northern Virginia, the men of Company F from Rockport and the rest of the Third Arkansas Infantry Regiment march to the cadence of distant artillery, led by their brave but ever-changing Confederate leadership. When the famous Texas Brigade welcomes them into their ranks, they find a brotherhood in General Robertson's brigade, under Hood's leadership. Richard longs for home, but he can't return until he earns the right by helping the cause and winning the war-if he returns. The dawn of day back home had afforded him opportunities and boyhood adventures, but on the cusp of manhood, the Civil War has delayed his plans. For many of his friends, it ended theirs. Richard finds a sliver of hope in the moonlight winking just outside his tent and even more when he sleeps under the open sky. The sounds of the night remind him of family. They remind him of Jenny. Will she wait for him? Jenny has already lost her mother before the war. She prays the war doesn't kill her father or dear Richard or . . . her. Those on the home front in Arkansas fight a different battle-one of survival. Will she and the others be able to preserve their community for the brave boys to return to? The South must win.