Civil War Dynasty: The Ewing Family of Ohio

Leading up to and during the Civil War, Thomas Ewing and his three sons had a heavy hand in local and national politics, and were influential in the Union's effort to win the war. Today, the family is largely forgotten, overshadowed by the legacy of their unofficially adopted son, Gen. William T. Sherman. In a cracking good tale set against the bloody conflicts of the Civil War, the dramatic political struggles between proslavery Union supporters and abolitionists, and the growing pains of a young nation moving westward, historian Heineman (God Is a Conservative) details the life and times of the Ewing family, from the patriarch's career as a statesman and lawyer, to his sons' rise to glory as military and political leaders. Heineman follows the exploits of the elder Ewing and his sons as they fight "three Civil Wars"%E2%80%94North against South, Union forces versus guerrilla insurgents, and in-fighting among Democrats over the necessity of the war. Heineman's fast-paced narrative brings to life a now-neglected American family as they come into their own against the complex backdrop of a nation struggling to overcome political and social differences. Photos & illus. (Jan.)