Having been born and reared in the same area of West Virginia as the subjects and author of this book; interrelated to the Hudnall family through several marriages between members of their family and mine; myself a Civil War buff and sympathizer of the Confederate cause; and having a personal knowledge of the years of arduous effort that went into the documentation of the historical facts set forth in this work, I naturally looked forward to its publication with almost as much anxiety and anticipation as its author. The wait was worth it. Mr. Hudnall has superbly chronicled in an easy to read style, the trials endured by certain of his family members as they followed the course of their personal convictions throughout one of the most tumultuous periods of this nation's history.... convictions which happened to be contrary to the tide of public opinion of those amid whom they not only were related by blood but by close personal acquaintance. Three Confederates From Kanawha County, West Virginia should, hopefully, soon find a well-deserved place in the private and public libraries of not only historians and government institutions, but in those of anyone having an interest in, and appreciation for, the individual sacrifices which were required in making America become the superpower nation of the world she ultimately became.

You are about to embark on a journey to many places untouched by modern man, giving you a glimpse of the past mirrored with stories and brief histories of battles long since silenced by time. As you open this book you will be begin your Civil War trek at Manassas, stopping at the National Battlefield and it's museum. From there you will work counterclockwise around Virginia and West Virginia, through one historic site to the next, stopping sometimes at battlefields, other times at simple out-of-the-way museums or perhaps nothing more than a few relics ravaged by nature.

Each stop is clearly marked on easy-to-read maps accompanied by side notes or script detailing the historical significance of the stop. My particular favorite is the Harpers Ferry tour where the author gives an interesting overview of the town along with a brief account of how West Virginia became a state. Although one could spend days going over the surrounding historical sites the author does not drag you into detail after detail, but gives you a brief synopsis of what occurred. Coming from someone who has visited this site many times I've become very familiar with the back-roads and sights to see, and Mr. Johnson does a fine job in taking you around to many of those same areas. However, this book won't give you the detail you need to understand every site, but that can be obtained from the Harper's Ferry National Park visitor center, or by taking a ranger guided tour of the town.

By using this book the average reader will enjoy his journey into the past with stops along the way at several key historic areas. This is not a book for the well-read historian or a tactical study on terrain and warfare, but simply a good book for those mildly intrigued by the Civil War. It may serve to whet their appetite and further their desire for more research.

If you purchase this book and choose to go forth, your trek will take you to numerous battlefields, both small and large. It is my hope that you will leave with a better understanding of what took place during that bloody struggle we now call the Civil War. So, in finishing your journey you will find yourself as did Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, in a quiet little place known as Appomattox Court House. "This is a quiet reverent place, the spot where one country died and another was reborn."

John Sayles is better known as a film maker, but he's an even better novelist. This book is the best example of why. If one flashback chapter can lead to a movie as good as "Matewan," imagine what the rest of the book is like. For a more playful story with equally serious themes, try "Pride of the Bimbos," too.

I am researching my family tree and part of my family came from Upshur County West Virginia. I have had this book for awhile and I keep going back again and again to it to put a face with a family memember or friends of the family and or a building connect to a story from the past. It showed me what my ancestors and my grandma's life was like back in the late 1800's and early 1900's. This book contains wonderful photos of an extraordinary time and each photo tells a wild and wonderful tale. It's great!

This was a wonderful book! I really like the was B.J.Hoff portrays the characters! You really feel like you get to know them!

This book really made the mid-Atlantic region come to life for me! I wanted to grab a day pack and head out for a day hike. I'm sure that any serious nature lover would really enjoy this book.

This is a superb book on Waterfalls especially in West Virginia which has the greatest secret treasure of Waterfalls(over 200) in the country!!This is a great book with beautiful photography!!

This guide is a great companion for anyone seeking unique and clever discoveries in the mid-atlantic region. The book dives into nature, history, unique facts and unknown charms that most travel guides hardly touch.

This is a classic text which presents a study of the structural forms and cultural patterns of the Japanese living in rural areas from the late feudal period to the 1960's. Particular emphasis is placed on agriculture, family life, village life, and the governmental forms of hamlet versus village. The chapter on the unchanging mentality of the Japanese farmer is very enlightening, and can be easily compared to similar attitudes of farmers throughout the world. This is a highly recommended and unfortunately out of print book which should be read by any and all students of Japanese culture and history.

Twenty-six years after its chartering, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had finally reached its original goal - To build a railroad 352 miles all the way from the growing seaport town of Baltimore, MD to its terminus of Wheeling, VA (now WV) on the Ohio River. The intent was to provide a transportation link for grain and manufactured goods coming east from Ohio and the surrounding area to Baltimore.

In accomplishing this goal, the greatest physical obstacle that this railroad faced in its drive to Wheeling was traversing the daunting Seventeen-Mile Grade west of Cumberland, and sixty miles later, to descend the equally-daunting Cranberry and Newburg grades immediately west of Terra Alta, WV to Grafton, and on to Wheeling. We may never learn about the actual numbers of laborers, tons of rock, and dirt either removed, drilled, or used to fill ravines to as level a grade as possible to allow the actual and safe passage of freight and passenger trains. But one thing is certain - the experience gained from this engineering feat formulated important principles for future railroad construction jobs, not just on the B&O, but for other railroads as well. It was from these "lessons learned" that earned the B&O the name of "The Railroad University of America," a sobriquet given by Mr. in his article, "

Charles Roberts' book, "West End", relates the obstacles faced by the B&O in getting up Seventeen-Mile Grade and west down Cranberry and Newburg Grades in the 1840's, plus the years after reaching Wheeling where the B&O continued to grow. Also, the various construction projects to improve on the original route over the mountains as well as the B&O's acquisition and improvement of smaller rail lines in the intervening years is covered. Charley Roberts has an earthy style of writing that seems to fit the subject matter covered, which may not be to every rail historian's liking, but the result is a volume that comprehensively covers this geographic area of the B&O that no one until now has done to such an extent. This book was the first in a trilogy that Charley later wrote, "East End" (in collaboration with Jeffrey Hollis), and "Sand Patch."