What an irony that the University of California, my home state, donated this wonderful piece of history which would lead me to my Civil War ancestors from Lincoln County, North Carolina!

The yellowed pages and old-style text are evocative of words lovingly put on paper to memorialize the men who served The Lost Cause. There is also a sorrow within the pages that is almost palpable.

The dedication to General Hoke is intensely moving, as is the last page, the listing of the Southern Stars C.O.T.D.O.T.C., including a Mrs. Hoke, no doubt the surviving wife of this admirable man. (Note the name is from General Hoke's command of the "Southern Stars," Company K.) General Hoke's own words of parting to his soldiers are of historic and prosaic value, much as the better known R.E. Lee's are, and for this alone the book deserves reading.

The information contained was invaluable to me and appears to be the only source of information on my ancestor and his service, which was very obscure due to his Naval duty. I wish I could thank those long ago, thoughtful historians who put this book together. Did they know that 106 years after they published it, there would be a generation grateful to have this information?

I would highly recommend this source and do appreciate its availability on-line.