WIP - aka Work In Progress - refers to my current passion, a story with present day characters and mysteries which digs into the past by focusing on battles from the American Civil War.
We Bury Our Dead follows Trent Patterson who has a weekend obsession for researching and blogging about the names engraved into Civil War headstones. While many war historians dive into battle strategies and pick apart decisions made by Generals during the heat of combat, Trent looks for the anonymous individuals who stood on the lines, rifle in hand.
Were they farmers or bankers? Husbands or sons? Did they eagerly join to defend their flag or find themselves in the middle of flying bullets wondering why they came?
As Work In Progress implies, We Bury Our Dead is still in 1st draft form and about 25% complete. I decided to share my steps during the writing process for a few reasons.
We're rapidly approaching the ultimate Civil War 150th anniversary event, the Confederate surrender at Appomattox which will occur next year. Leading up to that moment have been the various campaigns led by dozens of great and sometimes questionable commanders. This May represents the anniversary of the beginning of Grant's Overland Campaign and a major push to capture Richmond, the Confederate capital.
Personal Note: I grew up in South Georgia with an assumption that my side lost the war.
Similar to Trent, I am not a Civil War historian, instead I'm dipping my toes into the world of reenactments and historical sites while entering the picture with a focus on the individuals involved.
I've spent the past few months researching and plotting. Every new stone I uncover leads to a richer, deeper story of which I know I'll only be able to scratch the surface.
I'm traveling to Richmond on May 31st to walk the fields of battle during some of the 150th anniversary celebrations. I want to share pictures and thoughts with you, both from the places Trent will visit and from a land steeped with history and passion. This story is fiction but I strive to have it conform to historical record.
While researching a group of mounds which could be the unmarked graves of Confederate soldiers, Trent uncovers a century old family secret of deceit, murder, and betrayal.
Please join Trent and I on this journey to uncover a truth others would rather remained buried.
"We bury our dead for a reason, so their secrets rest with their bodies."
C.L. Blanton
