There was a geographic integrity to the Civil War.  It was the war between the states, North versus South, but individuals have their own hearts and minds.  There were legions of anti-secession Southerners who stayed loyal to the old flag, there were also Northerners who went South, or claimed a Confederate loyalty of one sort or another.  This was true in Iowa, one of the most loyal of Northern states.  Stories of Iowa Confederates, however, are virtually unknown, lost over time, until now.  Connon has done his task well.  He has introduced his readers to Iowa Confederates, placed them in solid historical context, and enhanced the overall scholarship of the war.  This book is a must read for those interested in Iowa history, but it also has a place in the library of anyone interested in the Civil War. 

Kenneth L. Lyftogt, Author of Iowa and the Civil War vol. I, Free Child of the Missouri Compromise, 1850-1862

Connon’s path-finding work explores the lives of the now-identified seventy-six Iowa Confederates —doctors, lawyers, merchants, farmers. Written in a very engaging style and well researched, this book provides new insights into why these individuals left Iowa to serve on the “other side”, illustrates the effects of such things as the Panic of 1857, and discloses the pressures faced when some returned to Iowa after the War. These are the stories of “capture and imprisonment, loyalty, desertion, strained marriages, tenuous romances, and adventure.”

 Michael D. Gibson, Director, Loras College, Center for Dubuque History