The civil war was raging; Alexander Davis goes off to do his part. This was our history; a very gory and sad part and we should never forget the lessons learned. Among these are some that are not obvious. Janet Elaine Smith has taught us, in And They Call Her General Leigh, that even in the face of the worst tragedy, there is humor. Grant may have taken Richmond, But General Leigh has taken Grant. You don’t read that in most history books, but then most history books don’t show the human side of war.

Our civil war was brother against brother, but some brothers and some sisters got involved in a much different way. Behind the scenes are the women of the war. These ladies worked miracles with needle and thread. They even made clothes. Mercy Davis only saw one color throughout this turmoil, red. This aptly described her anger at the fighting and the blood of those she tended. It did not matter which ‘side’ the wounded were from, she cared for all that came into her house.

General Leigh is a story of laughter, puns, and the love of one soldier for a general that couldn’t be. There are many twists and turns and each of them is a surprise. Put an officers daughter in buckskins and watch as the war suddenly takes on a most unique twist. If General Leigh did not exist, she should have. Read this book slowly because the irony at the end sums up the will of the American people and the resolve we have to not let adversity take us down. Do something different tonight, laugh at the antics during a most tragic of times, Read And They Called Her General Leigh.