It's been said that
history is written by the victorious, but Shenandoah Whispers And Echoes by Tom Orrell, may prove that
the South was never really defeated in the American Civil War. The book is a fact-based, historical fiction account of much of the life of James Randolph Wise, as told by newspaperman Steven Dickenson. Dickenson is given the
journal of James Randolph Wise after it is unearthed during new construction development in present-day Augusta County, Virginia. Wise’s journal essentially begins in the years prior to the American Civil War, and ends in 1899, in the midst of the Spanish-American War. The journal provides a detailed description of resilient Southern people and the often heart-wrenching events that took place during these years in the Shenandoah Valley.
James Randolph Wise was not a confederate soldier during the Civil War, but one of many innocent people whose family was suddenly, and almost unwillingly, drawn into the war by a realistic perception of an invading and hostile military force. According to his journal, Wise grew up on a peaceful farm with his parents and siblings. There were massive oak and maple trees to provide shade on those hot, summer days in Virginia. Those same trees provided a beautiful Autumn in Shenandoah Valley when the leaves changed. His father was a hard-working farmer with a handlebar mustache, and his mother was a devout religious woman who read the bible every day. They had several acres of prime farming land, and grew just about everything. Although this is a fictional book, it does bring to light both the scenic beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and the blameless people who lived there during the Civil War. Like many people during the time, the Wise family was simply doing their best to make a living off the land and had no real feelings about the political situation developing within the nation. As the North invades, their lives suffer incomprehensible indignities and upheaval in this true-to-life fictional work.
Tom Orrell, the author of Shenandoah Whispers And Echoes, is a native Virginian. He graduated with distinction from the Virginia Military Institute with a degree in
History, and served as an officer in the Army. Given his background and credentials, it’s no wonder that Orrell would also include some real-life characters in this fictional book. Of the many included, one of the most notable is General David Hunter of the Union Army. According to Orrell, the real General Hunter was under orders by President Lincoln to, “engage the enemy in battle and destroy the enemy’s capacity to make war.” General Hunter was “no more than a common criminal” asserts the fictional character James Randolph Wise. General Hunter exercised no control over his men and even encouraged atrocities against civilians. General Hunter’s forces stole, burned, and created extensive devastation all throughout the Shenandoah Valley without any regards to whether or not targets were military or private citizens. In the book, Orrell compares General Hunter’s actions with those of Generals Sheridan and Sherman, and maintains that General Hunters actions were nothing less than brutal and vicious.
The fictional journal of James Randolph Wise goes far beyond the years of the Civil War, and anyone interested in finding out more about the American spirit and rugged people of the latter half of the 19th century will find this book interesting. Of course, any true “Son Of The South” will find this book of value, but it will also have great appeal to anyone who wants to find out more about the Civil War and especially what it may have been like to be an average person during those times. Encapsulated within this book is the compelling mystery of finding the hidden journal of James Randolph Wise, and his many adventures, misfortunes, and accomplishments. The past certainly comes to life in this enjoyable story, and the South continues to be heard in Shenandoah Whispers and Echoes.