Encounter with History

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In this richly detailed, compelling historical biography, Robert Vanderzee brings to life the adventures, courage, and determination of his great-grandfather, Edmund Richard Pitman Shurly (1829-1909), who was a part of an extraordinary generation during an extraordinary time.

Joining the Union army after Lincoln’s first call, Shurly served with the twenty-sixth New York Volunteers Infantry Regiment, which fought Stonewall Jackson’s cannons in numerous battles, including the second battle of Bull Run, Front Royal, Antietam, and Fredericksburg.

After serving his country in the Civil War, Shurly experienced a gigantic Confederate Secret Service conspiracy to free prisoners in Chicago and embarrass Lincoln before his reelection, and he experienced terrifying and bloody gunfights with Sioux Indians along the Bozeman Trail in Wyoming and Montana. On several occasions Shurly was injured, but he summoned the strength to recover and continue service as the country expanded westward.

In an odd twist of fate, Shurly was also a victim of the Great Chicago Fire, which engulfed the city and his home and business shortly after he returned from his adventures out west.

Meticulously researched and documented, this engaging volume pays tribute to an unsung hero of Civil War and Indian War history.