<p> The antebellum culture of Harrison County (birthplace of George Armstrong Custer) and the surrounding five-county area of Appalachian east Ohio was an outspoken, democratic society--and a way station of the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves. With the coming of the Civil War, this community faced momentous change and bitter divisions. This narrative history provides a portrait of the area and the ways in which the war affected everyone. Portions of letters and diaries from the soldiers and those who loved them, illustrations and maps are included.</p>