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The History of Fort DeRussy

Earthen Walls, Iron Men: Fort DeRussy, Louisiana and the Defense of Red River, by Steven M. Mayeux, with a foreword by Edwin C. Bearss, is expected to be released by the University of Tennessee Press in early August, 2007. The book will be released in hardback, and will be 370 pages with 60 illustrations.

According to the U of Tennessee Press Spring/Summer 2007 catalog:

"Steven M. Mayeux does more than just tell the story of the fort from the military perspective; he goes deeper to closely examine the lives of the people that served in—and lived around—Fort DeRussy. Through a thorough examination of local documents, Mayeux has uncovered the fascinating stories that reveal for the first time what wartime life was like for those living in central Louisiana.

In this book, the reader will meet soldiers and slaves, plantation owners and Jayhawkers, elderly women and newborn babies, all of whom played important roles in making the history of Fort DeRussy. Mayeux presents an unvarnished portrait of the life at the fort, devoid of any romanticized notions, but more accurately capturing the utter humanity of those who built it, defended it, attacked it, and lived around it.

Earthen Walls, Iron Men intertwines the stories of naval battles and military actions with those human elements such as greed, theft, murder, and courage to create a vibrant, relevant history that will appeal to all who seek to know what real life was like during the Civil War."