Muffled drums and mustard spoons

the long version

No military battles were fought on the soil of Cecil County, but her citizens, nevertheless, lived their daily lives on a terrain that was pitted by political unrest and scarred by economic upheaval. Read the letters of Ben and Lottie Ricketts as they adjust to camp life in Drummondtown, Virginia, with the 2nd Delaware. Laugh at the verbal gyrations of Cheap John Rowbotham underselling his competitors, and poking fun at them in his advertisements. Grieve with Sophia Jeffries when she loses first her infant son at home, and then her husband at Cold Harbor. Finally, celebrate with Cecil County as her people put back the pieces of their lives after the War, though they can never be the same as before the War. . Muffled Drums & Mustard Spoons relies upon contemporary newspapers, letters, and soldiers' service and pension records to present a view of a border county in a border state during a turbulent time in the nation's history. Ads, recipes, and cures displayed throughout the book, arouse the readers' interest as they discover tidbits of life during those trying times.