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This information has been reproduced on my website with the permission of Larry Morphew, Brother of the Author of this book.

If you're a student of the Civil War or if you simply have an interest in American history, the book Never Repulsed - Never Defeated should be in your personal library. It's the story of one man's pilgrimage through three years of fighting in Louisiana and Alabama during the War Between the States.

These are the battles that time forgot - obscure conflicts that happened during the days when Grant and Lee were fighting for control of the war in Pennsylvania and Virginia. For the most part historians have concentrated on the great battle of Gettysburg, the siege of Petersburg and the infamous march to the sea that devastated Georgia and much of South Carolina. But now the battles of Fort De Russey, Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Nashville, and Fort Blakely are documented for all time.

There is more to this book than war to interest the true historian. The main character of the book is Eli M. Hutchinson, an Iowa farmer and carpenter who volunteered for the war in 1863 and served until 1866.

Eli Hutchinson

Eli M. Hutchinson - During the 1850's Hutchinson and his family migrated from northern New York to northern Iowa, settled in Mitchell County, established farms and built houses and buildings across the expanding frontier. Even though Eli's officers sent him home in 1863 to recover from heat exhaustion and a possible malarial infection, he returned to the 6th Army Corps in 1864, traveling more than a thousand miles by foot and favor to complete his tour of duty and fulfill his promises to the government and his fellow man. Eli Hutchinson lived to be 101 years old.

Eli Hutchinson - 101 Years

Hutchinson At 101 Years Of Age - Hutchinson was once bedridden in Adams Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee. For seventeen days he was unable to eat. Then suddenly, a concerned nurse and a pickle rejuvenated his desire for food. The following quote from Never Repulsed - Never Defeated reveals how Eli recalled those days. "To get rid of her I told her to get me a pickle. She said the Dr. would not allow it, so every time she asked me I would say pickle. At last she fetched me one and I ate it and after that I had more apitite than they would give me victuals to appease.''

Hutchinson's comrades were rough men, unsophisticated and accustomed to few luxuries. Only Hutchinson was able to sign his name on the regiment roster. The rest signed with an X. But these Iowa soldiers quickly adjusted to military life and the daily marching and fighting. Among them were committed soldiers who believed in the epic struggle before them. After the war these men returned to their homes prepared to build a new and better world.

For more information about Never Repulsed - Never Defeated, click here to e-mail Larry Morphew. The book, in its entirety, is available for viewing and printing on the internet to family members. Students of the Civil War and Civil War scholars may freely view the book on the internet but will be required to purchase a printed copy of the book which is available at the modest cost of $20.00 plus S&H. To purchase a book contact Larry Morphew Family members (i.e.: Dudleys, Morphews, Hutchinsons, etc.) who can establish lineage may print the book from this website at no charge. Make no mistake, however, the book is copyrighted. Any attempt to reproduce the book for sale by any party is expressly forbidden by law. Finally, as a student of the Civil War, I have found Clark's book to be simply fascinating. I served as a minor editor - primarily for family historical content - and remember anticipating the arrival of each newly completed chapter. Clark had a writing style that was exciting and accurate and he put in the necessary time to research this book carefully. I know, for example, that he visited every battlefield and searched Federal and State archives exhaustively. This is an important piece of my Civil War Library and it should be part of yours. Larry Morphew, 4-2-03

Eli and Kit Hutchinson Eli Hutchinson family Eli Hutchinson With His Wife "Kit" (Mary Dudley)

Eli And Kit With Their Children

Go To The Book: Never Repulsed - Never Defeated The link is at the bottom of the page.