The Civil War tore apart the country. North against South. Free state against slave state. It was also a war that tore apart families. There are many stories of brother fighting against brother and father against son. Some families experienced additional hardships as the armies moved across their land or had battles fought on their property. This is a story of the struggles and hardships that the members of the Cannon family and others endured and would have faced before and during the Civil War. This part of Tennessee was mostly Union sympathizers, even though Tennessee was a Confederate state.

Union sympathizers, like the Cannons, were considered traitors. The Cannons were a Christian family whose faith was tried during the Civil War. Elbert Cannon loved his country and hated the secessionists for tearing it apart. He saw the effects of war on himself, his family, and the country. Elbert joined the war as a 1st Lieutenant in the Union Army because he wanted to fight for his country and help put down the rebellion. He thought the enemy was the confederates, but discovered the true enemy was something else. Tom Cannon faced an additional problem. He was married and had four young kids when the war began.

While his parents and brothers all supported the Union, his wife's family supported the Confederacy. His brothers joined the Union Army, and his wife's brother joined the Confederate Army. Tom tried to stay out of the war. How could he take up arms against his brothers or his brother-in-law? Unfortunately, Tom was eventually forced to pick a side. Jane Cannon prayed for her sons every day during the war. She was a woman of great faith, but when faced with the biggest trial of her life, would she really be able to trust God? And could she forgive those she saw as the enemy? The Templeton brothers were Confederate supporters who hated the Union supporters and threatened to kill them. The Cannon family encountered many confrontations with the Templeton brothers before and during the War. Jake Templeton and Elbert Cannon would finally have their day to come face to face during war.

What happens then will follow them forever.