The Colonel and the Vicar - Edward Rayner

Non-fiction. The Colonel and the Vicar is a unique, fascinating story about the American Civil War that defies categorization by combining genealogy, biography, and history. What started out as my personal genealogical research revealed the story of my ancestors Henry and Francis Tremlett, first cousins. In turn, additional research revealed their roles during the American Civil War, as well as the United Kingdom's considerable influence on the war, the latter being a part of history largely underserved.
As such the story combines other historically accurate and colorful characters, with the two cousins as the central characters. Historical events are intertwined with their actual lives and the part that both men played on that stage of history. In the case of Henry, the story describes his life growing up as a member of a merchant family living in abolitionist Boston, then as an officer in the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment and his personal battlefield experiences during four years of war. Francis was born and raised in Newfoundland, became an Anglican priest, anf founded St. Peter's Church in Belsize Park in England. Though a non-combatant, Francis was the foremost collaborator with the Confederacy in England in terms of facilitating undercover activities relating to Confederate naval operations and the acquisition of warships.
The Colonel and the Vicar seeks to educate as well as to entertain by combining espionage, political intrigue, stirring sea sagas, and the crucible of battle.