Mr. Sims' comments about conditions in Marshall County following the Civil War amazed me, since all of my ancestors lived in the area at the time. I, too, have read about the post-Civil War era but have never encountered any documentation of such devestation as that described by Mr. Sims. My ancestors served in the 49th Infantry Regiment and in Roddy's 4th Cavalry. They came home and resumed essentially the same lifestyle they had prior to the war. In short, they were subsistence farmers before the war and susistence farmers after the war. Mr. Sims, I would appreciate hearing from you and would be delighted if you would share your source material. Thank you H.V. Barnard hbarnard@coin.org