Robert, read the book "The March" by E. L. Doctorow. He writes historical fiction in kind of a quirky way, but it really brings it alive. I honestly don't know how accurate it is, but I believe his books are factually based. This is about Sherman's march to the sea, I think at one point they do talk about Tennessee; but he has several Black main characters that may interest you and give you a feel for what they went through. I have to say it gave me a different perspective of the Civil War, which I too feel somewhat disconnected with as far as my own side of the family. My husband had a distant ancestor whose brother went to the war at the age of 11 (eleven!!) and never came home again. He ended up way out west, had an exciting life, and the family got a letter from him when he was in his 40s, as I recall. You may also enjoy the series (fiction) written by Michael and Jeff Shaara -- I know I never felt the same way about the Civil War after reading them. http://www.jeffshaara.com/books.html -- make sure you read them in order: Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara, 1996. New York Times bestseller. Winner of the 1996 American Library Association William Young Boyd Award. The heartbreaking saga of the years preceding The Killer Angels, and basis for the major motion picture "GODS AND GENERALS" . The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, 1974. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The classic novel of the Civil War, and basis for the motion picture "Gettysburg". The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara, 1998. New York Times Bestseller. The moving sequel to The Killer Angels.