Bugles in the Dust is the true story of the Chicago Fire Department from 1865 to 1913, including their ties to the Civil War and veterans. What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

The Chicago Fire Department employment opportunities following the Civil War. 2. How many wounded veterans it hired. 3. How many able bodied veterans it employed. For example, in the great fire of 1871, the steamer Chicago, considered the elite fire company of the Department, carried four Civil War veterans out of the nine-man crew, showing that veterans began playing a dominant role on the Department only six years after Appomattox.

How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?

How much research covered every possible niche where I might a veteran.

State Civil War Records.
Records in Nation Archives
Records in Congress
Census records
Chicago Tribune Obits
Chicago Tribune News Articles
Chicago Street Directory Research
Chicago Fire Department records.

Time to put it all together.
Three years

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Bugles in the Dust?

A feeling of unity and solidarity, that the early Fire Department had a preferential hiring practice for disabled veterans 100 years before required by law, that it integrated a fire company 100 years before it became law, blacks and whites on Engine No. 24, led by a Civil War veteran.