Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

8/7/07

NEWS RELEASE
Former Auburn Teacher Publishes New
Non-Fiction Family Memoir

Peter Nielsen, former Auburn School District elementary school teacher, recently published a non-fiction Civil War family memoir titled, Sam’s Civil War: Marching with Sherman (AuthorHouse).

In the memoir, Peter follows the muddy footsteps of his great-grandfather, Captain Samuel Brown Heizer, and his journey throughout the American Civil War.

Divided into three parts, the book first focuses on Heizer’s experiences during the war and the many campaigns in which he was involved, such as when he joined the Army of Tennessee, commanded by General William T. Sherman. The general at his side, Heizer marched through the Carolinas until Confederate General Joe Johnston surrendered to Sherman.

The book’s second part features the 38 letters Heizer wrote to his friends and family. The rich letters begin with Heizer, a month before officially joining the army, writing to his father. In his first letter, readers see the commonness of life before war when all that Heizer worries over is a simple foot injury and a ride home from the University of Iowa where he studied. These simple pleasures and concerns would become the things for which he longed during such violent and morbid times in the war, nights filled with the cries of wounded men, until his last letter in May 1865, just before the Grand Review march in Washington.

The third and last part of the book includes support materials such as maps that both show Heizer’s journey and list from where he sent each of his letters. Also included are photos of Heizer in uniform, various documents of promotion and troop rosters, and a historically accurate catalogue of events and the various military units with which Heizer served.

For more information contact Peter Nielsen, author of Sam’s Civil War: Marching with Sherman, at 253-939-2657 or go to www.authorhouse.com/bookstore/,  search Box: Sam’s Civil War.