The author did some great history research for this story. Then he took the details and wove a very intriguing story around the Civil War. The story serves as a reminder of the futility and horror of war. Given that we still learn quite a bit about the people in the story. They turn out to be quite fascinating.
If you like human interaction crossed with war stories, this will really draw you in. You can also see the excellent research as he provides an appendix with very detailed information of the common weapons in this war.