The Drums Roll

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. In the drumbeat haze of a Civil War camp at Germantown, the army prepares to move, and a quiet, limping soldier named Ira Parcel immediately stands apart. Beneath his farmer-like plainness lies a soldier's bearing and a mind too educated for the rough company around him, especially the blunt, suspicious Tod Barkeloo, who senses there is more to Parcel than he admits. As grumbling men crowd the camp and complain about the campaign and Washington's leadership, Parcel unexpectedly erupts in fierce defense of the commander, revealing a hidden loyalty that sparks a hard-fought confrontation. Parcel's skill in the fight, his refusal of a corporal's promotion, and his calm, gentlemanly manner only deepen the mystery. Tod, convinced he has found a possible spy, begins tracking him through the confusion of marching orders, a dropped regiment button, and a trail that seems to connect him to an artillery unit and Lieutenant Jerry Caswell. When night falls, the army sets out in silence through fog and exhaustion toward the enemy, and the contrast between crude soldier talk and Parcel's reflective, poetic nature heightens the suspense of this tense, character-driven wartime opening.