About the Book
Prepare to take a journey through the early days of pioneer life in Michigan and the insufferable adversities of war. You will hear awe-inspiring stories of triumph, heartache, brokenness, survival, and victory. The Civil War journal of Private Levi Clark, the author's third great-grandfather, is the inspiration for the book. Clark spent his formative boyhood years coming of age in the pioneer settlement of Belle Arbor in Lapeer County, Michigan. He enlisted with the 10th Michigan Infantry which was engaged in numerous key battles, most notably Sherman's March to the Sea.​
The book honors the service and selfless sacrifice of Private Levi Clark, his comrades in the 10th Michigan Infantry, and other hometown heroes who bravely served in the War of the Rebellion. Additionally, it pays homage to the tenacious and resilient spirit of the pioneer women and children who kept the homesteads going in their absence and the arduous journey of the families formerly enslaved. Their stories have been silenced by the passing of time and the generations before us. Through their stories, war is humanized. We are reminded that these were real people who endured real hardships. We become an extension of their voice, a voice that may ignite a “fever” or at least a curiosity in the generations to come.
About the Author
Randy Fulton was born and raised in Lapeer County. Several of his ancestors, the Harveys, Clarks, and Spencers, were among the early pioneers of the Belle Arbor settlement, arriving in the 1830s and 1840s. Fulton grew up within miles of this settlement, yet had no clue of its rich history or even its existence for that matter.
​
Fulton recalls learning about the Civil War in junior high school. He was curious to know if any of his ancestors served in the war. No one seemed to know for sure, and as such, his curiosity passed. That all changed as an adult when he discovered his 3rd great-grandfather, Levi Clark, served under General Sherman during his infamous March to the Sea and the burning of Atlanta. Even more amazing was the discovery that Levi kept a journal during his service. The journal was not only the inspiration for this book; it was the catalyst that united descendants of men of the Tenth.
​
How can the dead be truly dead when they still live in the souls of those who are left behind? No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.
10th Regiment Michigan Infantry
The 10th Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry, was formed at Camp Thomson in Flint, Michigan. The camp was named in honor of Colonel Edward H. Thomson. Sources vary, but conservative estimates indicate upwards of 1600 men served in this regiment. Nearly 200 of those men hailed from Lapeer County, the author's birthplace.
Douglas Casamer, MI
Good Book. Excellent Read. Well Written. Worth every Penny. I know, I’m also an Author.
Matt VanAcker, Director/Curator Save the Flags - Lansing, MI
Mr. Fulton’s work on the 10th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment is among the best regimental histories I have had the honor of reading and it now resides in a place of honor among other Michigan regimental histories in our Save The Flags library. Mr. Fulton tells the important but often neglected story of the soldiers who fought. His research was thorough, including the inclusion of some his primary documents, including newspaper articles and obituaries. The photos and images included were complete and added so much to the story of the men and the families left behind. I also fully appreciated his inclusion of so much post-war history. A well researched and important book for any Michigan Civil War historian to have on their library shelf.
David Norris, MI
Far from just another book on the Civil War, Randy Fulton has found a clever way to define the soldiers of that terrible warfare beginning through the lineage and footsteps of the descendants of the failed religious community of Belle Arbor that formed in Lapeer County in the 1830s. Through the family stories and histories of the farmers and tradesmen who principally signed the roster in Almont to form Company F, Fulton reweaves the whole cloth to become a snapshot of the men of Lincoln‘s Army. Levi Clark’s journal, kept on that epic March to the Sea, was Fulton’s inspiration for the book. The journals detail and crisp brevity, gave Fulton the structure on which to hang the various stories of many of those men not only from Lapeer County, but from the Greater Flint Genesee Saginaw County area whose lives might be remembered in these stories.