Family history leads to 'Soldier's Heart'

Jeremy Webb Rusk, former dean at Harvard University, put Nevada on his book-signing tour, in an appearance arranged by Bushwhacker Museum coordinator Will Tollerton, right, for the Vernon County Historical Society.

Curiosity about his Webb ancestors led Dr. Jeremy Webb Rusk through a thicket of overgrown cemeteries, written records and word-of-mouth recollections to the publication of "Soldier's Heart," a non-fiction novel based solely on the exploits of his ancestors in southwest Missouri.

"It's important for you to write down your family history for those who may come after you," the author advised the members of the crowd who braved Wednesday night's rainstorm to hear the former Harvard University dean's presentation.

It took Rusk some seven years to fully research and complete the book once he realized the true-life adventures of his Webb ancestors would make "a lively tale." .

Rusk's great-grandfather William James Webb, the story's protagonist, knew the first of his three wives as a 13-year-old "spy girl" who carried messages by horseback to Confederate troops.

The book's title, "Soldier's Heart", was taken from a Civil War-era term for what today is known as post-traumatic stress disorder, and is a theme within the story.

Rusk said he took advantage of available electronic digital technology to write the book. The new computers ,which can turn spoken words into print, if not entire books, make it much easier and faster for writers.

Rusk, whose ancestors founded Webb City, is on book tour of this area. His talk at the Nevada Public Library meeting room was sponsored by the Vernon County Historical Society and is available for sale at the Bushwhacker Museum, according to museum coordinator Will Tollerton.