Rolston to talk on his latest Civil War book

Warwick’s Les Rolston, author of several books on the Civil War about ordinary people who do extraordinary things, will present a program based on his book “Long Time Gone: Neighbors Divided by Civil War” on Sunday, April 28 at the carriage house of the Babcock-Smith House Museum, 124 Granite St., Westerly. His talk will start at 2 p.m.

His latest book is an epic story of two young Rhode Islanders – boyhood friends from the sleepy seaside village of Pawtuxet – who, as teenagers, fought in the Civil War on opposite sides.

Elisha Hunt Rhodes served with the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment while schoolmate James Rhodes Sheldon shouldered a musket in the 50th Georgia Infantry. What these two youngsters saw, felt and suffered through, makes for absolutely riveting reading.

Admission is $2; museum members are free.