Tom of the Raiders

A fresh-faced eighteen‑year‑old Tom Burns arrives at a sprawling Union encampment in Tennessee, hoping to join his cousin’s company and prove himself a soldier. The camp is far from the polished image he imagined; rain‑soaked tents, mud‑caked wagons, and weary men huddling together create a gritty, lived‑in atmosphere that both astonishes and excites him.

As Tom navigates the rows of makeshift shelters, he absorbs the bustling life of the camp—soldiers swapping stories, mending gear, and preparing for the next march toward Chattanooga. The raw, unvarnished reality of war awakens in him a fierce pride and a restless curiosity about the battles ahead.

Through Tom’s eyes, listeners will experience the sights, sounds, and emotions of a Civil War army on the brink of action, feeling the tension between youthful idealism and the harshness of campaign life.