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Audiobook edition · 10 h 15 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does duty cost a young cavalry rider when his country is at war with itself?
In An Undivided Union, a young hero faces the dangers and hard choices of the American Civil War. Cavalry rides, chases and battles give the adventure its pace. Behind the action stands a larger struggle: the fight to preserve the Union, and the demand to put the common good before personal comfort.
Bearing the names of Oliver Optic and Edward Stratemeyer, this adventure explores courage, friendship and loyalty through a young person's wartime duties. It also offers a glimpse of how writers of the nineteenth century present the Union cause to young readers. The question is not only how to act bravely, but what bravery asks of you.
What you’ll discover
- Cavalry in motion Follow an adventure whose rides, chases and battles keep the young hero moving through danger.
- The cost of duty Explore hard choices that place a soldier's obligations above his own ease and comfort.
- Courage through deeds Find a view of bravery measured by action rather than speeches or bold claims.
- Loyalty under pressure Discover how friendship and service share the story with the struggle for national unity.
- A period view of war Consider how an adventure for young readers presents the Civil War and the Union cause.
Who will love it
Readers who love cavalry charges, clever escapes, and daring scouts will enjoy this fast-moving adventure, as will those drawn to the war in Tennessee as seen through a loyal family and one remarkable horse.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A forged note exposes Riverlawn
- The raid leaves a missing paper
- Duty reaches beyond the battle lines
- Deck enters the burning mill
- Artie thinks his way out
- A bluff creates room to escape
- Mercy builds bonds across enemy lines
- The family reflects a divided nation
- Courage works together with clear thinking
Who’s who
- Deck LyonThe nineteen-year-old senior major of the first battalion, quick-witted and brave, who wants to protect his family, serve the Union, and keep a promise to a dying enemy.
- Artie LyonDeck's cousin and foster brother, a captain who is cheerful, clever, and as daring as Deck, and who wants to see the Union held together.
- Life KnoxA tall Kentucky sharpshooter and captain of the seventh company, dry-humored and loyal, who backs Deck in every scout and fight.
- Colonel Noah LyonDeck's father and the regiment's commander, a steady New Hampshire man who protects his men and has decided to free the people at Riverlawn.
- Kate BelthorpeThe young woman of Lyndhall whom Deck cannot stop thinking about, and who wants him to take care of himself.
- Tom DerwiddieA Confederate soldier saved from a burning mill who wants to repay Deck for his life, whatever it costs him.
- Sandy LyonDeck's cousin, once a Confederate soldier and now a Union officer, who wants to prove himself and make his father proud.
- CephDeck's clever charger, named for the war horse of Alexander the Great, who understands his rider almost perfectly and wants to stay with him.
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An Undivided Union
by Oliver Optic; Edward Stratemeyer · 1899
A forged note lures Riverlawn's defenders away, and Major Deck Lyon, nineteen, races home to save his family.
Medium level5–10 hours to readEnglish
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In short
What would you do if a note called your defenders away from home, and you then found it was a forgery? Nineteen-year-old Major Deck Lyon of the Riverlawn Cavalry faces exactly that in January 1863.
An Undivided Union at a glance
- Reading time
- About 5 h 30 min4 h 20 min fast, 6 h 30 min slow
- Length
- 78,400 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1899by Oliver Optic; Edward Stratemeyer
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A forged note empties Riverlawn of defenders
In mid-January 1863, Major Deck Lyon and his foster brother, Captain Artie Lyon, ride home to Kentucky on furlough. The Riverlawn overseer, Levi Bedford, gallops up with six armed men and a pencil note signed Margie Belthorpe. It begs for help against Morgan's raiders at the neighboring estate of Lyndhall.
The party rides to Lyndhall at full speed. Deck scouts ahead on foot and finds Kate safe and astonished. Margie never wrote any note. Deck sees the plan at once. The note is a decoy meant to pull Levi and his men away from Riverlawn, so Deck orders a race home.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1899
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 6 h 40 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Optic, Oliver, and Edward Stratemeyer. An Undivided Union. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-undivided-union.
Optic, O., & Stratemeyer, E. (2026). An undivided union. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-undivided-union (Original work published 1899)
Optic, Oliver, and Edward Stratemeyer. An Undivided Union. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-undivided-union.
@book{optic2026undivided,
author = {Optic, Oliver and Stratemeyer, Edward},
title = {An Undivided Union},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-undivided-union},
note = {First published 1899}
}
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What is An Undivided Union about?
It follows a Kentucky Union cavalry regiment, the Riverlawns, through 1863 in Tennessee. Young Major Deck Lyon, his foster brother Artie, and Captain Life Knox face raiders, spies, and traps while the army moves toward Chickamauga and Chattanooga.
Who is Ceph in An Undivided Union?
Ceph is Deck Lyon's warhorse, named for the horse of Alexander the Great. Deck trained him from a pony, and the horse seems to understand his rider. He saves Deck on the battlefield and is missed deeply when lost.
Is An Undivided Union a true story?
It is fiction built on real events. The characters are invented, but the preface says about thirty sources were used for the campaigns, including Tullahoma, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga, and real generals such as Rosecrans, Bragg, and Grant appear.
The author
Oliver Optic
1822–1897 · American children's author
Oliver Optic was the pen name of William Taylor Adams (1822–1897), an American author and teacher. Born in Medway, Massachusetts, he lived and worked in Boston. He wrote books for young readers during the nineteenth century, including The Yacht Club and Little by Little. He also served in the Massachusetts legislature.
More by Oliver Optic; Edward Stratemeyer
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