A Sudden Thunder (The Richards Line) (Volume 1) 1st edition

Starting with a desperate mission to reinforce Fort Pickens in Florida, Lt. John Richards commands the steam sloop U. S. S. Cohocton during the turbulent early days of the Civil War. The young Lieutenant Commanding gains success and recognition while enforcing Lincoln's blockade and combating rebel gunboats, weather and boredom. But when Cohocton is assigned to Hampton Roads, he faces the prospect of fighting his best friend and the rebel's ultimate weapon ? the ironclad Virginia. The first book in D. A. Joy's Richards' Family Line recounts the early days of the Civil War, giving a unique perspective on a war that pits friend against friend and brother against brother.