Abraham Slattery, was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather, who fought, served and died during the American Civil War, at the young age of 29. This is his story come to life. There are also vignettes of three other fictitious characters and their personal struggles from different sides of this great American conflict. The character Jefferson Ambrose is a featured in the song"The Lash for the Gun". He is a former slave now fighting for the Union to save his country as a free man."Fathers of the Waters" is a historical depiction of the fight for the Mississippi River near the end of the war. It tells the stories of the families that lived in caves around Vicksburg during the massive Union bombardment that took place following the taking of the Fish Hook Turn in the battle to take Mississippi, to thus gain the upper hand on the Confederacy. These songs were written over an eight year time span. After learning of the stories of my Great, Great, Great Grandfather, I felt compelled to tell his story, in my way and that is through music, story and words.