The passion and knowledge of Jack and Carol Lewis recently gripped the attention of a packed room full of locals as they shared the story about ‘General Averell’s Raid,’ which came through the town of New Castle in 1863. Startling life stories were shared of the men who braved freezing weather, having to cross creeks without any shoes and losing soldiers along the way. Many other stories created an evening of inspired knowledge. They also shared that there are many anecdotes and glimpses passed down through local families who were here then. Many of them are preserved in Jane Johnston and Brenda Williams’s book Hard Times, 1861-1865.
