About the Book – To My Best Girl, by Steve Magnusen

If you wish to become immersed in the agony of facing Civil War battles, whether in a volunteer regiment or at home obsessing with dangers your loved one must face, always burdened with the skeptical hope that love for a young girl just might be reciprocated, you are bound to be engrossed in this exquisitely scripted novel. This true story is derived from historical facts and publications, but more so from a great number of archived love letters and journals. It is a fast-paced page-turner as the reader must discover if one survives a battle, if a letter will bring a desired response, or if a railroad will be able to transport loved ones in time for joyous or tragic events. It centers on Rufus Dawes and his heroic service in the Union’s famous Iron Brigade, the remarkable romance from afar involving youthful Mary Gates, the frustrations of family upheaval, the plight of African Americans -  all play a role in this story’s ability to keep the reader totally absorbed. As one reader succinctly remarked:

“I learned what war is and what love should be.”

About the Author

Steve Magnusen enjoyed a nationally recognized management and engineering career in north suburban Chicago after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University. He has led several professional and non-profit organizations, and served fifteen years as an infantry and armor officer in the US Army Reserve.

Steve’s particular interest in the Civil War’s elite “Iron Brigade” led him to diligently research the life of Rufus Dawes, the intrepid young commander of the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry and a native of historic Marietta, Ohio. Extensive original documentation not only revealed extraordinary battlefield heroism details heretofore unknown, but also an incredible wartime romance involving young Mary Beman Gates. Steve was motivated to bring their captivating personal saga to life in To My Best Girl.

Steve has presented this inspiring story to many audiences in a variety of venues using PowerPoint, and is named as a 5-star speaker on the Civil War Round Table Congress Speaker Registry. A second book providing more in-depth information on Rufus and younger brother Ephraim Dawes is pending publication, primarily using their own first-person accounts. It is tentatively titled “The Dawes Brothers in Battle”.