In July of 1813, America’s war against the British Empire had been in progress for just over a year. On the American frontier of the Mississippi Territory, thousands of American settlers feared for their lives as the nearby Red Stick faction of the Muscogee Creeks threatened to align with Great Britain. The Merrell Saga is based upon the true but complicated story of the Merrell family during and after this tumultuous period. When the Mississippi Territorial government sends out calls for volunteers to join the militia to defend the country from attack, Jack Merrell, a young husband and father, is torn between duty to his family and duty to his country. The decision that he makes will forever change the trajectory of his life and the lives of his family members. Jack and his wife, Sarah, separated by bizarre and unique circumstances, each experience hardships and tragedies which propel their lives into different directions. The stories of their individual struggles of survival, perseverance, and redemption lead to a heart-rending reunion that is extraordinarily unique in the chronicles of American pioneer history. Charles Sowell holds a B.A. degree in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Business Administration degree from Texas Christian University. He spent thirty-nine years in the aerospace industry, where he retired in 2006 as Finance Director of Bell Helicopter's Customer Support and Services Division. During the last six years of his career at Bell, he was also an adjunct professor with the Graduate School of Management at the University of Dallas. In retirement, Charles has pursued a hobby of genealogy research, which led to his first book, MY AMERICAN HERITAGE. The discovery of a story that had been passed down through one of his family lines became the genesis of THE MERRELL SAGA.