An examination of the 12 month American Civil War life of the SS General Lyon and the almost 600 men, women and children who were lost when the vessel caught fire and sank, 31 March 1865. Footnoted and illustrated, this non-fiction work contains complete passenger lists and information on individual citizens and soldiers. Over three years of research and 2,500 miles of travel by car in the eastern states have brought many new discoveries about the people and the ship. Readers are invited to add to the information that is available; many people across the world have family members who perished in the tragedy and are encouraged to share stories with the author for inclusion in subsequent revisions.