Project Gutenberg 2011-07-06 Public domain in the USA. 241 Morford, Henry 1823 1881 The Coward: A Novel of Society and the Field in 1863 E-text prepared by David Edwards, Josephine Paolucci, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/americana) "The Coward: A Novel of Society and the Field in 1863" by Henry Morford is a historical novel written in the mid-19th century. The story is set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, particularly around the time leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg. The narrative focuses on the emotional and moral struggles of Carlton Brand, a man grappling with cowardice and societal expectations, alongside the experiences of two prominent young women in his life, Margaret Hayley and Elsie Brand. At the start of the book, readers are introduced to a serene suburban setting in West Philadelphia, where the two young women share a moment of closeness on a sunny June morning. Their dialogue reveals deep themes of love, courage, and the expectation of manhood in the face of war. A powerful contrast emerges through their reflections on Carlton, who has not enlisted, with Margaret expressing her contempt for his perceived cowardice, while Elsie is more sympathetic. As the conversation unfolds, the tension around the expectations of bravery and personal integrity becomes palpable, foreshadowing the challenges and emotional turmoil each character will face as the war looms closer, particularly for Carlton, who is later revealed to struggle with his own sense of honor and self-worth. The opening sets the stage for a dramatic exploration of courage, love, and the societal pressures faced by individuals in tumultuous times. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 59.8 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction PS Text Category: Historical Novels Category: Novels Category: American Literature 1123400 2025-08-15T04:37:40.863877 text/html 1137395 2011-07-06T15:52:56 text/html 534379 2025-08-15T04:37:56.433814 application/epub+zip 545757 2025-08-15T04:37:45.358892 application/epub+zip 519855 2025-08-15T04:37:43.510882 application/epub+zip 945225 2025-08-15T04:38:04.454314 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 881285 2025-08-15T04:37:54.731819 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 774376 2022-09-16T16:43:30.561693 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1057158 2025-08-15T04:37:39.327889 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 1056670 2011-07-06T15:48:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 1056687 2011-07-06T15:48:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20424 2025-08-15T04:38:04.619276 application/rdf+xml 17762 2025-08-15T04:37:44.062853 image/jpeg 3896 2025-08-15T04:37:43.784857 image/jpeg 404846 2011-07-06T15:48:26 application/octet-stream application/zip 418060 2011-07-06T15:54:37 application/octet-stream application/zip 404819 2011-07-06T15:48:27 application/octet-stream application/zip 502487 2025-08-15T04:37:40.947894 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog