Former Navy officer spotlights the Revolution’s Southern Campaign in new novel

Ray Deptula’s new book, Can’t Find My Way Home, uses the Battle of Camden and the war in South Carolina to reframe how the American Revolution was decided. The second novel in his Those Damned Yankees series centers on survival, loyalty and moral conflict in the conflict’s brutal Southern theater.

Why it matters: - The American Revolution is often remembered for Lexington and Yorktown, but the Southern campaign helped determine the war’s outcome. - Deptula’s novel brings attention to that less-told history and the violence that shaped the British defeat in the South. - The book also uses the conflict to explore loyalty, humanity and moral choice under pressure.

What happened: - Former U.S. Naval Officer Ray Deptula released Can’t Find My Way Home, the second book in his Those Damned Yankees series. - The novel follows British deserter Jack Halliday and Custis, an enslaved man, after they are separated from the Continental Army following the Battle of Camden. - The story places the pair in South Carolina, where rival militias, neighbor-against-neighbor violence and battlefield chaos define their struggle to survive. - The book release date is June 30, 2026.

The details: - Deptula based the novel on historical research and the sequence of Revolutionary War events. - The characters first endure the winter of 1780-81 with Washington’s army encampment in New Jersey. - Spring brings the Battle of Camden, where Continental forces are badly defeated by the British. - That defeat weakens American hopes of pushing Britain out of the southern provinces. - Jack and Custis then navigate a lawless South where Custis is treated as property and Jack’s moral choices are tested. - Deptula said military service is sustained by comradeship, not ideology, and said the book focuses on Jack’s protective bond with Custis. - Can’t Find My Way Home is published by Speaking Volumes. - The ISBN-13 is 979-8890224170. - The book is available from Amazon.

Between the lines: - Deptula is using historical fiction to widen the frame on the Revolution, shifting attention from famous northern landmarks to the war’s harsher Southern fighting. - The book’s central relationship adds a moral lens to a military story, which may appeal to readers looking for character-driven historical fiction. - The release also extends Deptula’s Those Damned Yankees series, suggesting a continued focus on Revolutionary War narratives outside the usual textbook storyline.

What's next: - Readers can find more information at Ray Deptula’s website. - Deptula’s background as a former Navy aviator and political-military officer may continue to shape future work in the series. - The book’s reach may depend on whether readers respond to its mix of battlefield history, moral conflict and Southern-campaign focus.

The bottom line: - Can’t Find My Way Home tries to recast the American Revolution through the violence, ambiguity and strategic importance of the Southern campaign.