Book excerpt: Disappear, flee, or fight. Those were the choices when the Civil War of the United States bled into the Indian Nations of what is now Oklahoma, land that had been given to the tribes in lieu of land taken from them by the U. S. Federal government. Citizens of those independent nations became embroiled in the War of the States in spite of their intentions or how they felt about involvement. Leaders of the Cherokee chose sides, which almost led to their own civil war, trapping innocent civilians between not only the warring factions of the Union and Confederacy but of opposing Cherokee forces as well. The inspiration for Minaw's Cave was based on true experiences of John Hildebrand Cookson, the great-great-grandfather of the author's husband. Although the characters and events in this book are otherwise fictional, attempt has been made to keep the historical figures, facts, places, and sequence of events as accurate as possible. Disappear, flee, or fight. Addie and Levi Ballew disappeared to protect their family. Addie's brother, Andy Humphrey, fled with his family to Texas. A young Missouri runaway, Zeke Edwards, chose to fight. Their paths crossed at Minaw's Cave.