State's unique role in the Civil War

An Annapolis attorney has published a new book that looks at Maryland's unusual role in the Civil War.

Richard P. Cox's "Civil War Maryland: Stories from the Old Line State" consists of 16 standalone essays that can be read in an afternoon or spread out over a number of sittings.

Mr. Cox, 63, has a solo practice in business law and writes historical articles for The Washington Times. He is a Minnesota native who moved to Maryland about 15 years ago, and he said that his new state "made for a fascinating study."

The state's southern boundary, the Potomac River, was the jumping off...