The American Revolution is often remembered through battles such as Lexington and Yorktown, but a new historical novel explores the violent Southern campaign that ultimately played a critical role in the fight for American independence.
Former U.S. Naval Officer Ray Deptula brings the overlooked chapter of the Revolution to life in “Can’t Find My Way Home,” the second installment in his Those Damned Yankees series.
The novel follows British deserter Jack Halliday and Custis, an enslaved man who becomes his companion, as they struggle to survive in South Carolina following the devastating Battle of Camden.
Deptula draws on historical research and the actual sequence of Revolutionary War events to place the fictional characters in the midst of a conflict marked by violence, divided loyalties and shifting alliances.
“Service in the military is enduring in that the motivation to withstand hardships comes not from political ideology but rather the love of your comrades,” Deptula said. “Can’t Find My Way Home deals primarily with the relationship between Jack and the slave, Custis, to whom Jack feels a moral obligation to protect for no other reason than he is Jack’s friend.”
The story begins after Jack and Custis have endured the harsh winter of 1780-81 at Washington’s army encampment in New Jersey while serving with the Continental Army. With the arrival of spring, the pair becomes caught up in the Battle of Camden.
The August 1780 battle ended in a major defeat for the Continental forces and strengthened the British position in the Southern colonies. In Deptula’s novel, the aftermath leaves Jack and Custis separated from the army and struggling to navigate a dangerous and unpredictable landscape.
As they attempt to find their way to safety, their friendship is tested by the realities of the period. Custis remains vulnerable because of his status as an enslaved man, forcing Jack to confront the moral implications of a society in which another person can be treated as property.
The title Can’t Find My Way Home reflects the pair’s struggle to survive and return to a place of safety amid a region where violence and distrust have become part of everyday life.
Through the relationship between the two characters, Deptula explores friendship, loyalty and moral courage while examining the human consequences of war.
Can’t Find My Way Home was released June 30, 2026, by Speaking Volumes. The book is the sequel to Deptula’s A Dog Before a Soldier.
Deptula spent 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator and Political-Military Officer, serving in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College and holds a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies.
The author currently lives in Merritt Island, Florida, with his wife, Julia.