A microcosm of the of the divisions that occured all along the border between north and south during the Civil War, Clash of Loyalties details the terror and tragedy that occurred in one such county before, during, and after the war. By examing and interpreting long-ignored documents of the times and personal accounts of the people who lived in Barbor County in the mountainous Northwest of (West) Virginia, Shaffer shows how conflicting loyalties and traditions ripped apart communities, institutions, and families.