Former Navy officer spotlights the Revolution’s southern campaign in new novel

Ray Deptula, a former U.S. Naval officer, has released Can’t Find My Way Home, the second book in his Those Damned Yankees series, to explore the Revolutionary War’s decisive Southern campaign. The novel centers on the aftermath of the Battle of Camden and the struggle of two separated soldiers to survive in South Carolina.

Why it matters: - The American Revolution is often remembered through Lexington and Yorktown, but the Southern campaign helped decide the war. - Deptula’s novel aims to bring that lesser-known theater to a wider audience through fiction grounded in historical events. - The book also uses the war to examine loyalty, survival and the moral strain of combat.

What happened: - Former U.S. Naval Officer Ray Deptula released Can’t Find My Way Home, the second installment in the Those Damned Yankees series. - The book follows British deserter Jack Halliday and his companion Custis, an enslaved man, after they are separated from the Continental Army following the Battle of Camden. - The story is set in South Carolina, where the Revolution turned into a brutal local conflict marked by neighbor-against-neighbor violence and rival militias.

The details: - The novel draws on historical research and follows the sequence of Revolutionary War events. - Jack Halliday and Custis are first shown serving with the Continental Army after enduring the winter of 1780-81 at Washington’s army encampment in New Jersey. - When spring arrives, the two are swept into the Battle of Camden, where British forces decimate the Continental Army. - The defeat weakens American hopes of driving Britain from its foothold in the southern provinces. - After being separated from their army, Jack and Custis must survive in a volatile region where trust is scarce and Custis’ status as property complicates Jack’s choices. - Deptula said the book centers on the bond between Jack and Custis and Jack’s moral duty to protect a friend. - The title comes from the pair’s struggle to find safety and return home. - Deptula says the book reflects broader ideas about human nature and moral survival.

Between the lines: - The novel frames the Southern campaign as the Revolution’s turning point, not just a side chapter. - By pairing a British deserter with an enslaved man, the story highlights the war’s contradictions and the era’s moral conflicts. - Deptula’s military background likely informs the book’s focus on comradeship, endurance and battlefield consequence.

What’s next: - Can’t Find My Way Home is published by Speaking Volumes and carries a June 30, 2026 release date. - The book is available from Amazon. - More information is available at Ray Deptula’s website. - Deptula lives in Merritt Island, Florida, with his wife, Julia.

The bottom line: - Deptula is betting that readers will embrace a Revolutionary War story that shifts the spotlight south, where the war’s outcome was often decided.