Ol' Slantface – The Rescue of the St. Louis Gaslight Boys

A Civil War Historical Thriller

When the world collapses, innocence becomes a target. Dillon and Jenny flee St. Louis—only to discover a evil trade that thrives on silence.

Twelve-year-old Dillon Childs loses everything the moment the Civil War reaches his doorstep. Sent to St. Louis with his little sister Jenny under the protection of a trusted preacher, he instead finds himself abandoned in a brutal city where children vanish without a trace. With winter, hunger, and violence pressing in, Dillon makes a reckless decision: he’ll take Jenny home on foot—no matter what waits on the road. But as the miles stretch behind them, Dillon uncovers a nightmare far darker than war itself: a hidden trade in stolen boys, run by men who wear kindness like a mask. And when the truth leads back to Dillon’s own home, he realizes there’s no safe place left—only the fight to outrun the hunters and expose the evil that’s been waiting for him all along.

The Gaslight Boys is a gritty Civil War historical fiction series set in 1861–1865 and the harsh years of Reconstruction, shining a light on the forgotten victims of the conflict: the orphaned children left behind in its wake. Inspired by the real “gaslight children” of the era, this series brings to life their hardship, resilience, and the brutal choices they were forced to make.
John T. Wayne combines the classic Western Genre with a new freshness and is referred to as the new standard in Western Folklore. Being the grandson of the famous Hollywood icon John Wayne does not only represent a rich heritage of the western genre but created a unique author equally talented like his famed ancestor.

Add it to your library today—and discover a Civil War story you won’t forget.