Ray Deptula highlights the Revolution’s Southern campaign in new novel

Former Navy officer Ray Deptula’s new book, Can’t Find My Way Home, revisits the brutal Southern campaign of the American Revolution through two men trying to survive after the Battle of Camden. The novel spotlights a pivotal but often overlooked phase of the war and is the second book in Deptula’s Those Damned Yankees series.

Why it matters: - The American Revolution’s outcome was shaped as much in the South as in New England, and Deptula’s novel aims to put that history back in view. - The book centers on moral choices, loyalty and survival in wartime, themes that still resonate beyond the historical setting.

What happened: - Former U.S. Naval Officer Ray Deptula released 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, after they are separated from the Continental Army following the Battle of Camden. - The story tracks the pair through South Carolina’s violent and lawless backcountry as rival militias and neighbors fight on opposite sides. - The book is set after Jack and Custis endure the winter of 1780-81 at Washington’s army encampment in New Jersey. - The novel positions the Southern campaign as the point where the war’s direction was ultimately decided.

The details: - Deptula based the book on historical research and the sequence of Revolutionary War events. - The Battle of Camden leaves the Continental forces devastated and weakens the American effort to drive Britain from the southern provinces. - Jack and Custis must survive in a region where trust is scarce and Custis is treated as property, forcing Jack to confront his moral obligations. - Deptula said the relationship between Jack and Custis drives the novel and reflects the bond of comradeship formed in military service. - The title, Can’t Find My Way Home, comes from the characters’ desperate effort to find safety and return home. - The book is published by Speaking Volumes and carries ISBN-13 979-8890224170. - The release date is June 30, 2026. - The book is available from Amazon. - Deptula lives in Merritt Island, Florida, with his wife, Julia. - Deptula is a native of Wells, Maine, and a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy and the U.S. Naval War College. - Deptula served 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator and Political-Military Officer, with service in Europe, the Mideast, Africa and the Caribbean.

Between the lines: - The novel uses a personal survival story to frame a larger historical argument: the Revolution’s decisive struggle did not end with the familiar Northern battles. - By pairing a deserter with an enslaved man, Deptula adds a human lens to the war’s military and moral contradictions. - The author’s military background likely informs the book’s focus on comradeship, hardship and battlefield consequence.

What's next: - Readers can find more information at Ray Deptula Author. - The book’s publication and sale through major retail channels position it for readers interested in Revolutionary War history and historical fiction. - Deptula’s Those Damned Yankees series may continue to expand attention on lesser-known episodes of the war.