John Cabell Chenault lived with his family in Madison County, Kentucky, during the Civil War. Later in his life he recounted his experiences in a manuscript, forming the basis of this book, which was, after his death in 1924, edited and completed by Jonathan Truman Dorris. Although expressing some ambivalence about the existence of slavery, Chenault's reminiscences ultimately espoused the more typical 19th century description of a "benevolent institution" in Madison County. It also described aspects of everyday life in a small rural central Kentucky community, as well as Confederate and Union activity in the region, in particular the Battle of Richmond in 1862. Originally published in 1936, Old Cane Springs remains today a useful contribution to the history of the county and Kentucky.