The remarkable true story of Edward Kretchmer, a young Union soldier who served in General Grant’s Army in 1862 The Union Army under the leadership of General Ulysses S. Grant was having difficulty obtaining information about what was going on inside Vicksburg. The word went out from the general’s command that someone was needed to get inside the city of Vicksburg and gather intelligence about the strength and weaknesses of the enemy. In short, a spy was needed, and it was well-known that spies who were caught were summarily executed. Allison (Al) Collard is the great-grandson of Edward Kretchmer. Curious about the historical family documents that had been passed down to him from his father, Al decided to write a family history that would end up reaching back eight generations into early America. A native of Long Island, New York, Al received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Adelphi University, and a Doctor of Law degree from Fordham University.