Over the Big Water

"Over the Big Water" is a unique compilation of local history based on 46 transcribed letters between members of the Underwood family-primarily Harvey Underwood, Louisa Underwood, Ella Underwood, and Arthur Leonard. These letters provide detailed accounts of military conditions in France and Germany, as well as life in Stanly County, a rural North Carolina community. The title derives from a local euphemism for the Atlantic Ocean. The book also incorporates local genealogical records, newspapers, and oral histories to create a comprehensive history of the Underwood family, their extended relatives and neighbors, and the broader communities of Stanly County, North Carolina.