"The fire which utterly consumed the town of Darien on that fateful day in June, 1863 was a tangible expression of the uncontrolled hatred which enveloped the entire nation. The fire burned almost all of the homes and public buildings of Darien, including the school and church houses. The fire sparked a responsive hatred that burned in the hearts of the people of Darien long after the ashes of their town had grown cold. This is the story of how that hatred began, how it manifested itself in the destruction of Darien, and how destructive passion finally cooled so that rebuilding could begin." --Book jacket.

Information pertaining to each settler consists, generally, of name, age, occupation, place of origin, names of spouse, children and other family members, dates of embarkation and arrival, place of settlement, and date of death. In addition, some of the more notorious aspects of the settlers' lives are recounted in brief, telltale sketches.