Twelve-year-old Will is left to live with his aunt and uncle at the end of war that began in what year?
Shades of Gray (Reeder novel):  At the end of the American Civil War, twelve-year-old Will is left to live with his aunt and uncle. American Civil War: The American Civil War (commonly known as the "Civil War" in the United States) was fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865.
1861