In a sea of capes, lasers, and cosmic battles, James Milton Roberts takes readers somewhere quieter, wilder, and deeply human. He turns the murky waters of Goshen Swamp into a sanctuary and transforms a pirate into a patriarch. Legends of Goshen Swamp isn’t just historical fiction—it’s a story brimming with heart, grit, and the lived struggles of its author.
A disabled Vietnam veteran and PTSD survivor, Roberts writes not just with imagination but with experience. At the center of his tale is Captain Drake Strader, a pirate seeking not treasure but freedom, redemption, and peace. Set in 1698, Strader and his crew flee the relentless pursuit of British, Spanish, and French forces, carving out a hidden settlement in North Carolina’s Goshen Swamp. There, pirates raise families, forge a community, and cling to dignity in a world that offers little.
Roberts’ personal history bleeds into the narrative. “I put myself in the pirate’s position,” he shared with US Times Now. “What would I do if I were hunted by three powerful countries, knowing my time was short?” His empathy brings authenticity to Strader’s choices and fears, giving the story a lived-in pulse.
The swamp itself is more than a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing character. Growing up alongside Goshen Swamp, Roberts remembers it as wild, unpredictable, and full of danger and wonder. “You could feel the swamp. It wasn’t just a place—it was alive,” he says. From lurking wildlife to a cheeky Sasquatch, the swamp shapes every decision and every life within its boundaries.
The novel’s emotional depth stems from Roberts’ own experiences. PTSD informs his depiction of fear, trauma, and survival, making the peril feel real and urgent. Captain Strader embodies both strength and compassion. Inspired by Roberts’ ideals and family—his ex-wife was Italian—Strader is a leader who values education and equality, extending respect and opportunity even to runaway slaves who join his community.
“Survival—physical, emotional, spiritual—emerged naturally as a theme,” Roberts explains. “Everyone was chasing peace in their own way.” His story also weaves in Civil War echoes through Strader’s descendants, linking the pirate settlement to history in a way both personal and illuminating.
For Roberts, the novel is about more than adventure. It’s a testament to resilience, hope, and the lessons of life. “If readers walk away feeling even a part of what I felt while writing it, I’ve done my job,” he says.
Legends of Goshen Swamp bridges myth and memory, past and present, transforming pirates into patriots, slaves into scholars, and a swamp into a living witness. Roberts hasn’t merely written a book—he has etched a legacy into the mud and water of his own story.