Mark Crawford just wanted to record his family history for posterity’s sake.

Three years later, the Battle Creek resident expanded upon genealogy research that revealed that his paternal great-, great-, great-, great-, great-, great-grandfather fought with the rebellious colonists alongside a brother during the American Revolution − with two other loyalist brothers fighting opposite for the British.

Crawford’s independently-published debut novel, “Divided Loyalty,” attempts to provide a historically accurate look at life in the Revolutionary War’s “neutral ground” in rural Westchester County, New York, the 40-mile zone where the Crawford’s lived that separated the British from the Continentals.

A married father of three, the Lansing Everett and Albion College graduate retired early from his position as an administrator with Bronson Healthcare to write the novel. As the book was released on Amazon Wednesday ($15.99 paperback, $3.99 Kindle), Crawford spoke to the Battle Creek Enquirer. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity:

Battle Creek Enquirer: What compelled you to write “Divided Loyalty?”