He Came During the Civil War is the true story of Darrell Anderson, also known as Chef Joseph, and the remarkable connection he discovered between his own journey and the life of his second great-grandfather, Albert Anderson.

Born in 1840, Albert Anderson joined the Mountain Rifles Militia in 1859 and later served as a cook during the Civil War. More than a century later, Darrell unknowingly followed a similar calling through food. After enduring personal struggles, a criminal conviction, homelessness, broken relationships, and years of uncertainty, Darrell began rebuilding his life by selling his Chef Joseph's hot sauce from out of the trunk of his car.

What started as a simple hot sauce business grew into a much larger mission. Darrell became a professionally trained chef, opened two restaurants, operated food trucks, and built the Chef Joseph's brand from the ground up without any bank loans. Along the way, he survived life-changing experiences-including a serious motorcycle accident and an apartment fire in which his actions helped save five lives.

As Darrell researched his family history, he discovered that the name, purpose, and direction of Chef Joseph's were connected to a legacy that began long before he was born. His life and Albert Anderson's history came together through their shared calling as cooks, separated by more than 170 years.

From homelessness to Civil War history, this memoir is a story of survival, redemption, entrepreneurship, family history, and one man's determination to understand where he came from and why he was chosen to carry the legacy forward.