Distinguishing himself at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Confederate Captain Nate Starbuck’s career is jeopardized through the suspicion and hostility of his brigade commander, the grandiose General Washington Faulconer. Their simmering enmity flares to life at Dead Mary’s Ford, where Nate Starbuck has to fight the enemy as well as his own commanding officer.

The outcome of that vicious fight drastically changes both men’s fortunes, and propels Starbuck into the ghastly bloodletting at the Second Battle of Manassas—and into a severe test of his ability to lead men who are on the very edge of disaster. As the endless war rages on, neither Yankees nor rebels can guess how the tide may turn. Only time, courage, and belief in the cause will tell.