It is September 1863. Gen. James Longstreet and his Corps ride the rails westward to join Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee in its efforts to halt the advance of the Union Army. Longstreet, a favorite of Gen. Robert E. Lee, fully expects to replace Bragg as commander of the Western Army. Despite assurances to Longstreet from prominent Confederates, President Davis does not remove Bragg to make way for Longstreet. Longstreet's keen disappointment and unsoldierly behavior led to disaster for the Army itself. Upon separation from Bragg's Army he fails spectacularly at Knoxville, proving to all his inability to function in an independent command.

An objective and realistic look at a Confederate commander by a respected historian.