Seventeen year old Augustus DuBois is called upon, with his local militia members, to help stop the Rebel secession at the first battle of Bull Run. When this fails, the war begins to stretch out and Augustus decides to extend his enlistment to try to help finish the task. At the siege of Petersburg, Augustus and two of his companions are captured and sent to the Andersonville prison. Here he sees and experiences man’s inhumanity to man regardless of which side he is on. He hears the quandary of the prison commander whose calls for aid fall on deaf ears. After escaping the prison, Augustus and his companions join general Sherman’s forces on the infamous March to the Sea. The war ends and after some serious soul searching, Augustus makes a decision that sends him back into the South. The book explores the issues of responsibility and chain of command and whether the victors can set the rules and write the history.
