In May of 1863, twenty year old William Blount, a reluctant Confederate corporal, carries messages between the camps of the divided Confederate army outside Vicksburg. He marvels at the generals ¿ some brilliant, some brats ¿ and how often they ignore the orders he delivers. Riding alone he crosses desperate soldiers, brave civilians, and a woman he cannot forget. A century later, a hard-working black community fights its own battles in the same vicinity. A striking young mother runs afoul of one of the most powerful men in Jackson and once again casualties mount near Raymond, Mississippi.