The day following the battle of Gettysburg, Rimmon Squires, photographer, arrives at the battle site to make photographs of carnage and casualties for his planned photographic exhibit. He blunders onto nine battle victims, bound hand and foot and killed, execution style. When he reports this to the Provost Marshal, he is propelled into a lethal intrigue aimed at a draconian and grossly profitable end to the war. Before Rim learns who the victims were, why they were killed and who killed them, one of his staff will be the victim of a murder attempt, his own life will be threatened, and someone, clearly, wants his pictures destroyed. Before he succeeds in solving the mystery he will find himself allied with an arrogant Federal Provost Marshall and the notorious Daniel Sickles, who is recovering from the loss of leg in the battle. Squires will also receive help from his enigmatic new assistant who is a fugitive slave. President Lincoln offers his help, but under stern and demanding conditions. As the date of his exhibit draws near Squires learns how far and how low the politics of the Civil War will extend.
In the last two weeks of the Civil War chaos threatens the Confederate Capitol. Fanatics plan to assassinate Jefferson Davis and his cabinet. President Lincoln, amidst plans for a peaceful postwar reunion, authorizes a counter plot. Stop the killers and make sure no knowledge of their scheme leaks to the public. An unlikely group is hurriedly recruited to save Davis. The publisher of a Richmond newspaper, a manumitted slave and a one armed Mexican War veteran join together to save Davis et al. The action leads to the Richmond & Danville RR on the night the Confederate Government flees with the entire hard currency of the Confederacy. The chosen site for a planned train wreck is a trestle just outside Richmond. The climatic scene finds the plotters are divided against themselves. Some wish to kill Davis. Some want only the treasury currency. How they are both thwarted and Lincoln's wishes are realized is the result of quick witted and bold efforts by the counter plotters.
All of Mexico is seen through the eyes of Rimmon Squires, volunteer lieutenant on the staff of General Winfield Scott. Squires, a daguerreotypist, uses his skill with this breakthrough photographic technology to record the heroics and skullduggery of the United States first war of foreign conquest, following the old Cortez route to Mexico city. His lens captures Captain Robert E. Lee resting after his brilliant battle field reconnaissance at Cerro Gordo, the young artillery lieutenant, Tom Jackson, as he earns a brevet at Chapultepec and Sam Grant using a steeple emplaced howitzer with telling effect as the army assaults the Mexican capital. All of Mexico catches the defining moment in the ongoing history of our two neighboring republics. The army was led by men who were to become gray bearded heroes of the blue and gray forces of the Civil War. The Mexican war induced conflicting attitudes that still resonate today, shame at invading a sister republic, pride at gaining vast territories (what is now California and the southwestern states of the U. S.) and the realization of what was termed our national Manifest Destiny.
Nathan Palmer and Jeff Morgan happen across an ambush too late to help the victims, but a dying man gives them a gun, a key and a cryptic message about 10,000 dollars being available in Fort Benton in five days' time.Now Nathan and Jeff set about getting their hands on the money. However, Fort Benton is the private empire of Mayor Decker and his ruthless form of justice. Before the day is out the pair are beaten up and thrown in jail.In Decker's clutches, they're going to need all their courage if they are ever to escape.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.