As night falls on December 13, 1862, bitter winds sweep the battlefield of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Patrick O'Hanrahan, a Union soldier, lies wounded, surrounded by his dead and dying comrades. With more than two years of war ahead of him, Patrick doesn't know if his life will last even two more minutes. He also doesn't see the moral conflict he will eventually be forced to deal with after meeting Lou Ann Sommers, though he still plans to marry his...