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.