The South was not of one accord during the Civil War: some southerners opposed secession; some, after seeing the might and resources of the Union army, faced reality and became unionists; some remained neutral; some joined the Union army, others deserted from the Confederate army. While the number of such was small, it was a respectable minority. Those who were true Confederates were more vociferous and active while those opposed or neutral, of necessity, usually remained quiet and little has been written about this minority, especially in Mississippi. This is a condensed version of the above forces in the South, primarily in Mississippi and focusing on Marshall County, Mississippi, a topic that was seldom taught or written about for many years. Much of the Marshall County information is from unpublished material.

The story of a MS. cavalry compnay that becamr part of John Hunt Morgan's 2nd Ky. Cavalry. While the leader appeared to be a sickly misfit in his previous army service, due to his health his men had to help him mount his horse at the start of the "Great Raid" into Indiana & Ohio where most of the men were captured., but not before they began to call him the "Iron Man." After prison, he and many of the company escorted Jefferson Davis as he attempted to escape. The concluding chapter tells of the men and their return to a difficult life where many died very early. Considerable non-published and out of print material is included.

Examines the Army's readiness reporting system in light of changes experienced by Army units in the past decade, particularly the ability of units to adapt to emerging requirements by adding and training up new capabilities quickly.