As the war enters its final stages, General Paine is called to the War Department to chair a court-martial panel and is involved with such historic events as the implementation of Grant and Lincoln's "total war" and the Confederate attack at the outskirts of the capital. Solomon, who is grieving deeply the loss of his woman and child, joins him there and becomes immersed in providing care for patients at the Freedman Hospital. James Hanger's reputation as a maker of artificial limbs has spread across the South as he continues to deal with financial issues as well as the catastrophic damage caused by "the burning" of the Shenandoah Valley. He investigates the unscrupulous dealings of Gil O'Shea and fights to expose his corrupt depravity. Will James and General Paine ever meet? Who will survive the final stages of the war and will Solomon's dreams of a better life be realized? All questions will be answered in this, the third and final installment of The Bone Pile trilogy.