During the period after the battle, the Brotherhood Colonel and his men search for news of Longinus and a survivor from the Union attack identifies where he is. The Colonel is satisfied and withdraws, vowing to get the Beast one day. Meanwhile Casca has written to Edward Siddeley in Richmond asking him to check on his girl, Liz, worried she may be in danger. The elderly Siddeley discovers Liz has been adbucted from a nosey neighbour and writes to Casca.
Casca gets the news but is unable to go to Richmond as they are sent to Fredericksburg to stop the latest Union attack. Billy admits to having an affair with Rosie, the barmaid at the Rising Sun tavern, to his unit, and when they get to the tavern Billy gets involved in a fight with men from another unit who show an interest in her., Billy is taken to safety by Rosie but Casca, Munz and Llewellyn are arrested and spend the night in custody. Rosie speaks in their defence the next day and they are released, but are put on patrol duty wth others who have broken army rules. Billy once again sneaks out of camp to get to Rosie and the Union troops attack the town. Casca and his men rescue Billy and get away in time, Casca threatening Billy never to go again without permission.
In the battle the Union troops are thrown back by strong defences and Casca's unit has a minor role in the fight, helping the hard-preseed Georgian troops at the top of Marye's Heights. While this was happening Edward Siddeley and MIchael White, the wounded former soldier in Casca's unit, join forces to advertise the missing Liz and Ann, her sister. Smith, the Brotherhood agent in Richmond, and the man who has corrupted Ann, learns of this and sends two of his men to teach White a lesson. In a short fight one Brotherhood man dies and White is badly wounded, and the adverts stop.
After the Battle of Fredericksburg Casca journeys to Richmond on leave and finds Edward Siddeley who tells Casca of the developments, and the house where the surviving Brotherhood agent went. Casca enters the house to find everyone gone, but he does find a dead Liz in the basement, starved to death. Casca howls in anguish and promises he'll get even.
The Confederates move north in the summer into Union territory. Casca is much quieter after Liz's death and is more distant from the others. They march to Gettysburg while further back the Colonel gives Smith ten of his men to help set a trap for Casca if he survives the battle. At Gettysburg Casca and his men are involved in Pickett's Charge, attacking into a hail of fire, and Llewellyn is wounded and has to be left to be picked up by the Union. Casca carries a hurt Billy back to his lines. The Brotherhood Colonel finds out where Casca is and sets off after him with his unit.
Back at their lines, Casca's unit are given some prisoners to guard on the retreat and in the rain at night the prisoners escape. Casca chases after them and kills two and rounds up the others. Then the 'Colonel and his men turn up and chase Casca's unit until a chance rescue by Rebel cavalrymen saves the day. Casca learns these are men of Mosby's unit, a raiding Confederate commander. When a Brotherhood spy is captured, Casca learns that Smith is at the old farmhouse near Lynchburg and sets off with his men to rescue Ann. The Colonel rides with his Brotherhood men to close the trap, but Casca arrives too quickly and Ann is rescued, but is insane through fear of Casca. Ann's brother Patrick helps in getting local militia to help defeat the Colonel but he is killed as is the Colonel.
Returning to the army, Casca and his men are sent to take Plymouth which they do, and get involved in a celebratory meal with prostitutes. Then they are sent to Petersburg where they have to defend the city and settle down to a long quiet winter, but Casca goes off on a rescue mission behind lines to get Rosie out of occupied Fredericksburg, which he manages. Back at the front, the Confederate lines collapse through pressure and in the long march to escape, they are surrounded and surrender. Casca, Munz and Billy return to the farm where Casca bids the others a farewell and walks off west to an uncertain future.
Casca leaves Goldman's house after telling his tale reflecting on the men who died in the war.