From back cover: In 1875, nearly forty years after the Mexican War, Mexicans and Texans are still spilling blood over ownership of the Nueces Strip--a hot, dry stretch of coastal prairie that bushwackers and horse thieves have turned into a lawless hell. Captain L. H. McNelly, a complex and determined Confederate veteran is brought into the Nueces Strip for one purpose: to keep the peace. His measures are harsh and controversial--but McNelly wasn't sent in to be popular. In this boilerpot of killing and racial hatred, can any man bring any lasting peace?
Elmer Kelton's retelling of the border battle in 1875 between the United States and Mexico. Main historical character is Captain McNelly.
