On September 13, 1862, a Union private found--wrapped around some cigars left behind by fleeing Confederate soldiers--a piece of paper. On that paper was Special Orders No. 191, a message from Lee to his generals detailing his master plan for opening an invasion of the North. When General McClellan received this intelligence, he knew his opportunity to prove his detractors wrong was at hand. The result was the Battle of Antietam . . . with more than 23,000 American casualties.

Promise of Glory is a historically accurate novel of the battle of Antietam and the invasion of Maryland by Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862. The novel begins with Lee's decision to move his army north, and is told from the perspective of various general officers of both northern and southern armies. The author has also taken the time to put the battle of Antietam in its proper historical context-- with detailed accounts of the move northward by the Confederate army, as well as the taking of Harper's Ferry and the battle of South Mountain.

Readers who know Civil War history will appreciate the attention to historical detail throughout the novel. They will also gain an appreciation for why Lee chose to stand at Sharpsburg, Maryland instead of taking the logical step of falling back across the Potomac River and avoiding the battle.