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It's March 22nd, 1862 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, almost one year into the American Civil War.

Brigadier General James Shield sits on a horse bellowing commands to his subordinates as his troops come under Confederate fire. He's determined to follow his orders, to hold the town of Winchester for the Union, whatever the cost.

For the past year, Union forces have struggled to defeat the Confederate Army.

And exasperated, President Abraham Lincoln recently reshuffled his general staff to get his stalled army on the move.

One of his new appointees is Shields, a former statesman, an old friend.

Now on the battlefield, Shield scans his surroundings, looking to see where the Confederates are shooting from.

As he stands in his stirrups to get a better view,

a shell explodes nearby. Shields struggles to control his horse. As it rears up, he slide from

the saddle and hits the ground with a hard thud. A horrible pain shoots through Shield's left

arm and shoulder. Dazed, Shields looks up to see officers crowding around him.

He hears a doctor saying that a shell fragment has broken his arm and he needs to get to the

rear for treatment. Shields fights to stay conscious as he tells his men he doesn't want to lead

the battlefield now. Today's fight is crucial to the war effort, but as he tries to speak and rally his

soldiers, he can't stop his eyes from closing, and soon his body goes limp.

In an opening skirmish before the Battle of Kearnstown, James Shields is injured by Shrapnel

from a Confederate shell.

Throughout the next day's battle, Shields will have to receive reports and issue orders

from a cot behind the front lines. But his men will stand strong and push the enemy back,

...