In March 1847, the U.S. Navy delivers 8,000 soldiers on the beaches of Vera Cruz. They are led by the army's commanding general, Winfield Scott, a heroic veteran. At his right hand is Robert E. Lee, a 40-year-old engineer who has never seen combat. Scott leads his troops against the imperious Mexican dictator, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. It becomes clear that the final conflict will occur at the gates and fortified walls of the ancient capital, Mexico City. Cut off from communication and their only supply line, the Americans learn about their enemy, themselves, and the horror of war. While Scott must weigh his own place in history, fighting what many consider a bully's war, Lee becomes a hero.