Following the Civil War, Colfax, Louisiana, was a town, like many, where Negroes and whites mingled uneasily. But on April 13, 1873, a small army of white ex-Confederate soldiers, enraged after attempts by freedmen to assert their new rights, killed more than sixty Negroes who had occupied a courthouse. Now, journalist Charles Lane transforms this nearly forgotten incident into a historical saga. Seeking justice for the slain, one brave U.S. attorney, James Beckwith, risked his life and career to investigate and punish the perpetrators--but they all went free. What followed was a series of courtroom dramas that culminated at the Supreme Court, where the verdict compromised the victories of the Civil War and left Southern blacks at the mercy of violent whites for generations.--From publisher description.

Prologue -- "Wholesale murder" -- From plantation to parish -- Power struggle -- War -- Blood on the red -- Black-letter law -- Manhunt -- Louisiana on trial -- A justice's judgment -- "If Louisiana goes..." -- The court speaks -- Epilogue -- Appednix: How many died?.