It is night in Longstreet's camp, and all the officers are relaxing around the campfire playing poker. Longstreet is renowned at poker, but no longer plays since the death of his children. He prefers to sit off to the side, close enough to listen, far enough away to be left alone.
Through the antics, jokes, and discussions of the officers, Shaara introduces the annoying Sorrel, the sentimental and honorable Armistead, the sad Garnett, the irritable Kemper, and the flamboyant George Pickett. They tease Pickett about finishing last in his class at West Point, his cologne, and his girlfriend, Sallie, who is half his age. They argue with the British observer, Fremantle, about when the British are going to come in on the Confederate side and break the Yankee blockade.
As they bicker, Longstreet ponders a number of things. He is concerned about the lack of information on the enemy so he has sent Harrison, the spy, to gather information at Gettysburg, which is still 30 miles away. When Sorrel reveals that Hill's men encountered Union cavalry that day but brushed it off as local militia, Longstreet is further worried. He suspects the cavalry are not militia, and where the Union cavalry is, the infantry is not far behind. Longstreet is frustrated with Stuart's absence and with Lee for not sending out other cavalry to scout ahead.
