In 1861 Mississippian Earl Van Dorn entered the Confederate Army, heralded as one of its most gifted officers. Few men of his age had more military experience. Van Dorn had already distinguished himself in the Mexican War and in the Indian Wars along the Texas-Oklahoma border. His friend Jefferson Davis expected great things of him. When it came to large-scale military initiatives, however, Van Dorn was remarkable for his failures. His tactical...