Cyrus Trask's Military Career

Cyrus Trask, a Connecticut farmer, enlists in the Union Army in 1862. He is wounded in his first skirmish, losing his right leg, and is discharged. Despite his brief and undistinguished service, Cyrus develops a powerful fantasy life, embellishing his war record until he believes his own lies. He becomes an expert on military history and strategy, writing articles and letters that gain him influence in the Grand Army of the Republic. He eventually becomes a paid secretary for the G.A.R. and a respected figure in Washington, D.C., living a life of fabricated glory.