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Captain George A. Armes' life reflects the Gilded Age's preoccupation with honor and political influence. Armes fully accepted the chivalric image of the South and recognized early in life the value of friends in high places. His military career was full of ill-thought decisions that got him reprimanded, but his sense of honor would not let him admit he was ever wrong. As a result, he spent years trying to clear his name in military circles through the use of political connections. He eventually became a wealthy developer in Washington, DC, but the turn of the century found him out of his time. The chivalric code of the Old South meant little then, and Armes's constant declarations of self-honor fell on deaf ears.

Assesses the racial aspects of violence between soldiers and civilians during the San Angelo Riots in the U.S. Reasons for the riot; Impact of tax law enforcement on the violence; Problems associated with civilian-military tension.