Claude Henry Hudson is so simple that he's complex. He wears his heart on his sleeve then puts a jacket on. His funeral features laughter, tears, and people from his life that can truly tell the special stories. Heaven is a virtual who's who of history. The "celebrity" of it all preoccupies his mind. An innocent checker game between General Robert E. Lee and General George Gordon Meade commemorating the Battle of Gettysburg renews sectional differences of opinion between North and South. Claude somehow becomes an integral part of this historic rivalry. A hundred-yard battlefield resolves the issue. A window allows him to observe past history, watch current events, get philosophical, and even eavesdrop on his former fiancé. A burning desire inside of him to make one last contribution to humanity is sparked by noticing the trials and tribulations of daily life by those still living. A double-dealing angel gives him his wish. Claude and the Devil are tied to the Whipping Post.