âWalking to Hellâ is the story of Ezekial McNair, a description of his Tom Sawyer-like upbringing and his life in the Confederate infantry, fighting in a war he didnât understand for a cause he didnât know, but confident it was his path to heroism and glory. He did become a hero, but only by accident, in a battle that would haunt him his entire life. Zekeâs story is one of humor, poignancy, and tragedy. It describes the every-day life of a Confederate infantryman and provokes contemplation on how attitudes have changed and not changed since the 1860âs.