James Longstreet was a Confederate general who served as Robert E. Lee's principal subordinate, and Lee called him his Old War Horse. He fought in the Mexican-American War, resigned his US Army commission in 1861 and joined the Confederacy. He played key roles in Confederate victories at Second Bull Run and the Seven Days Battles, though he was controversial at Gettysburg, where he disagreed with Lee's tactics. He later led a decisive assault at Chickamauga in the western theater, and he was seriously wounded by friendly fire at the Wilderness in 1864. After the war he worked for the US government and supported Republicans and Ulysses S. Grant, which made him unpopular with many Southerners. The Lost Cause movement blamed him for the Confederate defeat, but since the late 20th century historians have reassessed him as one of the war's most gifted tactical commanders.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.