Living at a frontier crossroads can be perilous, especially during a war. Mel Carroll, a self-sufficient hill farmer, just wants to plow and harvest, tend to his stock, marry his sweetheart, and live quietly in the rugged Ozark country of southwest Missouri. But with the arrival of a northbound Confederate army, his farm is transformed into a fortified military camp. When the enemy arrives the outmanned Confederates collapse, and Mel is captured. Later, he barely excapes with a single goal in mind: make his way to the farm where his sweetheart lives.