After the dust has settled on the bloodied fields of the American Civil War, young Confederate soldier Dave Petrie arrives in the recently founded Colorado settlement of Spartanville, and watches it grow from a hunting camp into a tight-knit small town. Now, nine years later, trouble is looming, with news of outlaw raiders attacking settlements, murdering inhabitants and setting their homes ablaze. When strangers arrive in Spartanville and spring a surprise attack, raiding the bank and killing four people before riding away, Petrie leads the manhunt to track them down - but his actions will have terrible consequences. For, in retaliation, the surviving members of the gang return to Spartanville - and this time they leave with four kidnapped women. The townsfolk blame Petrie. Then a message from the gang arrives, threatening harm to the hostages unless Petrie is handed over...