In 1854, Jeb Stuart, George Custer and other graduates from West Point are posted to Kansas to help pacify the territory before railroad construction to Santa Fe can resume.
The story of Jeb Stuart, his romance with Kit Carson Holliday, friendship with George Custer and battles against John Brown in the days leading up to the outbreak of the American Civil War.—Col Needham <[email protected]>
At the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1854, the flash Jeb Stuart (Errol Flynn) is constantly taunted by Rader (Van Heflin), a disciple of John Brown (Raymond Massey). They fight and Rader is dishonorably discharged and goes to join Brown and his band. Upon graduation Lieutenant Stuart and some fellow classmates are sent to "Bloody" Kansas. Stuart and his friend Lieutenant George Custer (Ronald Reagan) fall in love with Kit Carson Haliday (Olivia de Havilland), the sister of classmate Bob Haliday (William Lundigan). Kit finally admits her love for Stuart. Custer and Stuart are acting as part of the military escort for a railway freight shipment and meet John Brown. The latter, posing as a minister named John Smith, meets the train and asks for the delivery to him of a consignment of Bibles. One of the boxes breaks open and the contents to be rifles. A battle ensues and Stuart and Custer are the victors. Stuart, with his guides "Barfoot" Brody (Alan Hale) and "Tex" Bell (Guinn "Big Boy" Willliams), posing as civilians , are caught spying on the Brown followers and captured by Rader. The latter double-crosses Brown by telling Stuart of Brown's plans to seize the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry. Brown is taken prisoner, tried and hanged, but the ideal for which he had been fighting and martyred for begins to take root.—Les Adams <[email protected]>
In 1854, freshly graduated from West Point Military Academy, the former classmates and Second Lieutenants, Jeb Stuart and George Custer, find themselves posted to Fort Leavenworth, in dangerous and worn-torn Kansas Territory. Against the backdrop of endless hostilities, Stuart and Custer escort a military freight wagon, and before long, they confront abolitionist John Brown and his renegade crew. A few years later, on October 16, 1859, Stuart and Custer crush Brown's rebellion in the decisive battle at Harper's Ferry, paving the way for the beginning of the American Civil War.—Nick Riganas
The movie begins in 1854 prior to the U.S. Civil War with cadets at West Point practicing cavalry maneuvers.
From the beginning there is obvious friction between some of the cadets.After one of the cadets reads from a tract by abolitionist John Brown they discuss the issue of slavery in the United States and what should be done about it. Primarily the argument is between one Northern cadet, Rader, and 'Jeb' Stuart, from the South. Rader supports Brown's beliefs and Stuart opposes them, saying the South should be left alone to work out what to do about the slaves.Various cadets take sides, a fight breaks out. Afterward several of the cadets are reprimanded and assigned to the cavalry as 'punishment' (though they seem happy about it). Rader is thrown out of school for stirring up trouble. The cadets are then shown graduating. These include 'Jeb' Stuart, George Armstrong Custer, George Pickett, and other famous participants in the war that is to follow. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis (future president of the Confederacy) gives a speech and the cadet's sing a song.During the ceremony Stuart and Custer catch sight of a pretty girl Kit Carson Holiday(Olivia deHavilland) whose father is a railway baron.
The newly minted young officers then travel by train to their new post in Leavenworth, Kansas. There is discussion about the troubles that Kansas has been having with John Brown's raids (Kansas is not a state yet and it is not clear if it will join the Union as a slave state or a free state).Stuart and Custer then flirt with Kit Holiday who is also along for the ride with her father, who intends to extend the railway West, through the troubled territory of Kansas.
Attention then shifts to some slaves who are also in the passenger car. A man claiming to own them keeps them from being thrown out, but then he is confronted by some men with guns who attempt to force him off the train "before it crosses state lines". It turns out that the man with the slaves is an operative of John Brown. The men with guns are concerned that he is attempting to aid renegade slaves across the border from Missouri to Kansas (where they have no formal status). There is a gunfight and one of the Southern men is shot and killed. The man who was transporting the slaves jumps off the train. The slaves are left on board, confused.
The young officers arrive at Fort Leavenworth, a frontier garrison. There is some scary talk about how dangerous the post is and how some of the previous officers are dead or missing.Stuart and Custer are sent out on patrol but before they leave the stop for supplies and to flirt with Miss Carson. The two flip a coin to see who gets first crack at her and Stuart wins.
Focus then shifts to the camp of John Brown, who is setting out orders for the conduct of his followers. Rader, the cadet who was kicked out of West Point, is seen arriving at the camp by wagon. The man who escaped from the train earlier also shows up and is reprimanded by Brown for leaving the slaves behind. John Brown then leads everyone in prayer.
Stuart and Custer's patrol meets Brown. There is a delivery of Bibles in the wagons for him and the officers don't recognize him at first. A box falls off the wagon and breaks open, revealing that the 'Bibles' are actually rifles. John Brown's men take the rifes at gunpoint, then Stuart and Custer's group chases after them. John Brown gets away but the wagon with the rifles is wrecked.
The forces of Fort Leavenworth then assemble to ride out after John Brown and stop him, but despite a wide-ranging campaign he alludes them.
Eventually Rader comes to Jefferson Davis to discuss betraying John Brown to them. Brown ends up trapped at Harper's Ferry and the military is sent to capture him. The troops surround Brown and what is left of his forces and a big gun battle ensues. During the battle John Brown shoots Rader for betraying him. Shortly afterwards the military blasts its way in and takes the survivors prisoner.
John Brown being is hung while Custer and Stuart and Miss Carson watch. Brown gives a prophetic speech on the scaffold before he dies.
The final scene is of Stuart and Carson being married on a train.
