Synopsis

The story of A Union Colonel during the American Civil War who is ordered to break the Confederate railway by travelling deep into southern territory.

In April of 1863, Colonel Marlowe (John Wayne) and three regiments of Union cavalry set out to ride three hundred miles into the heart of the Confederacy. Their objective -- to sever the railroad line to Vicksburg, Mississippi, thus forcing the city’s surrender to the Union Army.

Among Marlowe’s officers is Major Kendall (William Holden), the mission’s surgeon. Kendall is a loyal northerner, but he is also a dedicated physician and a humanitarian who often finds it difficult to reconcile his actions with his beliefs.

Kendall’s dissatisfaction with his role as a soldier is but one of the many problems Marlowe must face on his hazardous journey into Confederate territory. Hannah (Constance Towers), a Southern belle who may or may not be a spy, finds out about the mission. Loathe to shoot a woman, even a spying one, Marlowe forces Hannah to accompany his troops, to prevent her from contacting the Confederate Army.

The mission continues, and at last they reach Newton Station, where the supplies, the rolling stock, and the track itself are destroyed. Their task is complete, but Marlowe must still lead his men out of the South to safety.