During the American Civil War, Jake Roedel (Tobey Maguire) was the son of a German in the South. Unlike his father who supported the North, he supported the South. He and his friend Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich) joined the guerrilla forces in the South. They also met George Clyde and George's former slave Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright). All four served under John Black's troops. While stationed in the mountains, the village widow Sue Lee Shelley (Jewel Kilcher) and Jack Bull fell in love. In the subsequent war, Jack died in battle, and Jake had a conflict with a man named Pitt (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) in the army, and Pitt shot and wounded Jake and Holt. Later, Jake married Sue. On their way to another city, Jake and Holt met Pitt again...