Carpetbagger William Merrick (Victor Jory) comes to Missouri following the end of the Civil War to steal land away from struggling farmers in this former Confederate state in advance of the forthcoming transcontinental railroad. When proud farmer Hank Younger (Russell Simpson) is killed by one of Merrick's men (Howard da Silva) during a dispute, his sons, Jim (Arthur Kennedy), Bob (Wayne Morris) and Cole (Dennis Morgan), take up arms against the interlopers to save their neighbors' farms.