T1, E2: During the United States Civil War, army scout Zeb Macahan (James Arness) returns to Virginia to help his brother's widow, Kate (Eva Marie Saint), and her three children, Luke (Bruce Boxleitner), Josh (William Kirby Cullen) and teenage daughter, Laura (Kathryn Holcomb), decide to move West to Oregon Territory. The trek proves far more arduous and dangerous than they expected as the Macahans struggle to survive an unforgiving land and Native Americans who are fighting to survive an invasion of white settlers to their land. Headed for Oregon, the Macahans stop along the Platte River in Nebraska territory. Bounty hunter Martin Grey (Anthony Zerbe) arrests Luke for desertion from army; Zeb rescues Luke; but Luke is shot while protecting Erika Hanks (Brit Lind), a member of a religious sect called the Simonites.