When the Union arsenal at Harper's Ferry is attacked, one immediate result is a division of loyalties in the Canfield household.

Jeff finds two men perparing to an re-enact a war. One man is a person from the north and the other from the south.

In a flashback sequence, Ben Canfield explains how he came to join the Union forces.

Ben's having difficulty disciplining his men—most of them are short-term volunteers who won't take the war seriously. He is rebuked by Captain Cardiff, who foresees a real battle at a place called Manassas Junction, Virginia—better known as Bull Run.

The Battle of Ball's Bluff was a disaster for the North, and Congress wants to know why. An angry Union officer says he knows the answer.