David Rocklin enlists in the Confederate army to impress a young woman, but his aspirations crumble when he realizes he does not have the courage to be a soldier. Afraid for his life, David runs away from the army, only to face deteriorating health. When doctors are unable to diagnose his problem, he decides that it would be better to die quickly in battle than slowly of disease. He returns to battle and becomes a hero-surviving the assaults he hoped would kill him. Soon after, David finds his illness was the result of the guilt he felt for deserting. Will he have the courage to continue as a hero, or will he shrink from battle again?