During the last days of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln (James Griffith) selects Indian scout James Kingston (Bill Williams) to facilitate a cattle shipment from Texas to the north. He is helped by cattle driver O’Roarke (Ray Teal) and Maj. McGuire (Don Carlos Harvey). Mexican fanatic Joaquin Jironza (Alex Montoya) wants the Henry Rifle that Kingston has. Embittered ex-rebel leader Lee Parker (Richard Jaeckel) is also an obstacle to Kingston's mission, as he tries to get the cattle through Apache territory.