Tennessee has seceded from the Union. In the northeastern counties of the state, more than half of the citizens are still loyal to the North. Daniel Ellis, a poor wagon repairer, finds himself caught between defending his family and his freedom and giving into the violence that is erupting all over the country. As Union Tennessee families are hanged and imprisoned without trial, Ellis does his best to thwart the local Confederate authorities, lead refugees to the Northern lines, and keep his family alive as they desperately wait for a Federal invasion force. Ellis and the men that follow him must decide how far they are willing to go to protect their families and the loyal people of East Tennessee.