Son of God's Country plot
During the American Civil War, many Trailhead ranchers were killed or driven from their lands by a band of ruthless robbers. The secret leader of this gang is Bill Sanger. Sanger pretends to be a rancher, but is actually the head of an eastern syndicate that wants to buy the territory: after the end of the civil war, a railway network will be built there. When Sanger finds out that newspaper publisher John Thornton has received a letter with information about his agenda, Sanger has John Thornton killed. Sanger then makes John and his son Frank suspected of being involved with the gang of robbers. US Marshal Monte Hale, however, is convinced of the innocence of the Thorntons.