Sitting Bull

Mid-1876, Parrish is viewed by many as his own worst enemy for not being a team player. He is a confrontational US Cavalry officer whose ambition clashes with the expectations of his peers and superiors.

Kathy, daughter of Parrish's commanding general, breaks off their engagement because he has not risen in rank. The personal setback reflects the clash between his military ambitions and their relationship.

Parrish chastises civilians crossing Sioux lands and is reassigned to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He becomes outraged by the treatment of the Indians and refuses to carry out orders to shoot his escaping charges, triggering conflict with his superiors.

Parrish faces a court-martial and travels to see his former commanding general, Ulysses S. Grant, who is now the President. Grant demotes him to captain, signaling a deep fall from his Civil War stature.

Parrish persuades Grant to come to the Western frontier to meet Sitting Bull and help prevent a war. The plan hinges on high-level diplomacy crossing paths with Native American leadership.

Back in the West, Parrish encounters Kathy, who announces her engagement to Charles Wentworth, a former major and now a war correspondent. The reunion underscores the personal stakes shaping his military mission.

Parrish meets Sitting Bull, who agrees to meet the President secretly. The Sioux leader signals a willingness to seek peace if diplomacy can avert open conflict.

Conflicts with the Sioux escalate as Custer leads his regiment out and Parrish is assigned to guard supplies. When Sitting Bull learns one of his scouts has been killed, he escalates toward war.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn devastates Custer's command and kills Wentworth; Parrish then helps the Sioux find safety to the north, aiming to prevent further carnage.

Parrish is court-martialed again, stripped of his rank, and sentenced to death by firing squad for treason. The sentence seems inevitable until political and diplomatic mercy surfaces.

Sam tells Kathy that Native Americans will never make peace if the Army kills Parrish, prompting her to ask Sitting Bull to plead with Grant. The personal connection between Parrish and the Sioux becomes a potential path to mercy.

As the execution nears, Sitting Bull, guided by Kathy, arrives at the fort to speak with Grant. Parrish had believed mercy would be shown; Sitting Bull pleads for his life, and Grant commutes the sentence.

Parrish is freed, and he and Kathy share a kiss as Sitting Bull salutes before riding off with his people. The closer resolves the personal and political tensions driving the frontier saga.