The Last Frontier

Jed Cooper, Gus, and Mungo are surrounded by a large party of Indians who demand their guns and, when pressed, their furs and horses. Faced with overwhelming force, they hand over the weapons and goods to avoid slaughter. The Indian chief Red Cloud orders them to leave the land or be killed.

Captain Riordan offers the three men recruitment as scouts, which they accept with the first pay in advance. They celebrate their new status with alcohol, and Jed interrupts Corrina Marston, learning her husband is a Colonel stationed at Fort Medford and possibly dead. Corrina’s precarious personal situation adds tension to the fort life.

Riordan dispatches Gus and Mungo toward Fort Medford to repair telegraph lines and secure more information. Jed suspects the mission is dangerous and discovers Marston's party among the remnants from Fort Medford. Marston insists Jed tell Riordan to send 100 men from Fort Shallan, warning that disobedience could be fatal, and the group heads back toward Shallan.

Marston's arrival at the fort brings a sense that glory is scarce in this posting. Corrina reveals she married a man who is not a hero, underscoring the tension between duty and romance. The dynamic at Fort Shallan becomes more strained as personal and professional loyalties collide.

Marston questions why they cannot send 100 men to Fort Medford, but Riordan explains that such a move would leave Fort Shallan defenseless. With raw recruits and the Red Cloud threat looming, holding the fort becomes the priority. The discussion sets up a strategic split between leadership goals.

Marston asserts senior authority and orders the fort’s troops to double their training. Riordan resists, arguing he remains in charge until formal orders change. The confrontation reveals fractures in leadership on the frontier as winter approaches.

Jed reports to Riordan in the hospital that Red Cloud is gathering a large alliance. Marston plans to strike first, hoping to blunt the threat before winter. Dr. Clarke cautions that Marston is a doctor, not a strategist, while Corrina leaves in anger over the tension; Jed then forcefully kisses Corrina in a charged moment.

Riordan sends Mungo to Fort Laramie for new orders. Jed and Marston scout Red Cloud’s camp and count only about 100 men, hinting at a broader network of camps. On returning, Marston steps into a bear trap; Jed negotiates keeping him from pursuing Red Cloud, but Marston refuses. Jed returns to the fort with Marston's horse, and Riordan and Clarke assume Marston is dead as Jed lies about the truth.

As preparations to depart are made, a drunken Jed bursts into the ranks shouting about Red Cloud and triggers an attack. He kills three attackers but Sgt Dekker is killed in the mêlée. Riordan and Marston debate punishment; Riordan intends to hang Jed, but does not fire when ordered, complicating the command at Fort Shallan.

Riordan places Marston under arrest, arguing that he cannot act without proper authority from Fort Laramie. Marston dares Riordan to shoot him, and just as the tension peaks, Mungo returns from Fort Laramie with orders that deny Riordan’s request, leaving Marston in command.

Mungo finds Jed and informs him that Gus is with Marston, then hands Jed his gun and tells him he belongs in the mountains. Mungo departs, leaving Jed to rejoin the frontline action alongside Marston. A new sense of purpose drives Jed toward the looming confrontation with Red Cloud.

Jed spots Red Cloud’s waiting war party and fires on an approaching scout. He directs the infantry to shelter in the trees, while Gus escorts Marston forward. Gus is shot and dies, and the cavalry’s charge fails as many soldiers fail to regroup, forcing a grim retreat toward the fort.

The snows arrive, halting further attacks and buying the fort a temporary reprieve. Riordan promotes Jed to sergeant in recognition of his actions, and Jed returns to Corrina, marking a bittersweet conclusion to the immediate crisis and a shift in the fort’s leadership dynamics.