Two Flags West

In autumn 1864 at Rock Island Prison Camp, remnants of the Confederate 5th Georgia Cavalry lie sick and dying in deplorable conditions. Captain Mark Bradford offers them release from the camp if they will join the Union Army to garrison a frontier fort and fight Indians. The offer also promises they will not be forced to fight against their own, though accepting it is a grim gamble.

With the vote deadlocked, Tucker makes the decisive choice to accept Bradford's terms. His decision is driven by compassion for his men and the hope of salvaging lives.

The released Georgians travel west to Fort Thorn, New Mexico, a small outpost of the 3rd Cavalry. The arduous journey tests their loyalties as they enter a tense frontier where old loyalties are tested.

Tucker dines with Major Henry Kenniston, Elena, and civilian guests, and old wounds surface in the conversation. Elena's uneasy posture hints at a complex history, including Tucker's role in her late husband's death.

Kenniston orders two civilians convicted of gunrunning to be executed by Tucker's Georgians. Tucker privately objects, arguing it violates the enlistment agreement, but Kenniston remains unmoved.

Tucker begins to plot desertion, which Kenniston deduces. Kenniston then assigns Tucker's troop to escort a wagon train across hostile territory, ensuring Tucker's presence and control over events.

Elena escapes by concealing herself in a wagon, and Tucker discovers her but allows the disguise to continue. The escape sets the stage for fragile trust and conflicted loyalties as they move toward the frontier.

Ephraim Strong reveals himself as a Confederate agent and recruits Tucker into a plan to keep California linked to the South. He persuades Tucker not to desert and to return to Fort Thorn with Elena to win Kenniston's confidence.

While Tucker is away from the fort, Kenniston executes a Kiowa warrior, son of chief Satank, labeling him a rebel and traitor. Tucker then receives orders to join the Confederates and takes Bradford prisoner.

The Kiowa siege tightens around Fort Thorn as the defenders fight to hold back the attackers. The defenders are able to delay the inevitable only until the setting sun, and Bradford is killed in the ensuing struggle.

Kenniston chooses to sacrifice himself and turns over command to Tucker. This act reorients leadership as the defenders brace for what comes next.

A dispatch rider arrives with news that Gen. Sherman has completed his march to the sea, spelling doom for the Confederacy. Elena tries to comfort Tucker with the hope that things will seem better tomorrow.

Elena continues to offer support and hope to a despairing Tucker, suggesting that the future may still hold possibilities despite grim news. The narrative closes on a note of cautious optimism tempered by the war's outcome.