The exhausted Union cavalry company under the command of Col. Philip Creighton arrives at Howard Hill plantation where they find five frightened women living alone. Philip informs Caroline Howard, the widowed mistress of the plantation, that they are confiscating her home for a few days of rest. But those few days stretch into the nearly- ten month siege of Petersburg, Virginia. Watching Caroline cope with the stress of constant bombardments of the nearby city, the endless numbers of Union wounded arriving daily, and a mother-in-law who is slowly going mad, Philip feels compelled to provide her with sorely-needed food and necessities, as well as seeing to her safety from his own men. Shortly thereafter, he is seriously wounded, nearly fulfilling his wish to die in battle. Through Caroline's care, he learns to trust again and at last finds all he's been seeking in life. After recovering his health, Philip again sees action where he suffers a severe concussion that leaves him temporarily blind. This blindness forces him to acknowledge at last his feelings for Caroline Howard. His war experiences transform Philip from bitter disillusionment to a completely different perspective of his future, including some painful truths about his family. At the war's end, ill and grief-stricken, he struggles to overcome the demons of his past and must learn to deal with the loss of all that is precious to him. But what should he do about his scandalous secret?