Benjie, a former Union soldier, returns to his hometown of Ironside, only to face hostility from the citizens due to his race. An ex-Confederate soldier, Colby, fuels the hatred, and Benjie finds solace in his friendship with rancher Neal McMasters, who offers him a share in his land. Benjie helps starving Indians and marries an Indian woman, but his efforts to settle are disrupted by Colby's violent reign of terror, leading to a complex web of prejudice among whites, blacks, and Native Americans.
The McMasters
A black Civil War veteran assumes ownership of a southern ranch alongside his Indian wife, prompting a violent confrontation with outraged Confederate veterans.
