The year is 1861. Concerned about the threat of a Confederate invasion of New Mexico, Duke Harper joins the Colorado Volunteers in Denver and begins his journey into the Civil War. An amiable young man, he is haunted by his troubled family past, which was made worse by his often abusive stepfather. He is forever changed by many traumatic events, including the murder of his best friend. The seeds of violence are planted within Duke, and though he struggles against it, his path becomes darker and darker. Follow Duke and his companions on his personal journey from innocence to outlaw in this epic tale of Civil War history in the southwestern states.