In the spring of 1862, Cole Bryson left his west Texas home to fight against the Confederacy. Now it has been four months since General Lee surrendered in Appomattox, Virginia, officially ending the Civil War. As Cole begins his journey back to his ranch in Sweetwater, he is unclear if he still has a home and, if he does, whether his neighbors think he is a traitor. As he attempts to put his worries aside, Cole unwittingly heads straight toward danger. With only his horse and gun as his companions, Cole travels to Dry Creek, Arkansas, where he has an unfortunate encounter with a hotheaded southern sympathizer who forces Cole to defend himself. As the sympathizer lies dead in the street, Cole leaves town without any idea his troubles are just beginning. After a black man named Sam saves Cole's life on the trail, they continue their journey together as friends. But once they arrive in Sweetwater, Cole realizes he must now rid the town of a crooked land-grabber responsible for lawlessness and murders-all while keeping peace with the nearby Comanche who are also victims of the corruption. Sweetwater is the exciting tale of a Civil War soldier's dangerous escapades as he journeys from the battlefield back to his west Texas hometown.