In the midst of the american civil war, Dr. Campell, the owner of the Cross of Coronado, was living in the plains between Dodge City and Empire with his Apache wife and his newborn son, Colton. One day, a group of soldiers led by Thomas Magruder appeared at the doorstep, asking for the cross. When the doctor claimed he didn't know, Magruder ordered one of the soldiers to search the house who returned with the cross. When the apache chief (a friend of the doctors) objected, Magruder shot and killed him, Ned, one of the soldiers, protested at this needless death, only to have magruder shoot him as well. The doctor was decapitated by Magruder, who was then shot in the eye by his apache wife.