Phoebe Ann Naylor (Rosemary Forsyth) is about to be wed to Don Andrea Baldazar, El Duce de la Casala (Alain Delon) in Louisiana in 1845. The festivities are broken up by the arrival of Yancey Cottle (Stuart Anderson) and his relatives, who form a U.S. Dragoons troop under the command of Cottle's cousin, Captain Rodney Stimpson (Peter Graves). Yancy, who wishes to marry Phoebe himself, duels Don Andrea, but is accidentally defenestrated and killed by the actions of his comrade, Lt. Howard, who then accuses Don Andrea of murder. Andrea flees, promising to meet up with Phoebe Ann across the river in Texas, not yet a U.S. state.