An Appalachian feud brought to the Wagon Train.
When the Cowan brothers, Jesse (George Montgomery) and Bob (Mort Mills), come back to their homeland, after fighting on different sides in the Civil War, they find their Cowan relatives all dead or missing. A local tells them the Beals had massacred everyone then left to join a wagon train out west. So Jesse and Bob take off to find the Beals for revenge.
When Major Adams (Ward Bond) takes them in, the first person Jesse sees is Sally Jo Beal (Penny Edwards). Sally Jo and Jesse have never spoken before because of the feud, yet have been infatuated with each other for years.
After a fight Major Adams make them agree to a truce until the end of the trail, but Rufe Beal (Lee Van Cleef) is unable to hold to that, as is also Bob.
Jesse tells Sally Jo it can never work between them, but Sally Jo listens to a wise grandma, Dorcas Beal (Olive Carey) who basically tells her to follow her heart. The elderly leader of the Beals, Ance (James Burke) has a heart attack/stroke or something deadly while arguing with Rufe and soon dies. This leads the Beal clan to decide to return home, but Sally Jo doesn't want to go.
All this drama has been happening with the pressure of an Indian attack, which eventually occurs. Pretty predictable story, some good acting, poor characterization of Native Americans (as someone with Native American heritage, I do pay attention to this, but mostly give old shows a pass, I don't expect them to be corrected or destroyed, bad/incorrect history is still important to preserve).
When the Cowan brothers, Jesse (George Montgomery) and Bob (Mort Mills), come back to their homeland, after fighting on different sides in the Civil War, they find their Cowan relatives all dead or missing. A local tells them the Beals had massacred everyone then left to join a wagon train out west. So Jesse and Bob take off to find the Beals for revenge.
When Major Adams (Ward Bond) takes them in, the first person Jesse sees is Sally Jo Beal (Penny Edwards). Sally Jo and Jesse have never spoken before because of the feud, yet have been infatuated with each other for years.
After a fight Major Adams make them agree to a truce until the end of the trail, but Rufe Beal (Lee Van Cleef) is unable to hold to that, as is also Bob.
Jesse tells Sally Jo it can never work between them, but Sally Jo listens to a wise grandma, Dorcas Beal (Olive Carey) who basically tells her to follow her heart. The elderly leader of the Beals, Ance (James Burke) has a heart attack/stroke or something deadly while arguing with Rufe and soon dies. This leads the Beal clan to decide to return home, but Sally Jo doesn't want to go.
All this drama has been happening with the pressure of an Indian attack, which eventually occurs. Pretty predictable story, some good acting, poor characterization of Native Americans (as someone with Native American heritage, I do pay attention to this, but mostly give old shows a pass, I don't expect them to be corrected or destroyed, bad/incorrect history is still important to preserve).
