The Vanquished

In the Southern town of Galeston, just after the Civil War, citizens watch in horror as one of their own is hanged on orders from Roger Hale, the local civil administrator. Hale is reviled by the townspeople as a corrupt traitor, and his activities cause Rockwell Grayson, a Confederate veteran from one of Galeston's aristocratic families, to seek an audience with Inspector General Hildebrandt in Nashville, Tennessee. Although Hildebrandt has received dozens of letters from Galeston citizens, denouncing Hale, he refuses to condemn the man without solid evidence and sends Rock on his way. Later, Rock returns to Galeston for the first time since enlisting and shocks his friends with his cynical views on post-war life in the South. Rock's seeming nonchalance about Hale, who has taken over the Grayson mansion, particularly infuriates Dr. Colfax, but his daughter Jane, Rock's childhood sweetheart, loyally defends Rock. After checking into the town hotel, Rock meets Rose Slater, Hale's lover and partner, a former prostitute who despises the local aristocracy but nonetheless hopes her newly found wealth will gain her social status. Rock then visits Hale at his house and accepts Hale's offer to be his tax collector. Although Rock appears reasonable in his requests, many land owners, their fortunes depleted by the war, cannot make their payments and face foreclosure. In church one Sunday, Rock stuns Jane by sitting next to Rose and then criticizes the minister for speaking against Hale in his sermon. Afterward, Rose invites Rock on a carriage ride and takes him to Fair Oaks, the repossessed plantation she is buying. Attracted to Rock and his social position, Rose suggests he become partners with her and Hale and share in their ill-gotten gains. Later, in town, Hale and his Union Army cohort, Capt. Kirby, are startled by the arrival of Hildebrandt, who has come to inspect their operation. Hale stalls the general about his account books, assuring a worried Kirby that he can concoct phony entries before morning. After Hildebrandt unwittingly reveals to Kirby that Rock is working undercover to procure evidence against Hale, Kirby arranges with Hale and Rose to keep Rock away from the general. That night at dinner, Hale informs Hildebrandt that Rock is out of town on business, but Hildebrandt declares that he is taking Hale's account books with him for auditing. Now panicked, Hale plots to kill the general and frame Rock. To that end, he writes a note, signed with Rock's name, asking Hildebrandt to see Rock in his hotel room. Kirby then delivers the note to Hildebrandt and insists on accompanying him to the hotel. Just as Hildebrandt steps into Rock's room, Hale, who is lying in wait in an adjacent building, shoots him through the open window. Kirby and his men pursue Rock as he grabs the note from Hildebrandt and attempts to catch Hale, and Rock is shot. The injured Rock escapes to Fair Oaks, where Rose, who has hinted that she is aware of his subterfuge, cleans his wound. After Rock reveals that Hale framed him with a forged note and passes out, however, Rose removes the note from his pocket and rushes to Hale's. There, Rose uses the note to force Hale to sign a statement identifying her as his fiancée and bequeathing all of his possessions to her upon his death. By the time Hale and Rose return to her house, Rock has revived and fled. Jane, meanwhile, hears about Rock's plight and sneaks out to find him, correctly guessing that he has gone to their childhood hideout. Rock tells Jane about the note and finally admits his true mission, and the two pledge their love. Jane then heads for Fair Oaks and confronts Rose, threatening to stab her with a pair of scissors until she turns over the note. Soon after Jane departs, Rock shows up and also demands the note from Rose. Spotting Hale outside, riding up with Kirby and his soldiers, Rose stalls Rock, telling him that Jane took the note. When Hale and the others burst in, Rock tries to draw his gun on them, but Rose knocks it away. Rock flees to the second floor, and Rose accidentally shoots and kills Hale when she blindly fires Rock's gun up the stairs. Jane, meanwhile, shows the note to her father and General Morris, the man sent to investigate Hildebrandt's murder, and convinces them that Rock is innocent. Morris and his men race to Fair Oaks, while Kirby pursues Rock, catching up to him at the same time as Morris. After Kirby is arrested for his part in Hale's crimes, Jane and a vindicated Rock embrace.