 Two teenage boys; Orry Main from South Carolina and George Hazard from Pennsylvania, meet on their ways to military accademy in West Point. Very soon, they become the best friends ever. In the Academy they spend lots of time together and together make the biggest enemy; Elkanah Bent. After graduation, they go for a war with Mexico, where Orry gets hurt really bad, but is saved by George. When they return homes, they don t give up on their friendship - their families spend summer together, their sibillings falls in love, they become business-partners etc. But the situation in the country is not getting better, also not all the family members and neighbours like the idea of people from North and South being friends. In December 1860, South Carolina leaves Union. The war is much closer then it has ever been. It starts at a spring, 1861. George and Orry must fight against each other ...