Civil War veteran Cleve Trewe locks horns with a ruthless cattleman who's hungry for land, thirsty for power--and out for blood . . .

After a long, hard journey west, Cleve Trewe is ready to settle down. He's got his beautiful wife Berry in San Francisco, a baby on the way, and his sights set on a gorgeous piece of land in the Sierras. This sweet slice of heaven is aptly named Sweet River, and it's the perfect place to build a ranch, farm, and home for his family. Problem is, Cleve's not the only one with his eyes on the land. A big-time cattle baron named Asa Hawthorn is prepared to use threats, intimidation--and armed thugs--to get what he wants. Worse yet, Cleve knows the man from the darkest days of the Civil War . . .

Cleve's not about to surrender his claim.. He's got his buddy Kanaway by his side, a family of Paiute Indians on his team, and the property papers ready to sign. That's when the real trouble starts. To squash the deal, Hawthorn unleashes his deadliest henchmen--including a would-be gunfighter from Cleve's past and a killer-for-hire who never misses. The Paiute family recognizes some of them as the men who slaughtered their tribe--a massacre that Cleve suspects was the work of Asa Hawthorn. Either way, a major battle is brewing. And the crystal blue waters of Sweet River are about to turn red . . .