1Following the Civil War, a cauldron of conflict existed along the Oregon trail. Southerners, Yankees, whites, blacks, soldiers and Native American Indians, would-be settlers along with scoundrels, all seeking a new life in the west. Then add in a forbidden love affair, challenging the accepted norms of the people and the time. A white female southern plantation owner along with a run-away black slave share love and passion while journeying west seeking a new life together. From their covered wagon they experienced the thrill of seeing a massive herd of Buffalo appearing to stretch to the far horizon. At Fort Lincoln, Kansas, they encountered friendly Indians while learning something of the Native culture. Further along they encounter hostile Crow Indians who threaten their very lives. This then is a true slice of American history and of the settlement and maturing of our nation.