"December 2, 1859 John Brown is hanged for treason. The mayor of Richmond wants Will Brunner, minister and physician, and his friends in the Richmond Volunteers. They refuse. Will and his friends are harrassed and finally imprisoned. Olivia Brunner promises Will she will protect the children as best as she can and remove them from Richmond. When Will is imprisoned, she organizes a wagon train and takes the wives and children of the other men and head north to The Valley in the Charleston area. Olivia and her friends meet with hardships, accidents and deaths"--Taken from back cover.