Dark Command

In the days before the American Civil War, illiterate cowboy Bob Seton (John Wayne) finds favour with the townsfolk of Lawrence, Texas, and attempts to win the heart of beautiful Mary McCloud (Claire Trevor).

However, when ex-schoolteacher Will Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon) bands together a group of mercenaries and begins to terrorise the local population, it is up to Bob to bring him to justice.