General Gordon, of the Federal army, receives a message from General Grant, telling him to intercept important dispatches "from Lee to Webber, carried over wires" in Gordon's vicinity. Lieutenant Barrett assumes the task, takes his instruments and sets out. Colonel Webber, of the Confederate army, has a daughter Edith. Lieutenant Fairfax aspires to her hand, but his attentions only annoy her. Barrett taps the wires, but is seen by a Confederate officer and shot. The officer creeps up to him, thinking him dead, and Barrett suddenly shoots, kills him, and takes his uniform. He finds some plans in the dead man's pockets addressed to Col. Webber and copies them. He ties the copied information on his horse and starts the animal toward the Federal camp. He then mounts the Confederate's horse and soon meets Edith. She, seeing a wounded Confederate officer, sympathizes with him and takes him to her father's home. Meanwhile the horse reaches the Federal camp and Gordon gets the message and plans. Barrett meets Webber and Fairfax, and gives Webber the original plans. Edith binds Barrett's wounded band and the handsome couple are mightily attracted to each other. The household retires for the night and Barrett prepares some dummy dispatches. For seals he uses candle wax and the blood from a cut finger. He then enters the Colonel's room, changes the dummy dispatches for real ones. On the following morning Webber, Fairfax and others depart for the front and Barrett is left with Edith. By this time he is thoroughly in love with the girl and he leaves her with genuine regrets. Riding to the dead officer he dons his own garments and rides safely to the Federal lines. That night Edith takes a message that the Federals are advancing. She gets her horse and rides madly to her father's camp, where Barrett's treachery is discovered. The Confederates fill the trenches with dummy soldiers. When the Federals charge they are overwhelmed by the Confederates. Barrett's troops are beaten back. The retreating Federals decide to surprise the town where Webber lives. The Colonel, Edith and Fairfax barricade the house, hut Fairfax is fatally wounded. The Colonel also is badly wounded. Barrett gives Edith his coat and hat, telling her to save her father. As they are about to go, Barrett is shot in the head and passes, away in the arms of Edith.