Art Palmer

Art Palmer, a shell-shocked cavalry officer, has retreated to the solitude and peace of the Appalachian mountains. Staying away from towns, he does what he can to help farmers rebuild their lives in the time of the Reconstruction. His only companions are his Morgan stallion and the weapons that he carries. Journeying to assist his widowed sister in Georgia, Art stops off in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a town of mixed loyalties in the recent conflict.

Following a firefight at Burpwallow Holler, ex-cavalry officer Art Palmer continues his journey to Atlanta, where he'll help his sister rebuild her plantation razed in Sherman's March to the Sea. The Civil War may have been over for two years, but in the era of the Reconstruction, former enemies hold grudges. A lightning-struck member of Quantrill's Raiders bushwhacks travellers in the narrow river gorge, taking their possessions and their lives, eating the tastiest. Art rescues one of his victims, finding himself pursued by a madman who walks by night in search of prey.