Seeking an escape from the monotony and drudgery of days-on-end army life, Frank Rocklin, an actor, approaches his commanding general with a bold plan to spy on Vicksburg and assess its military condition. Vicksburg is the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi. This mission lays the groundwork for a proposition from Allan Pinkerton, the head of the Federal Secret Service. Pinkerton wants to send Frank and an acting troupe to the South, where Frank can pick up valuable information to help the Northern war effort. While the Confederate Secret Service may pose a threat to Frank, the real danger could come from the women closest to him.