Lawbreakers sally unchecked throughout The Spanish State in the early years following the Civil War.

Matt Smith, an ex-Confederate soldier, leaves POW Camp Douglas at war's end and heads towards California. However, a young woman he encounters in Santa Fe disrupts his travel plans. Smith stays in Santa Fe, a town lacking a lawman to instil law and order.

Initially agreeing to help a Mexican rancher with cattle rustling, Matt finds himself in dangerous situations while travelling south of the border. Rescuing a child abducted by Kiowa Indians only added to his problems. Fist fights with ruffians and gunfights with hired killers followed him. Troublesome meetings with Comanchero bandits and rogue Texas Rangers made for an action-packed existence for the young man from Tennessee.