Young cadets at the Virginia Military Institute are forced to fight in the Civil War when President Lincoln gives orders to invade the Shenandoah Valley. With the nation divided in two, Lincoln realizes that his only hope for getting reelected is to turn the tides in favor of the Union. His solution: Command the General in Chief of Union Forces to seize the Shenandoah Valley. Under direct orders from General. Grant, German native General Hans Sigel prepares to lead his troops down the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Down below, spring is in full bloom, and the young cadets at VMI have yet to experience the war firsthand. With the Union army rapidly advancing and Confederate troops unable to rally their forces in time, the VMI superintendent volunteers the Corps of Cadets to defend the valley. Thus, the stage was set for the Battle of New Market, a defining fight in the Civil War, and one that would haunt the surviving cadets to their dying days. David Arquette, Lauren Holly, and Jason Isaacs star.