Incident at Phantom Hill 1966

At the end of the Civil War, a group of Southern rebels led by Krausman steal a Union shipment of gold and bury it in a cave near Fort Phantom Hill, Texas. After they are captured by Union forces, Krausman secretly makes a deal with the army to reveal the gold’s location in return for his release; a release based on a pardon promised him by the Confederate States of America at the beginning of the war.

An army captain and four other men are given the job of accompanying the rebel on the journey to locate the gold. As they are getting ready to leave, they are compelled to take with them a woman who is essentially being ordered out of town, Memphis, who is brought along against her will. She and the captain are attracted to each other, though initially the relationship is not warm.

Phantom Hill is located on land newly assigned to the Comanche, and the group must deal with hostilities from them. Eventually, after the gold is located, the rebel gets one of the group drunk, kills him and steals his gun. He kills another man, then escapes with the group’s weaponry, the wagon filled with the gold, and the woman. The remaining men, without guns, must again face the Comanche. After this confrontation, only the captain and one other remain alive. They set off in pursuit of the rebel.

Enjoying some unexpected luck, the two arrive ahead of the rebel and the woman at a location important to all of them, due to their need of water. A short pursuit occurs which ends when the woman tosses a rifle to the captain, who kills the rebel. The three survivors begin the return trek, to deliver the gold to the American government.