On June 2, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Virginia, the Civil war is raging violently. On a dark night after a days battle, three Confederate soldiers ('Johnny Rebs') are visited by a Northern soldier (a 'Yank') for the purpose of exchanging commodities. The friendly, 'trash talk' among the men is interrupted by a fourth Johnny Reb who is hostile to the Yank's presence. The resulting action raises the question of how far a man should go to protect his honor.