Cohen and his rival Goldberg enlist in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Goldberg receives a lieutenant’s commission while Cohen becomes a sergeant.
Dr. Sharp and his wife, Gretchen, live happily together in a little western town until the advent of the doctor's brother, Fred, who comes from the east to spend his vacation near his brother.
A lazy sculptor squanders his advance and has to think outside the box to meet his deadline. At short notice, the sculptor has received the task of carving a copy of the famous statue “The Swimmer”.
Tom Chatterton is called a coward because he will not enlist in the Home Guard during the Civil War -- his mother is dying and he does not wish to leave while she is still alive.