Wagon Train (1957)
TV Show

Major Adams is keen to get the Wagon Train under way, but one of the wagons is missing a driver. Adams is arguing with the owner to pull his wagon out of line when Willy Moran is thrown out of the nearby saloon and lands practically at Adams feet. Moran is known to Adams from his army days. Then, Moran was a boxer. Now he is an alchohlic. Robinson, the owner of the wagon, sees Moran as his passport to staying on the train. Against his better judgement, Adams agrees to let Moran drive for Robinson. It is an opportunity for Moran to redeem himself, especially when a young widow takes a shine to him. For Robinson's purposes, though, Moran is more use as a drunkard.

Before the Civil War Jean Le Bec was a young musician with a special talent for the violin. His family were too poor to pay for his musical studies so he was sponsored by a rich southern family. The daughter was called Mary. When her family lost everthing in the war, Mary's father entrusted her well-being to Jean. Mary had relatives in San Francisco so they decided to go there and they were going to get there via the wagon train. Jean didn't tell Mary that he was having trouble raising the cash for the journey. While the train was forming at St. Joseph, Missouri, as a last resort to raise the money, Jean used his precious violin as a stake in a card game, which he won but was accused of cheating. The allegation was false but it cost him his violin to get out alive. When Mary realised what he had done she went to the saloon to try to buy the fiddle back, but things went badly wrong and Jean ended up by killing the son of the man who practically owned the town. Flint McCullough witnessed

The wagon train is moving west at last. Among the travellers are John Cameron and his wife, Julie. Cameron is a quiet, reserved man; an ex-banker from Philadelphia. Julie is younger and vivacious. Their marriage is not happy. She feels trapped and stifled by his love for her. John hopes that a new start in the west will save their union. From the start Julie sets out to get herself noticed, particularly by men and one man in particular. Flint McCullough. She makes her move on him one night while the train is camped when she goes to bathe in a nearby river where Flint is already washing. She soon realises that she has picked on the wrong man when Flint refuses to play along. When her husband comes to find her and sees her alone with Flint, Cameron jumps to the wrong conclusion. Julie leaves them to argue it out. Their argument is interrupted by a small party of Indians raiding the stock. Cameron helps Flint to deal with them and at one point saves his life. When the men return to camp t

Ruth Owens, her little girl and her second husband are journeying west with the train. Her husband is a teacher and they seem like any other average couple on the train.The weather has turned hot and the train has hit a dry patch. Water is rationed. Tempers are on a knife edge. One particularly hot night a young stranger rides into camp. He has had word that his older sister is on the train and he has come looking for her to tell her that their father is dead. The first family he comes across asks him about her. He explains that she was a waitress in a smart hotel. When one of the men hears the name of the ""hotel"" he laughs in the boy's face; the place is infamous for one type of woman in particular. Upset by the insinuation about his sister the boy lashes out and the man ends up dead. The men on the train form a lynching party but Major Adams intervenes. When Ruth Owens sees the boy she recognises him as her brother, but to step forward and defend him would mean losing her new found r

Charlie Wooster, cook to Major Adams, is badly injured when he becomes trapped under a wagon. The train doesn't have a doctor but Flint thinks there is a town a couple of days ride away which does. The Major duly sends him on his way. Riding hard Flint soon reaches Little Fork, a one horse town in the middle of nowhere where the few inhabitants live uneasily with neighbouring Indians who occasionally try to trade with them. When Flint arrives he finds all the townsfolk in the saloon. To begin with they are not too friendly to the scout, although he does learn that the doctor is out of town and no-one knows when he will be back. Flint decides to wait it out. Then there is a sudden change for no apparent reason. The folk become friendly; offer Flint a bed for the night and food. Although he is puzzled by the change, he doesn't question it straight away, deciding to bide his time. Almost the moment Flint's head touches the pillow he is asleep. Next morning he awakes to a silent town. Ever

Like the Major, Nelson Stack is an ex-army office from the Confederate army. Since the war, though, he has become a pacifist. That, together with the fact that he has more wagons and stock than most on the train, hasn't endeared him to many of his fellow travellers, especially a southerner named Jeff Claymore. When the wagon train runs into Indian trouble, Claymore believes Stack's pacifism is just another word for cowardice. Things really come to a head when it is discovered that Indians have raided the stock and taken some steers. They find one of the Indians, an old man left to die, but Stack won't leave him behind. So he takes him with them. It is the last straw for Claymore.

It is still early days on the wagon train trail. So when one morning the body of one of the men is discovered and money and a land deed stolen, and the evidence points to Indians, Flint won't believe it. He can't convince the travellers, though, that they are unlikely to run into Indian trouble this soon into their journey and that Indians would have no need of the items stolen. The travellers point to a tomahawk left behind by the raiders. Given the conflicting evidence, Major Adams asks Flint to stay behind and see what he can find out. As the train moves out, Flint follows the clues which lead him back to a small settlement the wagon train passed through a few days earlier. A chance encounter with a teenage girl and her overbearing stepfather make him suspect that there is more to this little outpost than first appears.

There is a little boy on the wagon train named Bobby who worships his father, John Darro. Darro was badly injured during the civil war and now walks with a limp. To his son, this is as good as a medal as regards a testament to his father's bravery, and young Bobby makes sure everyone on the train knows how proud he is of his Pa. Then Major Adams sees an old man sitting out alone on the prairie. He seems the worse for drink but the Major won't leave him there to rot and takes him along. He too can tell a tale- of an Indian massacre of a wagon train and a coward who ran. He knew John Darro, but by another name. Suddenly Darro finds he must prove himself all over again. To the stranger, the Major, the people on the train, but most of all to his son.

The wagon train is making it's way steadily westward when the peace is disturbed by the sound of shooting. Seth Adams delegates scout Flint McCullough to find out what is wrong. When Seth catches up with the scout he finds him with a small company of troops and an Indian Chief's daughter, Mokai. She is on her way back from Washington with a peace treaty. The treaty will not come into force until she has delivered it to her father and she too is safe. The company came under attack from a renegade band of Indians. What worries Flint is that the arrow he finds is from Mokai's own tribe, but the braves were not. Added to that, the Lieutenant supposedly in charge is having trouble keeping his own men under control and is openly hostile to the Chief's daughter. Seth realises that the only way to get the treaty safely to the Chief is to send Flint along to keep an eye on them. Flint soon finds that he has his work cut out.

Mary Halstead is an elderly woman stricken with a terminal illness and a guilty conscience. She cannot do anything about the illness but she believes she can salve her conscience if she can find the son she abandoned as a child. She has journeyed west with the train because she has received word from a lawyer in a town on the trail purporting to know the whereabouts of her son. When Major Adams finds a young man left for dead in the brush, he takes him in despite the rope burns around the boy's neck which causes alarm amongst the travellers. They think someone has tried to hang him and jump to the conclusion that he is a criminal. The young man so reminds her of her son that Mrs. Halstead begs to look after him until he is well. He seems nice enough, but he still has to explain those rope burns and why it appears someone tried to hang him. In his story lies the truth about Mrs. Halstead's son.

Flint is out scouting with another member of the train, Zeke Thomas. They are looking for a watering place that the train used the previous year. What they find is that where a bare watering hole once was, now stood a town. They ride on in. Outside the saloon, they are met with an unwelcoming committee of townsfolk intent on making the wagon train pay for the use of the water. Flint goes on in to the saloon to try to reason with the town's Mayor, leaving Zeke to mind the horses. While Flint is talking to the Mayor, the Mayor's mistress is looking out of the saloon's window. She sees Zeke Thomas and leaves the saloon to talk to him. Flint tries hard but can't change the Mayor's mind so eventually he and Zeke return to the train. It looks as if there will be a confrontation - between the travellers and the townsfolk; between Zeke, his wife and the mistress. In coming across the town both the wagon train and Zeke Thomas find more trouble than they bargained for.

The train is halted. Flint McCullough is away, scouting. Then in rides a rangy young man with the gift of the gab who fought alongside the Major during the war. The Major takes a shine to him and invites him to stay, which suits this young man with the name of Riley Gratton just fine. It takes the wiley old Wooster to remind the Major that, when they were in the army, Gratton went missing shortly after the Major's prized golden spurs did. It seems Gratton has done the same again, only this time he disappears after selling some worthless land to the settlers. The Major decides to go after him to get it all back by hook or by crook.

A small group of cavalry men are on their way to their new post at a remote fort. At a small distance from the fort they tangle with two Indian Braves out hunting, unaware that their new commanding officer has worked out an agreement with the Chief of the local tribe about hunting rights around the fort and reservation. Not knowing that the Braves were not breaking any rules the troops give chase and shoot one brave dead. The Wagon Train becomes the target for the Chief's anger and he threatens to attack it. Helped by Flint, the Colonel tries to broker an agreement with the Chief and the deal is nearly closed when the Colonel's alchoholic wife appears on the scene. Conflict seems inevitable when she insults the Chief and the deal is off.

Julia Gage is travelling west with her father. Early on in the trip it is obvious that she is an independent woman, who, although single, won't become any man's doormat. Along the way her father dies of fever and she is left to continue the journey alone. The Major is worried about her being able to cope and sends along a succession of likely men to help her but she proves stronger than any of them, in spirit if not physically. When one of them, Tobe Cannon, takes ill with a fever, Julia, alone of all the women on the train who fear for their own safety, offers to nurse him. As it wouldn't be right and proper for a single woman to be alone with a single man, she persuades the Major to ""half"" marry them, as her patient is in no fit state to object to the union. Luckily, when he recovers, he doesn't object at all!

When a rifle shot sounds ahead of the train Flint McCullough rides out to investigate. He expects to find trouble - and so he does, of a sort. He finds an old friend from his civil war days, Cliff Grundy. Now there isn't a lot that Cliff Grundy hasn't done in his lifetime and for everything he has done he has a story or several to tell about it. Over the campfire that night he weaves his tales of derring doos and don'ts and many of the travellers believe him. Especially about the goldmine he is on his way to lay claim to. The next day Major Adams sends out Flint and a party of men to hunt buffalo to bolster their meat rations. Cliff goes along and by his side rides a teenager who hangs on his every word. Flint splits the party up and the boy and Cliff go off together. When they spot the buffalo, Cliff lets the boy take first shot but the shot goes wide and the now frightened buffalo stampede towards them. Cliff saves the boy but is trampled himself. When the men get him back to camp h

Flint is in town at a saloon. He is standing by the bar when a man seated at a nearby table with a deck of cards in his hand, asks Flint if he wants to play a hand. Flint declines. The bartender remarks that he thought the gambler would be at the hanging. The man, O'Malley, doesn't wish to see his old friend hang, especially as Ramero blames him for his capture. Flint is told that Ramero, a notorious Mexican bandit leader, is to be hanged there that day. Later that day, a parson with his two small children, a girl and a boy, turn up at the wagon train. He claims to have been robbed by Ramero, who even took his bible. The Major allows them to join the train, although Flint thinks the man is too similar in looks to the gambler he met. The Major's suspicions are only aroused when the ""parson"" gives an unlikely off the cuff sermon, and his daughter gives Wooster a lesson in cardplay. When word is received that Ramero has escaped the noose and is on the run again Flint goes off to see if h

Two brothers return to their home after the civil war to find their home and family wiped out. Their family, the Cowans, had long been feuding with a neighbouring family, the Beals, and so the Beal family are the prime suspects. The elder Beal son, Ruf, especially so. The Beals are nowhere to be found. The Cowan brothers discover that the Beals have joined up with a wagon train, heading west to start a new life. The Beals have joined Seth Adams train and when the Cowans catch up with it, Major Adams finds the wagon train becomes their new feuding ground.

Gabe Carswell is a legendary scout who chooses to live with the Arapaho indians for over twenty years. During that time he marries an Arapaho squaw. They have one son. Sadly, Carswell's wife dies when her son is still a baby and Carswell is left to bring up his son alone within the tribe. As the years go by Carswell realises that the Indian way of life is waning as the white settlers progress westard and force the buffalo from the indian lands. So, just before his son comes of age, Carswell takes him away from the tribe. Flint comes across their camp just in front of the wagon train. While Carswell's son, Little Elk, is examing Flint's new repeating rifle, Carswell explains to Flint his fears for his son. What neither of them realise is the lengths Little Elk will go to not to give up his indian way of life and to prove he is more indian than any indian.

Major Adams is intrusted with getting socialite Julie Wharton safely to San Francisco. His plans nearly come to naught, however, when ageing Lothario the Honourable Don Charlie (at least that is one of the names he uses) tries to sweet talk her into staying with him. Hot on his heels, though, is his girlfriend and a soldier. The girlfriend wants to win him; the soldier wants to win back the money he and his colleagues believe Don Charlie cheated them out of.

Flint is riding ahead of the train with Bill Hawkes when they hear gunshots. Heading in the direction the shots have come from they soon find the evidence of an Indian raid on a small camp site. While Flint is looking around the site, trying to get a clue as to who the victims and assailants were, Bill finds a spent bullet casing. It looks to the two men as if the Indians who attacked the camp have got hold of the newest type of army rifle. Flint sets out to find out if he can track down the gunrunner. He doesn't have to go far before he can see the smoke from a campfire. When he finds the camp his suspicions are aroused by the amount of smoke the campfire is stoked up to make, and during daylight at that; one man, one woman, one wagon, but with a team of horses strong enough to pull a heavier load than the blankets the man claims to be carrying to trade with Indians.In spite of hostility from the man (known as Doc) Flint invites himeself into the camp. When he thinks Doc and the wom

The Clan MacGregor are moving west, complete with bagpipes, kilts and a stubborn streak not to give up their old way of life. The friction this causes with the rest of the train results in the the MacGregors going their separate way, which is hard on Annie, who has fallen in love with a young American man on the train, Jason. The main train forges on ahead, leaving the MacGregors to their fate. However, marauding Indians attack the wagon train and things are looking grim. Then the MacGregors arrive over the horizon, blowing their pipes for all they are worth. The Indians fear the Devil is in the sound and break off the attack. The MacGregors have saved the day!

The Major finds a lone wagon on the trail. Inside is a man he recognises as Bill Tawnee, once Indian Scout to General Sherman during the Civil War and much decorated for bravery. With him is his wife and baby. Bill is suffering from a beating he took at a trading post back on the trail. The Major takes them back to the wagons to resume their journey with them. On the train is another civil war hero, Mr. Barry. That is his version of events at least. It is not long before a few comments from Bill Tawnee show that Barry did not win the civil war single handed and the two men come to blows. Later, Bill Tawnee finds Barry's missing rifle. When Barry accuses Bill of stealing it, Bill decides to leave the train, leaving his wife and child behind. It seems there is no hope of him returning. Then events take a turn for the worse and Bill Tawney comes into his own.

Flint finds himself in the middle of a family feud that threatens to spill over into a full scale Indian blood war. The trouble starts when Mark Hanford returns home to his father's ranch after receiving a priviledged education in the East. He finds his real mother dead and his father about to take a younger bride who is coming out on Seth Adams' wagon train. When Mark discovers this, he realises exactly what has happened to his mother, sister of the local Indian Chief. It is his father who pushed his mother back to her tribe in favour of the younger woman. Mark Hanford believes the shame his mother felt at having to return to the tribe broke her spirit and led to her death. Mark decides to take on his Indian heritage and disown his father and all he stands for and in so doing take revenge on his father for the death of his mother.

There is trouble in store when the Major accepts Bernal Sierra onto the train fresh from the wars in Mexico. He is on a mission to find a cache of stolen gold and it isn't long before he has some suspects on the train well within his sights.

Marie Dupree finds there is a high price to pay when she plays one man off against the other to win her affections.

A White man dressed as an Indian, caring for an elderly, sick Indian woman are unusual additions to the Wagon Train. Quietly the man tells Flint and the Major his story as Wooster tends to the woman.

When Flint takes shelter from a storm, he finds a husband and wife being torn apart by hatred and intolerance. To repay their kindnes to him, he takes it upon himself to bring them back together again.

Sally Potter is young, pretty and single. She doesn't want to cause trouble, but trouble seems to follow her around. Man trouble.

Daniel Barrister is a God fearing man whose wife is badly injured in an accident on the trail. Daniel puts his faith in the Lord as the one great healer to heal his wife, but her condition gradually worsens. When infection sets in, the Major uses his authority as Wagonmaster to over-ride Daniel Barrister's wishes. He sends Flint McCullough to the nearest town to find a doctor. When Flint gets there he finds the town quarantined because of a smallpox outbreak.

The first part of Major Adams own story begins just before the outbreak of the American Civil War and finishes at the war's end. By then the Major has met Charlie Wooster and Bill Hawkes, but there is some unfinished business with the girl he left behind him.

The second episode of Major Adams life story takes place after the Civil War when he has decided to earn his living taking wagon trains across America. On one trip, one of his passengers turns out to be his old girlfriend Raine. Love is no easier the second time around for him. He agian asks her her to marry him and again she turns him down.

A young southern belle with romantic notions about a guerrilla band of Rebel soldiers led by Charles Maury, gets a hard lesson in reality when she leaves the wagon train to join up with them.

The wagon train is stopping off at a small town called ""Sweet Sabbath"". Sweet by name, but not by nature, the name belies it's true, tough, character. Here the Major comes across an old friend, ex- New York cop and sometime prize fighter, Dan Hogan. Unwillingly, Dan finds himself up against the local villain who is fast with his gun. Dan has never carried or used a gun in his life, not even when he was a cop. He has a choice. He can run, or he can stand and fight - with his fists.

As the wagon train moves through Sioux territory, a man named Marshall asks for help in finding his daughter, Ruth, who apparently was taken by Indians following a raid eleven years ago. The girl would now be 19 years old. Flint McCullough goes in search of the girl, is injured in an ambush by a lone Indian, and is treated by a blue-eyed white woman living with four wolves. The woman communicates only through sign-language and is held in reverence by the local Sioux. Meanwhile the Indian who ambushed Flint and was wounded in the process reports back to his father, Red Cloud. Red Cloud learns that the ""Woman Who Lives with Wolves"" is treating a white man and orders Flint to be brought to his camp for possible punishment. The Wolf Woman intervenes and has Flint returned to the wagon train along with a book which bears the name ""Ruth Marshall"" on its flyleaf.

A flashback episode - Chris Hale's duties as wagonmaster require him to leave his family in their prairie home.

Flint McCullough's involvement in a horse-stealing operation proves that he's ""gone bad."" Reluctantly, Chris Hale sentences him to 20 lashes and permanent banishment from the wagon train. Bill Hawks refuses to flog his friend so the punishment's administered by Sgt. Oakes from nearby Fort Henderson. Hawks soon learns that Flint's uncharacteristic behavior is part of a plan to infiltrate the gang of notorious outlaw, Angel de Muerte. Flint now travels to the ranch of Sam Upton and his sister Madge, a place rumored to have ties with Muerte. The fresh welts on Flint's back persuade Sam to take Flint to meet Muerte, but Flint soon realizes this bearded man is a stand-in for the real Muerte -- none other than Sam Upton himself. While taking Upton to Major Hansen at Fort Henderson, the outlaw dies in an escape attempt. Flint decides to split the $10,000 reward money with Madge Upton who was unaware of her brother's dual identity.

An old con man trys to fleece the wagon train members of money by pretending to be a preacher trying to raise funds to build a church. He is outfoxed by Duke but redeems himself by aiding a dying woman.

The wagon train comes across a devastated wagon party where they find Renaldo, a wounded member of the attacking comancheros who was left to die by his comrades.

Madam Sagittarius has a reputation as a con woman. The rest of the passengers on the train snub her because of this. Charley Wooster, often left out on a limb himself, feels sorry for her and takes her under his wing. It is the beginning of a close relationship.