The year 1775 is an explosive one--both for the colony of Virginia and 11-year-old John Nicholas's family. Tensions are rising between England and the colonies, and Virginians disagree on how to act. John's father hopes for a peaceful solution, but John's older brother and his company of the Williamsburg militia think Virginians need to fight for their rights. John feels caught in the middle between the two people he admires most.