Women and War Filming Locations

During the Civil War. two sisters living in Virginia had as a near neighbor a young, wealthy, patriotic man who visited them frequently. The older sister was somewhat attractive and possessed a patriotic spirit and sterling qualities; the younger sister was pretty and doll-like, superficial, frivolous, and too fond of luxury. The older sister was capable of a deep, undying devotion; the younger was only capable of shallow affection. Both sisters love the neighbor in their separate ways. He is sub-consciously attracted by the older one's inner worth, but the younger one's beauty gets into his eyes too often. The older sister and the neighbor have firmly in common their respect and patriotic love for the Stars and Stripes despite all interstate controversy; the younger sister is too frivolous; to her, patriotism is but sentimental twaddle. The younger one plainly tells her sister that she is in love with the neighbor and determined to win him. Smarting under her little sister's taunts about her plainness, the older one assumes an indifferent attitude toward the neighbor, who finds solace in the younger one's smile, and in a moment of impulse he proposes to her. She accepts and he departs rejoicing. The older sister's hopes are completely dashed when the younger one comes and confides in her that he has proposed and she has accepted. She congratulates her happy young sister and the neighbor, then goes away alone to nurse the hurt of this announcement. She realizes that her love for him is so great that she cannot bear to see him day after day and witness her sister's happiness with him. She determines to enlist in the regular army as a field nurse. The neighbor vaguely misses her, but his pretty fiancee's beauty dominates his affections. At this time President Lincoln sends out a call for volunteers, and much against the younger girl's wishes, her fiance goes to the front as a captain of volunteer cavalry. Her sisters is of the volunteers so she doesn't meet her future brother-in-law and imagines that he is still at home; she dreams of the two happy ones at home and is sad. On the eve of a great battle, the neighbor receives a love letter written in the younger girl's child-like fashion. During the battle the neighbor is severely wounded by an exploding shell. The first meeting between him and the elder sister occurs when she finds him wounded and unconscious on the field. She has him brought to the hospital where she nurses him back to life to save him for her little sister. In his delirium the younger sister's face fades and the older one's starts to take its place, and as he slowly returns to health, he realizes that he actually loves the older sister. After his crisis has passed, the doctor discovers that the young man will become totally blind as a result of the accident and details the older sister to take him home, so with an orderly's help she takes him back to his own apartment and sends for her sister. When the younger sister discovers that he is blind, she ponders what her future life as a blind man's wife will be, and her shallow nature revolts. She gives him back the ring and with no pangs of regret she returns to her frivolous life. The older sister is torn between hope for herself and pity for the man. She goes to him, he realizes at last that the barrier is down, and he tells her of his real feelings and slowly folds her in his arms, both at last happy in each other's love.-Moving Picture World synopsis