Jim Sherman, a Northerner, living in the South, joins the Federal forces. His heroic wife, Jane, and his baby daughter, Lillian, bid him a sad farewell. The Federal recruits are quartered some miles down the river, and there come tidings to the new soldier from his wife and little daughter, and he returns them a letter, which they open feverishly for news. He encloses a little letter for the child, and she is delighted. Immediately she laboriously starts out to send a letter to her father in reply. Just about this time a lot of Confederate officers, who are making a daring reconnaissance toward the Federal lines, drive into the yard of the Sherman home and take possession of the house. The mother is very much frightened at this invasion, but the officers are gentlemen, and are soon made at home. Lillian quickly makes friends with the men. The business of the officers, however, is urgent, and they soon dismiss the family from the room, get out a war map and as Lillian has returned and is playing on the floor with her doll she is allowed to remain in the room. They set her down from the table, where they have been showing her the map, and while she is apparently innocently playing with her doll, she is all ears, listening to their plans for the capture of the Federal camp, where her father is stationed. This plan is embraced in a message that Col. Mooney places in his hat. Lillian purposely breaks the head of her favorite doll, then shows it tearfully to Col. Sayles, who tells her to take it to her mother to be mended. She exits in presumable great grief. Once out of the room, she rushes joyously to her mother and explains to her what she has heard. The mother realizes the importance of the message, and when she invites the officers to lunch, instructs Lillian to get the note if possible, and make a copy of it. The child follows instructions, replaces the original in the hat that has been left in the front room, and afterwards gives her mother the copy. While the men are still at the table, Jane, the mother, rushes to the stables, secures a mount and quietly rides toward the Yankee lines. As the officers are weary from the hard riding, and wish to give the horses a rest, they take long leisure at the luncheon, but after a while time presses and they go back to the front room. Maj. Mooney, examining his hat and finding his message still there, is unsuspicious and sends the orderly to the stable to get their mounts ready. Meantime, little Lillian uses her wiles with such charm that the officers are loath to leave such pleasant company and resume their hard ride. When the orderly returns from the stable and reports "one horse shy," there is instant commotion. Until now the lady of the house has not been missed. There is a grand rush to the stable and the old hostler is threatened with death if he does not tell them who has taken the horse. He stolidly refuses to give the information, and they return to the house, questioning the child and threatening to cut off her ears unless she tells them where her mother is, but she simply laughs in the faces of the officers. They see questions are useless and as time is passing, decide at once to ride forward. In the meantime, Jane is speeding toward the Yankee camp with the information safe in the sole of her shoe. Eventually she comes to a bridge, where she sees a picket-post that will make her passage impossible. She deserts her horse and, running a distance through the woods, swims the stream a distance above the bridge. She reaches the Yankee camp and is led to headquarters with her news. Instantly there is a commotion in response. The entire camp is up in arms. Jim meets his wife, and is ordered to take personal charge of her. The Union soldiers take the bridge where the picket-post which blocked Jane's path is stationed and quietly advance on the general body, and the Confederates, instead of surprising them as originally planned, are themselves surprised and overcome. The Federal charge is quick and decisive. The Confederates retreat in disorder. The Colonel in command, out of gratitude for the valuable service of Jim's brave wife, gives him a three months' furlough to visit his home, where the Confederate coup was frustrated by the cunning of baby Lillian.