Two brothers, Phil and Ted Stoneman, visit their friends, the Cameron family, in Piedmont, South Carolina. Their close friendship is put to the test by the Civil War, as the Stonemans and the Camerons are drawn into opposite armies. The film depicts how the consequences of the war affect both families' lives in the context of major historical events such as the development of the Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the formation of the Ku Klux Klan. Cast: - Lillian Gish as Elsie Stoneman - Mae Marsh as Flora Cameron - Henry B. Walthall as Colonel Ben Cameron - Miriam Cooper as Margaret Cameron - William P. DeVaull as Jake - Ralph Lewis as Austin Stoneman - George Siegmann as Silas Lynch - Walter Long as Gus - Robert Harron as Tod Stoneman - Wallace Reid as Jeff the blacksmith - Joseph Henabery as Abraham Lincoln - Elmer Clifton as Phil Stoneman - Josephine Crowell as Mrs. Cameron - Spottiswoode Aitken as Dr. Cameron - George Beranger as Wade Cameron - Maxfield Stanley as Duke Cameron - Jennie Lee as Mammy - Donald Crisp as General Ulysses S. Grant - Howard Gaye as General Robert E. Lee Uncredited appearances include Mary Alden, Monte Blue, Bobby Burns, David Butler, Peggy Cartwright, John Ford, Gibson Gowland, Sam De Grasse, Olga Grey, Russell Hicks, Elmo Lincoln, Eugene Pallette, Vester Pegg, Alma Rubens, Charles Stevens, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Raoul Walsh, Jules White, Violet Wilkey, Tom Wilson, and Mary Wynn. Runtime: 165 minutes (Silent Film)