Summary
In the tumultuous dawn of the American Civil War, The Heart of Maryland unfolds a melodrama steeped in divided loyalties and personal sacrifice. At its core is Maryland Calvert, a woman caught between two suitors: Major Alan Kendrick, a principled Virginian torn by familial and national allegiances, and Captain Fulton Thorpe, whose past indiscretions cast a long shadow. As the nation fractures, Alan's commitment to Union ideals, despite his father's staunch Secessionist stance, alienates him from Maryland. Thorpe, now a Confederate spy, orchestrates Alan's downfall, but it is Maryland herself who, through an act of courageous defiance, intervenes to save the man she truly loves, echoing the film's namesake with her own defiant spirit.
Synopsis
At the outbreak of the War Between the States, Maryland Calvert is loved by Maj. Alan Kendrick, son of a Virginia general, and Capt. Fulton Thorpe. Nancy, whom Thorpe has loved unwisely, follows him to Washington and commits suicide when she learns he will not marry her; as a result, Alan is forced to request his resignation. When Fort Sumter is fired upon, Alan, who admires Lincoln's principles, joins the Union Army though his father is among the Secessionist leaders; as a result, he is estranged from Maryland. Thorpe, who has joined the Confederacy as a spy, is responsible for Alan's arrest, but Maryland victoriously comes to his aid by ringing the alarm bell.
