It's March 1865, the final days of the American Civil War, and five prisoners of war are held captive in Richmond. Desperate to leave the city, they make a daring escape in a hot air balloon during a terrible storm. Carried by the storm's winds for 4 days, the balloon crashes near an island in the South Pacific. The castaways are stranded on this unknown shore with nothing but the clothes on their backs and each other. Fortunately the island is rich in natural resources they'll need to survive. They name the island after President Lincoln and make it their home until they can find a way off. The castaways even consider themselves colonists who will claim the island for the United States and plan to return to it if they ever get home. As time goes on the colonists become aware of strange happenings that they cannot explain. Most of these are considered to be the work of Providence. Eventually they begin to realize that they're not alone on the island.