After the death of Old Man Clanton, Doc Holliday hatches a not-quite-legal scheme involving Wyatt's brothers to help him in his desire to create an internal fight among the Clantons gang members over who takes control of the gang.

A stagecoach holdup orchestrated by Johnny Ringo and Curly Bill Brocius gives Wyatt Earp the opportunity he's been waiting for--a chance to get the rival factions in the Clanton gang to turn on each other instead of the law.

Earp recalls in court the details of the day when the Clanton gang rides into Tombstone to shoot it out with the Earps and his plans initially to head off a street battle by arresting each one of the gang separately and then the gunfight.