Two patriotic brothers from New Jersey travel to Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, celebrate the Declaration's adoption, and soon become involved in skirmishes with local Tories before joining dangerous missions connected to the Revolutionary War. The plot follows their night attacks, spy-work, infiltration of enemy camps, a haunted-house episode, and action in New York and at the Battle of Long Island, showing their differing temperaments—impulsive youth and steadier elder—as they learn courage, loyalty, and resourcefulness amid historical events.