Set in the 19th century in an English coal-mining town, Serjeant Musgrave's Dance is the story of the title character and three privates traveling with him. All four men are deserters from a colonial war and are heavily disillusioned with violence. They aim to change to patriotic leanings of the town but are hampered by trauma, personal codes, and the demons of their pasts. In the end they are drawn back into violence and killed or arrested.