This feels like the strongest entry in Ford’s cavalry series, I believe. Henry Fonda is excellent portraying a principled, yet overwhelmed, colonel assigned to command a poorly managed military installation at a time when Apache activity is increasing. He takes over from John Wayne, who had considerably more experience, and things quickly become complicated. A pleasant romantic storyline unfolds with the involvement of John Agar and Shirley Temple; he plays an inexperienced lieutenant—the son of the Sergeant Major (Ward Bond)—and she portrays the colonel’s daughter, and they find love despite objections from their respective families. The cinematography is beautiful as always – George O'Brien, Pedro Armendáris, Dick Foran, and Victor McLaglen all make significant contributions (often comedic) to a well-crafted screenplay by Frank Nugent, and there’s a palpable sense of danger—both between the two main characters and between them and the Apache—that persists until the very end. It has aged incredibly well, offering a subtle but clear acknowledgement of the unjust treatment endured by Native American tribes during America's westward growth.

Source on TMDB