- You are from Boston, are you not? - Yes.
It is impossible to imagine Boston with slaves.
Company, halt!
- Halt! - Shoulder arms!
Town's clean, sir. Ain't no Rebs here, just some women.
Well, alI right! You hear that, boys?
Let's clear her out!
What are you doing?
Liberating this town in the name of the Republic.
The musket, Massa Colonel? Never shoot it. Shoot now?
Yeah, I don't see why not. Go ahead.
Shoot the lady, boys!
Don't shoot! We ain't Secess' here!
That man is a civilian.
That man is Secess', and Secess' is all the same, son.
Look around. You really think anybody's gonna put these boys into real combat?
Do you?
They're little children, for God's sake. They're little monkey children.
You just gotta know how to control them.
Please, let go! Oh, God!
You see what I mean? Children!
- Animal! Leave her aIone! - Hey, boy!
Take your hands off the white lady!
That would not have been necessary if that Secess' woman hadn't started it.
They'll never learn.
Secess' has got to be swept away by the hand ot God...
like the Jews of old.
And now I'll have to burn this town.
Nigger soldiers! Nigger soldiers!
TeIl your men to set torches and prepare to fire the buildings.
I will not.
That is an order.
You will do it or face charges for disobeying your superior officer.
It is an immoral order, and by articles of war I am not bound to obey it.
Well, you can just explain that at your court-martial...
after your men are placed under my command.
First squad, second platoon.
Fall out to set torches. Prepare to fire the town.
First squad, second platoon! Fall out!
Right face!
Forward march!
The colors, Sergeant Major.
Change the colors.
What you lookin' at, biscuit eaters?
You think you better than me? You think you my judge?
You ain't nothin'!
"Dear Father. I need your help.
Despite my many requests, it has become clear...
that we are to be used only for manual labor.
Morale is low.
The men 's good humor darkened by idleness and despair.
Why keep drilling if they're never given the opportunity to prove themselves?"
Attention!
"l have written to Governor Andrew...
as well as to the General Staff in Washington.
But I feel that only a letter directly from you to Lincoln himself...
can have the desired effect.
I can think of no other course.
I am sure you both pray, as I do...
that all this has not been in vain. "
Look like we're goin' the wrong way.
Hey. Hey, come on now. Buck up, boys!
Hey, buck up now! Come on!
Someday they're gonna let the 54th get into it, see?
And all your troubles would be over, huh?
Come on now. Cheer up! Hey!
- What'd you say, boy? - "Boy"?
- Let me tell you-- - Shut up, Trip--
Would you get up off me, snowflake?
See, let me explain something to you.
The way I figure, l figure this war would be over a whole lot sooner...
if you boys just turn right on around and head on back down that way...
and you let us head on up there where the real tightin' is.
Them men dyin' up that road.
It wouldn't be nothin' but Rebs dying, if they let the 54th in it.
- Listen-- - Hold it!
As you were, Trip! As you were!
You men move on.
Stripes on a nigger. That's like tits on a bull.
You're lookin' at a higher rank, Corporal. You'll obey and like it.
- Make me. - I'll make you.
- What the helI is goin' on here? - Attention!
You! Yes, you. What's your name? I'm putting you up on charges.
- Ain't no cause tor that, sir. - What's that, Sergeant?
It's just a soldiers' fight, sir.
- All right. You men move along. - Front step! Forward! March!
Move it!
You men get back to work. Back to work! Let's go!
- We'll see you again. - Go dig a latrine.
Go strum a banjo, boy.
Come on.
I've got the guard. Let me use your looking glass.
Thank you.
Yeah, button up that collar.
Suck in that gut.
Tuck in them big black lips.
Lighten your skin. Shrink up that nose.
I don't have to listen to this.
Where you goin', boy?
- Let me by. - Let you by?
Let you by?
Let me tell you something, boy.
You can march like the white man. You can talk like 'em.
You can learn his songs. You can even wear his suits.
But you ain't never gonna be nothin' to him...
but an ugly-ass chimp in a blue suit.
- Oh, you don't like that, do you? - No.
What we gonna do about it? Want to fight me, boy?
Huh? What you gonna do about it?
You want to fight me, don't you? Don't you?
- Come on, nig. - All right! All right!
Get your hands off me, gravedigger.
Goddamn it. Does the whole world gotta stomp in your face?
- Nigger, get your hands off me. - Ain't no niggers here.
So the white man give you a couple ot stripes...
next thing you know, you hollerin' and orderin' everybody around...
like you the massa himself.
Nigger, you ain't nothin' but the white man's dog.
And what are you?
So full ot hate you wanna fight everybody...
'cause you've been whipped and chased by hounds.
That might not be livin', but it sure ain't dyin'.
And dying's what these white boys been doin' for goin' on three years now.
Dyin' by the thousands. Dyin' for you, fool!
I know, 'cause l dug the graves.
And all the time I'm diggin', I'm asking myselt, "When?"
When, O Lord, is it gonna be our time?"
Time's comin' when we're gonna have to ante up.
Ante up and kick in like men. Like men!
You watch who you call a nigger.
If there's any niggers around here, it's you.
Smart-mouth, stupid-ass, swamp-running nigger.
If you ain't careful, that's all you ever gonna be.
You men go on back to business.
Ah, Shaw.
Sit down.
Well, Colonel, what can I do for you?
You can give me and my regiment a transfer to combat command.
Couldn't do it, Colonel.
You're much too valuable to my operations here.
May I sit?
Thank you. Major.
I've written a letter to my father...
asking him to press Governor Andrew and President Lincoln.
But I don't have to wait for all that, do l?
Colonel Montgomery, would you bring that ashtray over here?
But valuable to your operations here, do you say?
Your foraging, your depredations?
Yes, "ve become quite a student of your operations in this region.
Thirty-four mansions, I think it was, pillaged and burned...
under Colonel Montgomery's expedition of the Combahee.
Four thousand bales of cotton smuggled through the lines...
with payment to parties unknown...
except by you.
False quartermaster requisitions. Major Forbes here has seen the copies.
Yes, indeed.
Along with confiscated valuables shipped north as personal baggage.
Shall I go on?
Can you?
I can report you to the War Department.
Oh, yes. I can do that.
Let you take your regiment out to fight?
That's what you want, isn't it? Show what they can do.
- When? - You are bright-eyed, aren't you?
When?
Just as soon as I can write the orders.
Major.
Double-quick!
All right, company, in a line. Double-quick!
All right, men, form a firing line. Over here.
Form a firing line right here!
Front rank, kneel!
Steady, boys!
Firing by battalion!
Aim!
Charge!
Fire!
Cease fire! Recover!
Here they come!
- Reload! - Reload! Load!
- Load it! Load it! - Quickly, men!
- Ready! - Ready!
- Aim! - Aim!
Get ready. Get ready!
Fire!
- Reload! - Reload!
Quickly!
- Fire at will! - Fire at will!
Pour it in!
Charge!
Look out, boy! Look out!
Fire!
They're turnin' tail!
Run, you Rebs!
Deploy skirmishers, Captain.
Re-form your ranks! Re-form your ranks!
Fall in! On the double!
- Form Company. - Thomas!
How do, CoIonel?
Hurts, doesn't it?
Well, I'm extremely jealous.
You'll be back in Boston before me, sitting by the fire...
reading Hawthorne, cup of decent coffee.
I'm not going back.
Thomas, listen to me. You're shot. You have to go back.
Robert, promise me...
that you won't send me back.
Promise me!
All right. All right.
Colonel Shaw!
- What is all this? - You haven't heard?
Lee was turned back in Pennsylvania at Gettysburg...
now Grant's taken Vicksburg, and alI on the Fourth of July.
- My God! - Yeah!
It looks like it'll all be over by Christmas.
- So, how did they do? - SpIendid. Just splendid.
- Any casualties? - Forty-two.
Give me the details. I'll wire it in.
I don't think we got a prayer ot making the paper.
I'll talk to you later in your tent.
As you were.
- Trip, isn't it? - Yes, sir.
You fought very well yesterday, Trip.
Sergeant Rawlins has recommended that you receive a commendation.
Yes, sir?
Yes, and I think you should bear the regimental colors.
Well--
lt's considered quite an honor.
Why not?
Well, I'm...
wantin' to say somethin', sir, but l--
Go ahead.
AIl right. See--
I ain't fightin' this war for you, sir.
I see.
I mean, what's the point?
Ain't nobody gonna win. lt's just gonna go on and on.
- It can't go on forever. - But ain't nobody gonna win.
Somebody's gonna win.
Who?
I mean, you get to go on back to Boston to a big house and all that.
What about us? What do we get?
Well, you won't get anything if we lose.
What do you want to do?
I don't know, sir.
It stinks, I suppose.
Yeah, it stinks bad.
And we all covered up in it. Ain't nobody clean.
Be nice to get clean though.
How do we do that?
We ante up and kick in, sir.
But I still don't wanna carry your flag.
No one will ever take Charleston without first...
silencing the forts which protect its harbor.
And the first one that must be taken is that, Fort Wagner.
Wagner mounts a ten-inch Columbiad...
three smoothbore 32-pounders...
a 42-pound Carronade...
a 10-inch Coast Mortar and tour 12-pound Howitzers...
plus a garrison of about a thousand men.
As many ot you gentlemen may be aware...
for the last four days our navy has weakened Wagner...
with a constant barrage.
Headquarters has determined a time for our attack.
We will proceed with a direct frontal assault tomorrow at dusk.
The problem, gentlemen, is the approach.
The ocean and the marsh leave only a narrow strip of sand...
a natural defile, through which we can only send one regiment at a time.
Our best hope is that that leading regiment can keep the Rebs occupied...
long enough for reinforcements to exploit the breach.
Needless to say, casualties in the leading regiment may be extreme.
General Strong.
The 54th Massachusetts...
requests the honor ot leading the attack on Fort Wagner.
lt's Colonel Shaw, isn't it?
Yes, sir.
You and your men haven't slept tor two days.
That's right, sir.
And you think they have the strength to lead this charge?
There's more to fighting than rest, sir.
There's character.
There's strength ot heart.
You should have seen us in action two days ago.
We were a sight to see.
We'll be ready, sir.
When do you want us?
O Lord, O Lord
Lord, Lord, Lord
He packed in the animals two by two
An ox, a camel and a kangaroo
Packed them in that ark so tight
I couldn't get no sleep that night
Grown-up sons Shem and Ham
Tell me about God's master plan
O my Lord Lord, Lord, Lord
- Tomorrow we goin' to battle. - All right.
So, Lordy, let me fight with the rifle in one hand...
and the Good Book in the other.
- Yeah! - Amen!
That if I should die at the muzzle of the rifle...
die on water or on land...
I may know that You, blessed Jesus Almighty, are with me.
With Jesus!
And I have no fear. Amen.
O my Lord Lord, Lord, Lord
Lord, we stand before You this evenin'...
to say thank you.
We thank You, Father, for Your grace...
and Your many blessings.
Now, I run off...
and left all my young'uns and my kinfolk in bondage.
So I'm standing here this evening, Heavenly Father...
to ask Your blessings on all of us...
so that if tomorrow is our great getting-up mornin'...
if tomorrow we have to meet the Judgment Day...
O Heavenly Father, we want You to let our foIks know...
that we died tacin' the enemy.
We want 'em to know that we went down standin' up--
Yes, Lord!
among those that are fightin' against our oppression!
We want 'em to know, Heavenly Father, that we died for freedom.
We ask these blessings in Jesus' name. Amen!
- Trip! Come on! - No, I ain't--
You better get your butt up there, boy.
Just say what you think. Just say what you teel. Go on now.
- Come on. - Preach it, brother.
Go on. Let it out.
I ain't much about no prayin' now.
I ain't never had no family and...
killed off my mama.
This feels funny.
- Come on. - lt's all right.
Come on now. You're doin' fine.
Well, I just--
You know, y'all's-- y'all's--
Y'all's the onliest family I got.
WeIl, that's aIl right.
And, uh--
- I love the 54th. - All right.
Ain't much matter what happens tomorrow, 'cause we men, ain't we?
- Yes, sir! - Amen!
- We men, ain't we? - Yes, sir!
Shit.
All right.
- Attention, company! - Attention, company!
Battalion, halt!
We ready, CoIonel.
Left! Left! Left, right!
- Give 'em hell, 54th! - Give 'em hell, 54th!
- Ready! Fire! - Ready! Fire!
- Ought to be quite a show, Pierce. - Best seat in the house.
I wonder if you might do something for me.
I have some letters here. Personal things.
Certainly, Colonel.
Also, if I should fall...
remember what you see here.
- Ready! - Fire!
- Reload! - Fire!
You men are relieved! Report to the rear as stretcher bearers.
- Do it now! - About-face!
Forward! March!
You go on, honey. We be by directly.
Colonel Shaw!
If this man should fall...
who will lift the flag and carry on?
I will.
Hurrah!
I'll see you in the fort, Thomas.
- Fix! - Fix!
Bayonets!
- Shoulder! - Shoulder!
Arms!
- Charge! - Charge!
Bayonets!
At the quickstep!
Forward!
March!
Double-quick time!
March!
Steady, boys!
Charge!
Come on!
Forward! Forward!
Keep your ranks!
Take cover in the dunes!
Take cover!
Company commanders, we'll wait here and advance under cover of darkness.
Get down over there! Get down!
Company commanders! Order your men to wait here!
Get down!
- Sergeant Rawlins! - Sir!
Pass the word along! Forward on my command!
- Ready on the colors, men! - Forward on my command! Ready!
- Charge! - Charge!
Forward, men! Forward!
- Forward! - Charge!
Forward! Forward, men!
Come on, men! Forward!
Come on, you men! Don't stop! Get up there!
Come on!
Come on, 54th!
Robert!
Come on!
Charge!
My eye!
Thomas!
Form a firing line here!
Get outta here!
Fire!
Let's go! Move! Move!
Charge!
Come on! Come on!