I believe in you, John. You know that.
What do you do, love?
I work for a newspaper.
You look fresh off of the farm.
I've only had the job a few days.
You're green.
Tell the truth now, love. You ever been with a woman?
John Brown, I sentence you to be hanged in public...
on Friday the second of December.
Will you be coming back?
- To Gettysburg, I mean. - It could happen.
I'd like to come back, Mary.
Then make it happen.
I've come to ask you not to leave, John.
It's no time for you to be going up north.
There's gonna be a fight.
Three of us side by side. Ain't nobody can lick us.
I'll never wear that uniform.
Well, that makes you a traitor.
What was the sentiment in your county...
as to secession or no?
I don't know about the county...
but I have three brothers who can't wait to fight for the Confederacy.
Should it come to war...
were I you, I'd look to my talent for the solution.
Your talent suggests the role of artist-correspondent.
File right.
You see the stone bridge where the turnpike crosses Bull Run?
If I were an artist lookin' for a battle...
I'd start lookin' right here.
I thought I'd make such a great soldier.
So far, so good.
I wet my pants!
Help! Help!
Oh, help me!
Get in here! Help these men!
Signal Lieutenant Welles' battery to fire on the high road.
Corporal, they're coming. They're heading down the main road.
Our guns are dead on.
Gunners to your post!
Ready.
Number one, fire!
Fire!
Number three, fire!
Number four, fire!
Rest up, men.
It'll be a while 'fore they can knock out them Reb guns.
Hey, Sarge, where are we? Where are we goin'?
Yeah, fill us in.
Well, do you remember bein' seasick?
- Yeah. - That boat brought you...
from the Potomac...
through Chesapeake Bay right here to Virginia.
This here's a peninsula we're on.
Yonder is Richmond.
All you gotta do is march 50 miles, take Richmond, and the war is over.
Any other questions?
You're liable to see the elephant a few times before you get there.
What elephant?
To see the elephant means to be in a battle.
Have you seen the elephant?
Once...
over my shoulder.
Major, this is Professor Thaddeus Lowe.
He'll go up in his balloon to direct your artillery fire.
I want those Reb guns silenced.
This civilian is going to direct my fire...
from that balloon, sir?
That's what I said, Major.
What will you do, point?
No, no, no, Major.
My balloon is equipped with telegraph key, air-to-ground telegraph cable.
- I send down the exact... - Target locations.
Thank you, General.
Do you know how to plot artillery targets?
I know little of guns. I hate guns.
Professor Lowe will be flying with an expert observer.
Then all we need is an artilleryman crazy enough...
to go up in that contraption.
Precisely why I sent for you, Major.
My God Almighty.
Stay here, young man.
Homer.
Take everything you've got and aim it at that sector.
What's the target?
The devil's work is afoot in that field, my boy.
Father, what's the target?
A balloon.
Balloon?
Yes, my son.
Load!
Raise 1,200 yards.
Three-quarters maximum elevation.
There she is!
All yours, Lieutenant.
Ready!
Number one, fire!
Number two, fire!
Number three, fire!
Number four, fire!
Damn! Load! Maximum elevation.
Ready, sir.
Cannon one, fire!
Number two, fire!
Number three, fire!
Number four, fire!
She's above our maximum elevation.
Hold your guns, Homer. They've seen you.
Dig a hole behind number one. Lower the gun trail two feet.
Don't you understand? They're directing fire from that balloon.
Move your guns or they're gonna blow this battery apart! Move it!
Reload! We'll get one more shot.
Yes, sir.
Homer.
Put your trust in the Lord God Jehovah, my boy.
He's dead.
Stretcher!
Mr. John Geyser calling.
Good news, Kathy. Jonas finally got his leave.
The wedding can take place this weekend.
Hello, Senator. I didn't expect you to be home.
Yes.
Mr. Geyser, I'm grateful that you rescued Kathy at Bull Run...
and because of that, I permitted you to escort her several times.
But that, sir, does not mean that you can drop in unannounced...
Father. Would you like a cup of tea, John?
No, thank you.
What was this about a wedding?
My friend, Captain Jonas Steele, is being married this weekend...
to my cousin, Mary Hale of Gettysburg.
Since Kathy knows Jonas, I thought she might like to attend.
I'd love it.
And where is this to take place?
In Gettysburg.
Will you excuse us, Kathy?
- But, Father... - Kathy.
Do I understand you want to travel to Pennsylvania for the weekend...
with my daughter, alone?
Yes, sir.
She would stay with my Aunt Evelyn and be properly chaperoned, of course.
It's quite impossible.
May I ask why?
Mr. Geyser, may I be frank?
My daughter has a social position to maintain.
She cannot possibly do that if she has been intimate...
with an impecunious journalist.
Intimate? We haven't so much as kissed.
I'm damn glad to hear that.
William will show you to the door.
Now, this is so you don't go away mad.
I'm still mad.
Where are you?
And, Mary, wilt though have this man to be thy wedded husband?
Wilt thou love him and comfort him, honor and obey him...
in sickness and health...
and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him...
so long as you both shall live?
- I do. - The ring, please.
For as much as Jonas and Mary have consented together in holy wedlock...
I pronounce that they are husband and wife.
Those whom God has joined together...
let no man put asunder.
Amen.
That's for... Oops, sorry.
Didn't I just give you one, George?
I drank that to the bride, Mr. Hale. We mustn't forget the groom.
- Do you like the silver? - I do.
- And the china? - Yes.
I thought these would be for...
when the war keeps you apart.
They're beautiful, John.
John, you must have read my heart.
Excuse me, Captain Steele.
Among other things, I am the society editor of the Gettysburg Chronicle.
It is my duty to write a story about this...
your gallant venture into holy matrimony.
Why, George, you're tiddled.
Of course. Am I not losing my boss's daughter?
Get us all a refill, John. The old goat's cut me off.
Excuse, Mary.
Let's see. Where will you spend the honeymoon?
Hanover.
You must mean Hanover, New Hampshire. Lovely in the spring.
No, Hanover down the road. We just bought a house there.
And it needs fixing.
- It's been unoccupied for years. - It needs painting.
And Jonas only has seven days leave...
so...
Newlyweds to spend honeymoon...
painting house.
So it's back to duty in seven days, huh, Captain?
I report back on the 14th.
To General McClellan?
Right.
Exclusive: Army of the Potomac...
to march shortly after the 14th.
Come with me, George. You're under arrest as a Confederate spy.
Was George right about the army moving out?
They're coming!
- Good luck! - Thank you.
Good-bye.
It's a good thing Mama sent over the table and chairs...
and the bed upstairs.
That's about all the furniture we have.
It's a good start.
It sounds like somebody wants to come in.
Somebody or something.
- Isn't this the bed where... - Where you had the dream?
Yes, it is.
I'll close the window.
Are you all right?
Flying glass cut my finger.
- It's nothing. - You're bleeding.
It's just blood from my finger.
Mary, your breast.
I'm all right, Jonas. It's nothing.
- But you've been hit. - Jonas!
Look at me. There's no wound. I'm fine.
I'm sorry.
That dream still haunts you.
You'll never bring me harm, my darling.
What you bring me...
is happiness.
What you bring me...
is love.
Halt. Who goes there?
It's all right, Kitchell. Let him through.
Evening, Captain.
A campfire, Sergeant?
Rebs are on the other side of the creek, sir.
They know we're here.
- How far to the creek? - Quarter mile that way.
Pickets?
I got pickets posted every 50 yards along the bank of the stream.
- Password? - Foxfire.
You plannin' on goin' across the stream tonight, Captain?
Good night, Sergeant.
Malachy.
Jake and Mooney drew picket duty tonight.
I'll look for 'em.
Lots of shootin' tomorrow if I read the signs right.
Mooney?
Mooney, wake up.
Don't you know you...
Easy, Jake. Easy.
- Kind of quick on the trigger. - I'll show you why.
It's his own bayonet.
His skull's damn near split in two.
Looks like a saber wound.
Mooney was dead before he was pinned to the tree.
Then the killer put his hat back on his head.
This don't have much to do with the war. This is murder.
The killer wants us to know it's murder.
Why would he do that?
Listen.
Report this to O'Toole.
A few last-minute reminders.
- Y'all got 40 rounds? - Yes, sir.
- Caps? - Yes, sir.
Don't forget, your rifle pulls up, so aim low at their knees.
Laddie.
I want to be proud of every one of you.
You all right, Malachy?
I ain't planning on running away again, if that's what you mean.
Hey, Sarge, did we win?
You ain't even seen the elephant yet, laddie.
The real battle is up ahead.
They built themselves a line of defense...
right along that crest.
We can't take that, Sarge. That's impossible.
Maybe. Let's go up and find out.
Let's not be late for the ball, boys!
Fall in! Right side here.
Forward, double quick time. Hut!
Hold your fire.
Fire!
Maybe you and me oughta talk, Yank.
You was runnin' away, wasn't you?
So was I.
Got lost.
How'd you know my gun was unloaded?
If you was loaded, you'd have killed me.
Whose territory you reckon we in?
Ours.
I think.
Your side was headin' this way.
Don't make no sense shootin' each other.
I mean...
there's plenty of folks willin' to do it for us.
Guess they'd shoot us just for runnin' away.
Hell, they'd be glad to shoot us just for not shootin' each other.
And if we wanna get shot real quick...
there's that battle over there.
- Where you from? - Pennsylvania.
Me, I'm Mississippi.
What's it like livin' down there?
What's it like havin' slaves?
Slaves?
In that bitty little shack? Hell, we didn't have no slaves.
We didn't hardly even have shoes.
How we gonna get out of this mess, Yank?
There is a way, but I don't know if you'll like it.
I'm listenin'.
We just keep out of sight until the battle's over...
and then one of us surrenders to the other.
Which one you have in mind, Yank?
That's gonna be decided by whoever wins the battle.
I mean, come end of day...
you gray backs hold this territory, then I surrender to you.
And if the damn Yankees win, well, then it's "vicey-versy."
Seems fair.
Is it a bargain?
It's a bargain.
Message from Professor Lowe, sir.
Gentlemen, we've taken the ridge.
Congratulations, Colonel.
Yes, we'll rally 'round the flag, boys
We'll rally once again
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
And we'll rally from the hillside
We'll gather from the plain
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
The union forever
Hurrah, boys, hurrah
Down with the traitors and up with the stars
While we rally 'round the flag, boys We'll rally once again
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
We'll rally 'round the flag, boys We'll rally once again
You're my prisoner, Reb.
I should have known never to trust no white-livered, blue-bellied Yank!
Why'd you say that?
You loaded that gun on me, didn't you?
We made a bargain.
I reckon I owe you an apology.
You lost the bet.
Hey, Yank.
Don't shoot.
Me and my men, we have to surrender.
We was fightin' the rear guard, got surrounded.
Half my squad's gonna die unless I get 'em a doctor.
- Can they walk? - Them as can't, we'll carry.
Glad to help, Sergeant. Fall in.
On your feet, men.
Gentlemen, I give you an appropriate toast.
- On to Richmond. - Hear, hear.
Colonel.
Will you look over there, General?
Lieutenant, relieve that soldier of his prisoners.
I want to talk to him.
- I'll take over here, soldier. - They need medical attention.
I'll take care of them. The general wants to see you.
Reb, what's your name?
Johnny.
What's yours?
Malachy.
Forward, march!
Who are you, son?
Private Malachy Hale, sir. Twenty-third Pennsylvania.
Would you follow me, please?
General, this is Private Hale.
How did you manage to take all those prisoners, Hale?
Well, I sort of jumped on the first one by mistake, sir.
And I stumbled on the rest of 'em in the woods.
It's all right, Colonel. It isn't loaded.
He took ten Rebs with an unloaded rifle.
I'd hate to play poker with you, son.
Gentlemen, it's men like this...
win battles for us.
Colonel, write this boy up for a citation...
and give him a battlefield promotion.
Congratulations, Corporal Hale. You've done a good day's work.
Thank you, sir.
Dismissed, Hale.
If I had some liquor
I'd get drunker than a vicar
Hey, Joe!
- Where the devil... - It must have come from the Reb side!
The sergeant says there's no one over there. It's a swamp.
The sarge ain't always right.
- Maybe it's some kind of bomb. - Hey, Yankees!
Quiet, everybody!
That there's a trading boat.
She's loaded with good Virginny tobacco.
Tobacco!
Genuine smoking tobacco!
What do you want from us, Reb?
- Coffee. - We got plenty. I'll get some.
Ahoy, Reb!
Coffee comin' over!
You all the 23rd Pennsylvania?
- They ain't supposed to know that. - Who all told you, Reb?
Abe Lincoln.
First decent smoke in weeks.
If I had some liquor
I'd get drunker than a vicar
You gonna send that into Harper's?
Why not? I thought I'd call it "All's Well on the Chickahominy."
I hope my Kathleen don't see it.
She'll think I'm runnin' around with a bunch of naked savages.
- Come on. - Bring it in.
Hey, over here.
Okay.
What's this? What's it say, Rufe?
"Please deliver to Malachy or Jake Hale."
Jake, Malachy.
Rebs sent this over.
- Who could it be? - Open it up. Find out.
That's from Luke, my youngest brother.
Who else you know in the Reb army except my brothers?
Even so, there's three of ‘em.
No, the childish handwriting, that's Luke.
"Dear cousins...
meet me at 10:00 tonight at Munson's Landing.
It's most gosh-awful important. Luke Geyser."
A bit jumpy, ain't you, Jake?
I was just thinkin' about the night when I found Mooney murdered.
There it is.
Should we show a light?
Look, down there.
- Is it? - Yeah, it's Luke.
Say somethin'!
Evenin', Jake.
Hey, Malachy, John.
- Well, if this don't beat all! - Not so loud.
Pretendin' you're dead? What's so funny?
Everything's funny. That way army life don't get you down.
We can talk now.
- Yeah, slow down, Luke. - Can't slow down. We're late.
Luke, Rebs don't like Yank soldiers on their side of the river.
My friends won't object. I already told them you're kin.
What's up? Where are you taking us?
The dance, of course.
- Did he say "dance"? - He did.
You see, we found this big old barn miles from nowhere.
We got some good musicians in the outfit...
so what else could we do but throw a barn dance?
Luke, you're taking us behind Confederate lines...
to a barn dance?
- Right. - Our cousin's crazy.
Don't worry about it. I'll get you to your side of the river before sunup.
It's a little risky, Luke.
Supposin' it is, look what you get for a little risk.
Music, whiskey, women.
Women?
Wait till you meet 'em. Belles from Richmond.
Local girls, pick of the crop. Beauties every one of ‘em.
Why don't you take a little rest, let me row?
- How long you been in the army? - Oh, 'bout a month.
Never had so much fun in all my life.
War's not a game, Luke. It's serious. It's deadly.
Well, not tonight, it ain't.
Come on, row.
I can smell them women over there.
Charlie, Luke done it. He brung his kinfolk.
Luke's mad as a March hare. I'll see you later, Wanda Mae.
Hey, Bear!
Big Bear, Charlie, I want you all to meet my cousins, Jake and Malachy Hale.
- Howdy, Yanks. - Where you all from?
- Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. - That's southern Pennsylvania.
This here's my brother John.
- Whose army are you in? - Nobody's. I'm a correspondent.
- Let's get us some liquor. - Right!
And some women.
Ain't those Yank uniforms?
I didn't see no Yank uniforms, Stacey.
My mistake, Big Bear. My mistake.
I've been savin' a special gal for you, John.
You just wait right here.
John, meet Mandy.
Sweet as sugar candy.
I want you to meet Wanda Mae.
Hey, Wanda Mae.
This here is Francine. You see, Francine is all mine.
You're kinda pretty.
I was just gonna say the same thing about you, Wanda Mae.
Sweet talker, too, ain't you, Johnny? Do you wanna dance?
Sure.
Help yourself.