Where's the sarge?
He caught one. He's dead.
They got us outnumbered, Malachy.
We'd best skedaddle.
We'll stay put, Jake.
Can't stay out on the wings, Sarge. The fire's burnin' my boots.
Let's go!
Not yet.
Aim low.
Fire!
Can you move?
Fall back!
Come on.
Let's go!
Thousands of men caught out there in that hellfire.
Lost men...
huddled in pockets.
Brigades facing every which way.
Men afraid to move in the dark...
'cause the enemy's just a few steps away.
There's smoke everywhere.
Hangs low and stings your eyeballs.
Terrible smell of death.
Bodies burnin'.
The worst of all, cries of the wounded...
the ones who can't move...
screaming as the fire crawls towards them.
I've gotta go out there.
You can't do anything.
I'm gonna save at least one person.
John, both sides are so jittery, they shoot at anything that moves...
even stretcher bearers.
Malachy's out there. Jake and O'Toole.
I know, but you'll get yourself killed.
Well, I gotta go.
O'Toole would have headed west.
All right, we'll split up.
I'll try and catch up with you, but if I don't, I'll meet you back at the tent.
Oh, God.
Oh, God, where are you?
Oh, God.
It hurts!
Hey, Yank!
I can't move.
In the name of mercy, Yank...
put a bullet in my head.
For God's sakes, Yank, don't let me burn!
Mark, it's me, John.
I took one in the chest.
I'm all broken up inside.
I'm a goner.
The only thing you can do for me...
is shoot me.
I'll get my horse. We'll get you to a doctor.
Hey, mister.
Some mad bastard, he's murderin' the wounded.
Get him. Get him.
You gotta get him.
Look out!
No bullet will stop the work of God!
Post number one. All's well!
Post number two. All's well!
What's the matter?
The matter, friend, is that you've seen one too many men die.
I don't know how you made it this far.
You bleed for both sides, John.
You care too much.
You hate too much.
Hate keeps me goin'.
Hate is my weapon.
Trouble with you is you've got nobody to hate.
You got no enemy.
Why don't you take a breather, John, go home?
Your folks could probably use your help now.
The farm's less than a day's ride from here.
Why don't you just go home, forget the war for a while?
I'm all right.
Your drawings don't say that.
What the hell?
You're on your way to Fredericksburg for medical attention.
It's only a scratch.
No, it isn't. It's infected.
You're full!
New arrivals in the officers' ward.
Eleven so far this morning, all critical.
Do we have the beds for them, Miss Butler?
We do.
Four more men died during the night.
Captain Steele... What's his first name?
Here it is.
It's Jonas. You know him?
Yes.
He's John's... my John’s best friend.
I told you about Jonas, the tragedy with his wife.
Oh, yes, I remember.
Amputation, right arm above elbow...
morbidity of the blood and general septicemia.
Doctor, how is he?
On top of everything else, he has pneumonia.
Put a new dressing on his stump. It's getting gamy.
I'm looking for Captain Steele, Jonas Steele.
- Your name, please. - John Geyser.
You're Kathy's John, aren't you?
Have a seat for a minute. I'll take you to the ward myself.
Good morning, Jonas.
Mary?
No, it's Kathy.
Kathy Reynolds.
Is it really you, Mary?
Tell me that it's you.
Yes, Jonas, it's Mary.
You've come to take me with you.
No, Jonas, not yet.
You are so beautiful.
My lovely wife.
I've missed you.
I've waited for you.
I'm ready to come with you.
Not yet.
You still love me, don't you?
It's because I love you that I've come.
Come closer.
You must get well, Jonas...
for me.
But I don't want to live without you.
It's not our choice.
You're not leaving me again, are you?
I must.
Kiss me.
Do you promise to go back to sleep...
to rest?
I promise.
- Miss Butler, please stop him. - I don't think I should.
You know these parts, mister?
Some.
We're looking for Carpenter's Ford.
River's over the next hill. Ford's about five miles upstream.
- Hey, John! - Good to see you, Matt.
Where'd you get the limp?
I caught one in the leg at Vicksburg right after I saw you that time.
Vicksburg was a year ago. That should have healed by now.
She's healed, all right, an inch shorter than the other one.
The war is over for me.
So what's the word on Luke?
Letter came last week. He's in prison.
Point Lookout, Maryland.
Says it's mighty rough.
John, the news on Mark's worse.
He's listed missing at the wilderness.
He's dead, Matt.
I knew it somehow.
I knew it.
Pa, we have a visitor.
Who is it, Emma?
A traitor.
How are you, Pa?
You turned your back on this house, this land.
- You don't belong here. - I won't stay long.
Why'd you have to come at all?
To bring this.
Mark's dead.
He died in battle.
I was there.
The wilderness was on fire. That's all I could bring.
Ashes from the funeral pyre. Mark's ashes.
I'm gonna go see Mama.
No, John.
Don't tell your ma about Mark. Not just yet.
She's already worried herself sick.
Pa!
Ashes.
That's all we got.
Has the doctor been here yet?
I don't need him.
Just the influenza or somethin'.
Seen your pa?
He's still bitter.
Had a hard time after you left.
Folks got under his skin...
askin' how come he raised a Yankee.
You know how they talk.
He's a proud man, John.
It hurt him bad.
Mark's listed missin', but...
I know he'll show up again one of these days.
Sure, Mama.
I want this war to be over.
How long is it gonna last?
Can't last much longer.
I live for the day when it'll be done...
and Luke will come back from that prison...
Mark will come stridin' up the road...
and we'll...
all be together again.
That'll be wonderful, won't it, Mama?
You better get some rest now.
Influenza.
It's worth the risk.
Is it?
I've got somethin' to show you.
That's a whole damn army on the march.
I can hear it.
Listen again, soldier. That's cavalry.
Maybe.
That dust cloud, that's up around Clayton's store.
What's our cavalry doin' up here?
Last I heard, Fitz Lee was down around Gordonsville.
That's a Yank cavalry, Matt. I was close on 'em this morning.
If the Yankees are up thataway, our cavalry's down here...
We could wind up, John, betwixt and between.
Confederate cavalry. Open up!
- This is Geyser Hill? - It is. I'm Ben Geyser.
- My son, Matthew. - Who else is in the house?
My wife, my daughter, my grandson.
- Who's that? - He's my brother.
Sergeant, prepare to defend that wall...
and find a safe place for the horses.
There are two regiments of Yank cavalry on the road to Louisa Courthouse.
Our main force is moving up to meet 'em.
- Battle's gonna start anytime now. - That road's over a mile away.
It could still reach here 'fore it's over.
My orders are to protect our right flank.
- That means holdin' this hill. - I understand you, Lieutenant.
- What can we do to help? - You can get your family out of here.
This is our land. We aim to defend it.
I reckon that's your privilege. Evans!
Three carbines, twenty rounds each.
- At least get the women out. - The women stay!
I don't have time to argue, miss.
Hide 'em in the cellar.
Here, this'll do you more good than that shotgun.
- You do any soldiering? - Two years in Virginia artillery.
Ammunition.
You want this?
I'm a correspondent pledged not to bear arms against either side.
I don't have time for talk, mister. You want it or not?
John, you won't fight, not even now?
You won't defend your own family?
Get out of my sight.
Out of my sight!
Or God forgive me, I'll shoot you!
I don't see nothin', Lieutenant, but I can sure feel it...
down there in those woods yonder.
What are they waitin' for?
Mama, you hardly ate anything.
When the shootin' starts, we'll head to the back door.
We gotta get in and out fast.
When the Rebs hear shots behind 'em, they'll have to pull men outta the line.
Keep shooting as long as you can, then run for it.
George, set fire to the place on the way out.
Tom, you...
Hold it! Form a line.
Commence fire!
Go back inside!
I'm taking your place on the firing line, coward!
Inside!
Fall back!
Help! No, no!
Help! Help!
Knock her out, will ya?
Help Mama.
They're coming back!
Commence fire!
How does this work?
How do you work this thing?
Over the wall!
Charge!
- Matt, no! - Charge!
Oh, God.
We drove 'em off, Pa.
We drove 'em right off our land.
I reckon we did, son.
All of us...
together.
God!
Unto Almighty God we commend the souls...
of our brothers departed...
Mark and Matthew.
We commit their bodies to the ground...
earth to earth, ashes to ashes...
dust to dust...
in sure and certain hope of the resurrection...
unto eternal life...
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
We come to pay our last respects to your son, Matthew.
He was a brave soldier.
We buried two brave soldiers today, Lieutenant.
Another one of our sons, Mark, died at the wilderness.
Then may we honor them both with a volley, sir?
Well, we're grateful, but the funeral is over.
Fire your volley, Lieutenant.
I'm sure the boys will hear it.
Ma'am.
Squad, halt.
Right turn.
Ready.
Aim.
Fire.
Howdy, Mr. Geyser. I'm Jonas Steele, Mary's husband.
Oh, yeah.
I heard much about you, Jonas.
Mary was a fine woman. A terrible loss.
Well, thank you, Mr. Geyser, but I don't reckon I lost her.
She came to visit me in the hospital several months ago.
I was sick. I was pretty sick. I was almost dyin'.
As I was lying there in bed...
I looked up...
and there was Mary's beautiful face floatin' right there above me.
She'd come to tell me that it wasn't my time yet.
She encouraged me to go on livin'.
Just before she left...
I asked her for a kiss...
somethin' to last until we met again.
Then she kissed me. My lovely wife kissed me.
Then she was gone.
Wasn't that just like Mary? Right there just when I needed her.
Yeah, well, I'll see you at the house.
- That was the kiss I saw? - It was.
It was Mary I was kissing, John, and, of course, Kathy knew it.
You know where she is now?
Georgetown Hospital. At least she was a week ago when I checked out.
- What am I gonna say to her? - Plead insanity.
That's not far from the truth.
I was like a madman, Jonas.
Shootin', killin'.
At one point in the battle, I think I threw stones.
It was like a stone-age man defending his family cave.
How'd you feel when it was over?
Upset, guilty.
Is that why you've been hidin' down here?
I'm not hiding. Matthew's dead. Pa needs me.
Well, you could always pay for a hired hand.
Yeah, I suppose.
You know, John, you've tried to make it through this bloody war...
acting like a saint.
You've given it a mighty good try, but it just wasn't in the cards.
What happened on this hill happened.
You didn't have any choice. You fought back.
It just goes to prove you're human like the rest of us.
God help us humans.
God help us, indeed.
John, Luke's had an accident.
Jonas, so good to finally meet you.
Thank you, ma'am.
I heard that...
the army gave you a very good job, made you a colonel.
- No, ma'am. Major. - That's funny.
- Evelyn's letter... - Maggie, tell him about Luke.
They were transferrin' him by train to Elmira, New York.
Luke's train collided with a freight train near the prison.
Fifty of those prisoners were killed, one hundred injured.
- Luke's listed with the injured. - Is he in the hospital?
The mayor said they just loaded them into wagons and took 'em to the prison.
They'll get no doctorin' there.
From what I hear, Elmira is a hellhole.
Emmy's upstairs packing. She's going to Elmira.
It's got into her head that somehow she can help Luke get out of there.
John, she can't make that trip alone.
And it wouldn't help anything anyway.
Would it?
Well, it might.
I've got something in mind, but it's gonna take some planning.
- May we... - Yeah, step inside.
Don't worry, Mama.
He's a strange fella, that Jonas.
It's gonna be all right.
It's gonna be all right, sweetheart. It's gonna be all right now.
Don't try to interfere. I'm goin'.
It's gonna take more than you and a Yankee to stop me.
They never release a prisoner without an army order.
- I'll find a way. - We have a way.
Emma, I have this new job in Washington.
The title's too long to remember.
He's Chief Investigator for the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.
- What does that get us? - Maybe an order to release Luke.
- I think I can work it. - When, next year?
No, after I get to Washington. Two, three days.
That's time enough for Luke to die.
You expect me to put Luke's fate in the hands of this blue-belly colonel?
Major. Blue-belly major.
- I won't stay here and do nothin'. - Nor am I.
You and I will go to Elmira while Jonas goes to Washington.
Our job is to keep Luke alive until Jonas gets the order.
We'll take food, medicine, blankets.
We'll make a list.
- Are you willing to leave at dawn? - Yup.
That's it then?
- Snippy little thing, ain't she? - Headstrong.
And that temper.
Pretty though.
Fall in!
Fall in.
Anybody sick? Report to the dispensary.
Now!
Glad to see you're all so healthy. Dismiss your men.
Break ranks!
Any of you Rebs for the dispensary?
How's Luke doing?
Maybe we oughta take him to the dispensary.
I hear they got a doctor.
I reported sick once.
I heard the doctor bragging.
He said he'd killed more Rebs than any soldier at the front.
Leave Luke where he is.
It's better he die among friends than be murdered by enemies.
Oh, Captain Potts. I just know you're gonna spare me a few moments.
- Not now. I'm a very busy man. - Oh, please, Captain.
I've been waitin' all day and all day yesterday.
Corporal, who is this little lady?
Emma Geyser, sir, sister of a prisoner...
Luke Geyser.
And what is it you want of me, Emma?
I just want Luke to have this stuff we brought him.
- And who's that? - Prisoner's brother, sir.
I don't see any contraband here, Corporal.
No, sir.
- So why have you kept Emma waiting? - I was suspicious, sir.
She's a Reb from Virginia, and she tried to vamp me.
You?
- I thought... - Imagine that.
Why don't you just put all this back in that box, Emma?
And, Corporal, make certain that the prisoner gets his package.
- Please. - Yes, sir.
Thank you, Captain.
Emma.
Let me know when it's ready.
Captain!
What?
Well.
It appears I've uncovered an escape plot.
Fetch the prisoner. What's his name anyway?
Luke Geyser.
Well, I want him here now.
And...
you're both under arrest.
Get your tickets right here.
Fifteen cents a ticket.
Here you are, ladies and gentlemen. Get your tickets.
All right, folks. Step right up. Let's keep the line moving.
Get your tickets to see the captured Rebs.
Climb the ladder and see the Johnny Rebs in the prison yard.
Keep the line moving.
Folks, let's keep the line moving.
It's only 15 cents to see the Johnny Rebs in captivity.
I'd suggest you answer me if you know what's good for you and this prisoner.
Who else is involved in this escape plot of yours?
Good day to you, Captain.
- Major. - Major Steele.
Washington, D.C. Chief Investigator, Joint Committee.
Captain, you have a rebel prisoner here...
who happens to be my most important witness...
in a highly sensitive government legal action.
Here is an order for his release...
into my custody, of course.
- Well, Major... - Steele.
Steele. I'd be glad to oblige you in this matter.
My corporal should be back any moment.
Why the nurse?
Oh, just in case my witness needs medical attention.
Who are these people? Why the gun?
They're Rebs under arrest.
The woman tried to smuggle this revolver into my prison earlier.
She did?
Well, she must be a headstrong little fool.
Fortunately for us, she's stupid.
Yes, fortunately.
Where is that corporal of yours? Am I gonna have to wait here all day?
I'm sorry, Major. I can't imagine what's keeping him.
Here's your prisoner, sir.
Luke!
Corporal, why are you carrying that filthy Reb?
Only way I could bring him, sir. You said now.
Luke, it's Emma!
- This doesn't happen to be Luke Geyser? - The very one.
The one they were trying to smuggle this revolver to earlier.
Excellent work, Captain. You've made my case.
Now I can prove conspiracy. Put that man into the carriage.
- But, Major... - Captain.
Look at the release order. He is the man I came for.
You heard what I said, Corporal. Miss Reynolds.
- Yes? - Please keep my witness alive.
- Yes, sir. - I'm taking these two as well.
- Now, Major... - Captain...
- Potts. - Captain Potts.
This release order is signed by two generals and one senator.
Yes, but it doesn't mention those two.
I only just arrested them. How can I release them?
Captain Potts.
You have nailed down an extremely important case.
You are going to impress a lot of extremely important people...
especially when they read about it in my report.
Very important.
Into the carriage, Rebs. Captain Potts.
Do you want this cesspool of a prison investigated?
- Well, no. - Then don't interfere.
Move!
I almost messed it up, didn't I?
You sure almost did. What got into you anyway?
I didn't believe you about the order.
I figured Luke's only hope was to escape.
Well, if you were my woman...
Yes?
I'd spank ya.
How bad is he?
He has a decent pulse.
Kathy, Jonas explained about the kiss.
He said, "Plead insanity."
I've suffered.
Good.
Kathy, will you marry me?
Was that yes?
- John? - Luke?
You want me to step outside?
- Hello, John. - Jonas!
Come on in. Kathy's here.
Oh, good.
Kathy, we've got company.
I have news. I just came from the war department.
Good morning! What news?
Grant has captured Richmond. Petersburg as well.
Lee's armies are moving westward. They probably won't get too far.
The war is finally winding down.
The nightmare ends.
- Thank God for that. - I'm leaving for Virginia.
I've wangled orders a bit. I want to be there for the end.
I thought maybe you'd like to ride with me.
I don't know. We're planning to be married soon.
Harper's has been begging you to go.
Now, Harper's can't complain. I've given them hundreds of sketches.
It's an important body of work. It really is.
- But it oughta have an ending. - Yeah, I want to finish the portrait.
Go.
Those officers are on General Grant's staff.
I think we've finally found him. Wait here. I'll check.
- Jonas. - Gentlemen.
- Major Steele. - Hello, Van. How are you?
- I thought you'd abandoned us. - No, I took a leave of absence.
We came back 'cause we heard the end is near.
The end is nearer than you think. It's right there in that house.
Lee and Grant are in the parlor discussing the terms of surrender.
I'm gonna need a sketch of this.
Whose horse is that?
That's Traveler. Belongs to General Lee.
- Where are we? - Appomatox Courthouse.
Orderly.
Orderly!
General, are we surrendered?
Yes, my men.
You are surrendered.
Men, we have fought the war together.
And I have done the best I could for you.
You will all be paroled...
and go home until exchanged.
The odds against us were too great.
Did you really surrender us, sir? We can keep on fightin'.
- The South will never lose! - Let's fight on, General.
We're all ready to die for the cause!
I would not lead you to further fruitless slaughter.
Good-bye, my men.
Good-bye.
That artillery... is that our men celebratin'?
Yes, sir. A messenger spread the news an hour ago.
- Something has occurred to me. - Yes?
In view of your momentous accomplishments today...
I thought perhaps you might like to send the news to Washington.
I knew there was somethin'.
Badeau.
Bring me my orderly book.
How's that?
Excellent, sir.
Telegraph that to Stanton right away and add a copy of the surrender terms.
Yes, sir.
- And, Badeau. - Sir?
Tell our artillerymen to stop that racket.
The Southerners are now our fellow countrymen.
I see no point in humiliating them.
So what do you hear, Jonas? Is it all over?
There's still some Rebs in the field...
Johnston's army down in North Carolina.
But he's expected to surrender any day now.
No, Jonas. Thanks. I had enough at last night's celebration.
Jake?
I'm thinking about those we've lost.
Young James dying in that hospital tent...
before Bull Run...
before the war even started.
And good old Sergeant O'Toole.
My brother Mark died in the wilderness...
with O'Toole.
Matthew at Geyser Hill.
And Mary.
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight
Wishing for the war to cease
Many are the hearts
Looking for the right
- To see the dawn of peace - Let's sing to their memory.
Tenting tonight
Tenting on the old campground
We've been tenting tonight
On the old campground
Thinking of days gone by
Of the loved ones at home
That gave us a hand
The dear that said good-bye
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight
Wishing for the war to cease
Many are the hearts
Looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace
Tenting tonight
Tenting on the old campground
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight
Wishing for the war to cease
Many are the hearts
Looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace
We've received no news from the war department concerning North Carolina.
Perhaps Mr. Stanton will have word for us, if and when he arrives.
I can't understand why you haven't heard from Sherman, General.
- Doesn't that make you edgy? - Yes, sir.
Calm your fears, gentlemen.
Last night I received a good omen.
I had a dream, one that I've had before a number of times.
The dream is always the same...
and invariably precedes some great and important event of the war.
I expect, therefore, to get news of Johnston’s surrender very soon.
Just what was the nature of the dream, Mr. President?
Well...
it had to do with your element, Mr. Welles, the water.
I'm in a mysterious sort of vessel...
moving rapidly forward across a dim, hazy sea...
toward a dark, indefinite shore.
And that's all there is to it, except that I had this same dream...
before our victories at Antietam, Stone River...
Gettysburg and Vicksburg.
Stone River was no victory, Mr. President.
In fact, a few more such victories would have ruined us.
Well...
you and I may differ on that point, General.
But I repeat, the dream has always preceded some great event.
Last night's dream must mean Johnston's surrender.
That's the only great event likely to occur.
Cigar, General?
Thank you, sir.
Jonas, I'm glad you're awake.
Wake up.
Are you all right?
- Yeah. - Bad one, huh?
It's that psychic gift.
Gift? It's a curse.
What was the dream?
It's Lincoln. He's in danger. He's gotta be warned.
- I have a message for the president. - He's not on the premises, sir.
Where is he?
Reckon it's no secret.
The president and Mrs. Lincoln are at Ford's Theater.
Thanks.
Where is he? Where is he? Where have they taken my husband?
- What happened? - Mr. Lincoln's been shot.
Why, John?
Why am I warned, yet left powerless to act?
- Mr. Secretary. - Come with me.
I may need you.
What happened?
- How bad is it, Doctor? - The wound is mortal.
All we can do is wait.
Oh, my God.
Mother.
Oh, my God!
I have given my husband...
to die.
The president is dead.
Pulse stopped at 7:22 and two seconds.
Now he belongs to the ages.
Luke, look what I got!
Would you move over here, please? We're gonna take a picture.
All the Geysers and all the Hales, you've got to pose before you eat.
That means you too, Senator Reynolds. Emma, you and Jesse sit right over here.
Annie, right over here. Malachy, Jake, bring that bench over here, please.
Now, Luke, we need you and Mandy as well.
- What's going on? - John's gonna take a picture.
- Of who? - Of everybody.
- It's gonna take hours. - No, a few seconds is all I need.
This is positively the latest in photographic cameras.
It's all the way from New York.
Parson, come here. I need you.
This cap goes on the eye of the camera.
When I run in, take it off, count to five slowly...
then put it back on.
- You sure this is gonna work? - Oh, yeah.
- Get in there, Jonas. - No, I'm not...
No, you're family. Now get in there behind Emma.
All right. Senator, smile.
All right. Here we go. Let me in, let me in.
What do we do?
Nobody moves. Sit up straight.
- Wait till he tells you. - Open the eye now.
With malice toward none...
with charity for all...
with firmness in the right...
as God gives us to see the right...
let us strive on to finish the work we're in...
to bind up the nation's wounds...
to care for him who shall have borne the battle...
and for his widow and his orphan...
to do all which may achieve and cherish...
a just and lasting peace...
among ourselves...