We have the momentum.
l propose we advance our army north into Maryland...
. ..because there the farms are plentiful and nearly untouched.
And with a fall harvest, we could feed our troops very well indeed.
And there is one other consideration.
Maryland is being held in the Union by force.
Our arrival may be viewed as a liberation.
We might receive some hospitality.
Might even receive a number of volunteers for service in the Army.
General, might this not be considered an invasion?
l don't believe so, general. No, sir.
With the Federal invasion of Virginia. . .
. ..the Confederacy proved who's the aggressor here.
We did not bring this war...
. ..and we fight now only to free the South of Federal occupation.
As l've said many times. . .
. ..if Washington will end their side of the fighting and recall their armies...
. ..this war will be over.
But in the meantime...
. ..we must show the enemy that they cannot win.
Cannot win.
Now, by moving into Maryland, we'd be in a position to push into Pennsylvania.
And so far, gentlemen, the bloody fields are Southern fields.
lf we threaten the Northern cities...
. ..if we threaten to bring the blood into the North. . .
. ..there'll be pressure on Lincoln to end this war.
Amen.
Our presence, just the threat, could be sufficient.
LONGSTREET: General Lee...
. ..we'd be cutting ourselves off from our base of supplies, communications.
We'd be vulnerable from the rear, sir.
General Longstreet, you marched into Mexico with General Scott?
Yes, sir.
LEE: Did not General Scott cut himself off from his supplies and communication?
And by so doing, did he not bring a rapid end to that war?
And did he not accomplish all of that in a foreign land?
Well, this is not a foreign land.
The citizens will see we're not coming to vandalize as the Yankees did to us.
We've come to end the war quickly. . .
. ..and without any need to conquer or subdue anyone.
We proved our superiority on the battlefield.
That superiority may be all we need, gentlemen.
All we need.
-General Lee? -Yes.
Pleased to hear we're finally taking the war to the enemy.
Let them feel the scourge of this war that they began.
Yes, sir.
SOLDlERS [SlNGlNG]: His torch is at thy temple door
Maryland, my Maryland
Avenge the patriotic gore
That flecked the streets of Baltimore
And be the battle queen of yore
Maryland, my Maryland
Morning to you, sir. Colonel Ames sent me to get you.
-Said you might be needing a drop of this. -Ah. Thank you. ...
Kilrain, sir. Sergeant Kilrain. Glad to be of service.
You know, colonel, uh...
. ..the boys. . . .
We've been watching you, sir, that we have.
You've learned fast. Becoming a pleasure to serve under you.
Yes, well, ahem....
Are you a, uh, veteran, sergeant?
Aye, sir. l suppose you could say that.
Did me duty in the regular Army for a while.
Did the great long walk with General Scott, down south of the Rio Grande.
Uh, some men you fought with are on the other side. Almost all of their generals.
Oh, it gets worse than generals, colonel.
Some of the lads that l left lreland with are on the other side as well. lmagine that.
We left together to escape a tyranny...
. ..and end up shooting at one another in the land of the free.
l, too, have friends on the other side, sergeant.
And enemies.
Yes, sir.
No shortage of enemies, that's for sure.
We're ordered to remain in place.
The army is spreading out a couple miles up.
The enemy is dug in behind a small creek.
Antietam Creek, just this side of Sharpsburg.
We may be put into the battle at any time.
For now, get the men to step it up, finish breakfast and wait for orders.
-Got that? -Certainly, colonel.
[GUNFlRE NEARBY]
Whose guns are those? Has the attack begun?
Likely it's the first feeling-out, probing, testing of strength.
lt's a game to the artillery boys. . .
. ..letting you know they can hit you when the time comes.
Lawrence. Lawrence, lookie here.
This is what we've been eating every day.
But you know what? l've gained some weight.
Hard to believe a man could gain some weight on a diet of worms.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, best eat up, sergeant. We're moving out.
Good morning, sir.
The Yankees are coming thick and fast in the woods before us.
We're making it hot for them.
We must hold this ridge. We must.
So pour it to them, Reverend.
Sir.
ROB: Sir, it's me, Rob.
My dear son. How are you, boy?
l'm well, sir.
l congratulate you for being in the fight and unhurt.
May God keep you so.
And remember, son, we must do all we can to drive these people back.
Yes, sir. We'll do our best, sir.
SOLDlER: Fire!
[SOLDlERS SCREAMlNG]
Mr. Pendleton, ride to General Hood, ask him can he maintain his position?
Yes, sir, can he maintain his position?
Hyah, hyah!
Fire!
Reload!
Fire!
lt's good to be sergeant, isn't it?
To shoot a sergeant, you have to fire through two men.
A sergeant never fires his weapon until the men in front of him are killed. . .
. ..and then only unless you want to show off.
Move the men into this field and wait for further orders.
We're part of the reserve.
-Battalion, forward! -Forward!
[SOLDlER PLAYlNG BUGLE]
March!
[BOTH SHOUTlNG]
Compliments from General Jackson.
He wants to know, can you maintain position?
Tell General Jackson unless l get reinforcements. . .
. .. l must be forced back.
But l'm going on while l can.
Yes, sir. Reinforcements. Yes, sir.
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG AND GRUNTlNG]
-Load! -Load!
Take aim!
Fire!
Forward, men, forward!
Fire!
[SOLDlERS SCREAMlNG]
-General McClellan, sir. -General Hancock.
Had you heard that General Richardson had been wounded?
l heard he'd been wounded.
l'm sorry to tell you it is serious and you will assume his command.
Yes, sir. Of course, sir.
l'm honored to accept the command.
l'm sure you will perform this duty. ..
. ..with the skill and courage you have shown already.
We are on the move now, and we will drive the Rebels into the river before the sun sets.
Hold this position against any assault by the enemy.
Reply from General Hood:
"Tell Jackson unless l get reinforcements, l must be forced back."
-But he will go on while he can. -Good, good.
General McLaws, advance your--
Captain Morrison.
l think it advisable you keep your distance from me.
lt would not do for Anna to lose both a husband and a brother on the same day.
Battalion, halt!
The battle may be moving our way. Keep them ready.
Yes, sir.
Courtesy of a lady admirer in Sharpsburg.
Think we can hold out against another attack?
l think they have done their worst.
l think there's little danger of our line being broken.
We won't be needed today, colonel.
The 5th Corps was not needed today, gentlemen.
Not according to the judgment of our commanding general.
The battle has been extremely costly.
The enemy has been checked, at great loss to both sides.
From what we can observe so far, we've gained little.
lt's possible the fight will resume tomorrow.
He that created us gave us such strong argument. . .
. ..starting before and after, gave us not capabilities...
. ..and divine reason to fust inside of us unused.
Now, whether it be bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple. . .
. ..of thinking too precisely on the event. ..
. ..a thought which, quartered, hath but one part one wisdom...
. ..and ever three parts coward...
. .. l do not know why yet l live to say "This thing's to do"...
. ..sith l have cause and will and strength and means to do it.
Examples gross as earth exhort me:
Witness this army of such mass and charge...
...led by a delicate and tender prince...
...whose spirit with divine ambition puffed...
...makes mouths at the invisible event...
...exposing what is mortal and unsure...
...to all that death and danger dare, even for an egg-shell.
Rightly to be great is not to stir without great argument...
...but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honor's at the stake.
How stand l then...
...that have a father killed...
...a mother stained...
...excitements of my reason and my blood...
...and let all sleep?
While, to my shame, l see...
. ..the imminent death of 20,000 men.. .
. ..that, for a fantasy or trick of fame...
. ..go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot. . .
. ..whereon the numbers cannot try the cause...
. ..which is not tomb enough or continent to hide the slain?
O, from this time forth...
. ..my thoughts be bloody. . .
. ..or be nothing worth.
He's mad. Did you see this?
lt's nothing less than a call for a slave uprising.
Darling, l hardly ever get to see you.
Can't we put away the paper this one evening?
lt'll put you in the foulest mood. lt always does.
Well, here. Read it for yourself.
Lincoln plans a general emancipation on New Year's Day. . .
. ..for all slaves from states still in rebellion.
Yet another page from the Constitution torn to shreds.
But this is harmless, John.
See, it says right here:
"An emancipation of all slaves from the states still in rebellion."
But can't you see?
Those are the very states where the president has no authority and no power.
Why, yes. You're quite right.
l hadn't considered it in that light.
Now, can we fold up the paper into a nice little square. . .
. ..so that l can cut it up into a hundred little pieces. . .
. ..and throw it into the street?
[CHUCKLES]
Hmm.
Boyo, another round, if you please.
[BAND PLAYlNG SOMBER MUSlC]
Now, it says here in Blackmantle's Art of Punning...
. ..that "punning is an art of harmonious jingling upon words...
. ..which, passing in at the ears and falling upon the diaphragm...
. ..excites a titillary motion in those parts. . .
[BOTH LAUGHlNG]
. ..and this, being conveyed by the animal spirits into the muscles of the face.. .
. ..raises the cockles of the heart."
All right, then. ls everyone ready?
-Sure, why not? -Yes, sir.
Counties of England.
Who has the most dogs?
Bark-shire.
-Ha, ha. -Well done.
And from where did the first hermaphrodites come from?
Oh. Um, Middlesex.
Yeah. And from whence the first circus tumblers came?
Circus tumblers?
Somerset.
-Oh, Lord. -Somerset.
Well, l can see you've all learned rule number six:
Never speak well of another punster and never laugh at his puns.
[LAUGH lNG]
Somerset.
The Rebel sharpshooters was in the house.
That's what made them Yankees shell it so.
-Where was this? -Outside Winchester.
Them Yankees been through that town more times than there is flies on a mule.
Mm.
Where's your master now?
l ain't got no master no more.
Now he my boss.
See, l was sold at auction over in Fredericksburg once...
. ..and he bought me for $1 200.
Then the war come, that didn't set right with him...
. ..so he gave me my freedom papers.
Now he pays me wages.
-No, sir. -Thirty dollars a month.
What he pay you for?
l can do anything l turn my hands to.
Then them Yankees come and burned down his house...
. ..and the next thing you know, the man who's paying me wages. ..
. ..is in the Confederate Army. And so am l.
[BOTH LAUGHlNG]
-Man, that's good! -Let's do this thing right here.
Hey, come on. Check it.
No, no, no. Gentlemen.
Stay where you are.
Greetings.
General.
[SPEAKlNG lN FORElGN LANGUAGE]
How is our fine Prussian officer this evening?
l would've thought General Stuart would've had you at least. . .
. ..20 miles behind enemy lines...
. ..creating havoc and bewilderment in Washington.
[LAUGH lNG]
l would certainly prefer such a mission.
But tonight. . .
. ..tonight, general, l come bringing you a present.
General Jackson.. .
. .. l am greatly pleased to bring this present from General Stuart.
The general has gone to great lengths to secure for you this.
Would you like for me to open that for you, sir?
Thank you.
General.
This is some fine material. Look here.
That's gold braid.
You may tell General Stuart that l deeply appreciate this gift.
Please assure the general...
. .. l will treat it with the utmost of care.. .
. ..and see that no harm comes to it.
Mr. Pendleton, will you kindly place that uniform in my tent.
-And keep it neatly folded. -Sir.
No, general, no.
You do not understand.
General Stuart was most insistent.
He says now that you are a leutnant general...
. ..corps commander, you deserve a new uniform.
He was most insistent you try it on.
He will certainly ask, "How was the fit?"
Please, general.
Try it on.
[CHUCKLES]
General, that's some mighty fine coat. Ha, ha.
[ALL CHUCKLlNG]
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG]
That is the sweetest music l ever heard.
Ah, gentlemen.
Excuse us, General Burnside...
. ..General Hancock has information you may find useful.
Yes, General Hancock, a pleasure. Sumner, come.
We have visitors.
Sir, General Hancock reports the river can be forded the short way upstream.
There'll be no difficulty crossing. With your permission, we can move right away.
General Hancock, l appreciate your efforts at reconnaissance...
. ..but this possibility has been considered and rejected.
The pontoons will be here any time.
We'll cross with not only the men but also the wagons and supplies.
lt would be foolhardy to send the men without the wagons, the big guns--
Excuse me, am l correct in my observation...
. ..that there's little force opposing us across the river?
Yes, you're absolutely correct.
For once we seem to have caught Lee by surprise.
Then, sir, if l may suggest, isn't it possible Lee is moving this way?
Certainly he's aware of our intentions. lf we could occupy the town with infantry...
. ..it would make our job much easier when the bridges do arrive.
Yes, but that's risky. Those men could be cut off. ln this weather?
lt snows one day, melts the next. The river could rise unexpectedly.
lt will be best, l assure you, if we wait until the entire Army can cross together.
General Burnside, if we don't cross the river soon...
. ..General Lee will make every effort to stop us.
He will not let us move toward Richmond unopposed.
Where are General Jackson's forces now?
Shouldn't we attempt to occupy Fredericksburg. . .
. ..and possibly the Heights beyond now, while we have it for the taking?
Please allow me, sir, to at least send General Hancock's division across the river.
Surely they can carry enough supplies with them...
. ..and the artillery from this side can protect them against any advance by Lee.
Gentlemen, we will cross this river when the bridges arrive and not before.
l do not have the luxury of deviating from the larger plan.
The president approved my strategy, and l shall stick to it.
Once this Army is across the river, we will advance on Richmond in force.
We must not allow him. ..
. ..the luxury of attacking us as divided and separated units as he's done in the past.
And l will not make the same mistake as my predecessors.
So no, General Hancock.
You will stay on this side until the pontoons are in place. . .
. ..and the entire Army crosses together.
An irresistible, impregnable force.
TAYLOR: Did you know George Washington spent his boyhood not far from here?
And across that river, he's supposed to have thrown that silver dollar...
. ..and cut down that cherry tree.
That may be so, Mr. Taylor, but it has an even greater significance for me.
lt's where l met my wife.
That's something these Yankees do not understand, will never understand.
You see these rivers and valleys and streams...
. ..and fields, even towns?
They're just markings on a map to those people in the war office in Washington.
But to us, my goodness, they're birthplaces and burial grounds.
They're battlefields where our ancestors fought...
. ..places where you and l learned to walk, to talk and to pray.
Places where we made friendships and, oh, yes, fell in love.
And they're the incarnation of all our memories, Mr. Taylor. . .
. ..and all that we are.
All that we are.
-What place is this? -Chancellor's Crossing.
We're another two hours or so from Fredericksburg.
We'll rest here for a short time.
Yes, sir. l'll see what the good folks can provide.
The general be fixing to eat something warm?
No, no, Jim.
We gotta ride on straight through to General Lee.
Don't want to get all warmed up just to feel the cold all over again.
[CHUCKLES]
You never seem to mind the cold much.
Oh. l minds it. l just don't shows it.
Now, Little Sorrel, l know this corn look poorly...
. ..but it sure beats no corn at all.
You heard from your family lately?
Ain't heared much for some time.
Yankee mail used to move quicker than Secesh mail.
Lord, from where you sit you can see the great distance...
. ..that separates our Southern men from their wives and children.
We pray that you watch over our families.
Lord, l ask you to watch over Jim Lewis' family...
. ..over his friends, his loved ones, wherever they may be.
Lord, l know you sees into the hearts of all men...
. ..just like you sees into the heart of old Jim Lewis.
And, Lord, l know there's no lying or deceitfulness. . .
. ..can hide from you.
You find the truth. ..
. ..in the bottom of the deepest pit of darkness.
There be no hiding from your truth and your ever-watchful eye.
Amen.
How is it, Lord?
Can you explain something to this old Virginia man?
How is it a good Christian man. . .
. ..like some folks l know...
. ..can tolerate their black brothers in bondage?
How is it, Lord, they don't just...
. ..break them chains?
How is it, Lord?
My heart is open and aching.
And l wants to know.
Lord, speak to us.
Speak to your children.
Speak to Jim Lewis and Thomas Jackson, your humble and obedient servants.
Speak to all of us.
Our hearts are open.
Lord, you show us the way, we will follow.
Amen.
[SlGHS]
-Jim? -Yeah.
What is the status of your family?
About half is free, half slave.
That's counting all the cousins and such.
You must know that there are some officers in this Army. . .
. ..who are of the opinion that...
. ..we should be enlisting Negroes as a condition for freedom.
That's what they says around the camp.
Your people will be free, one way or another.
The question is, if the Southern government will have. . .
. ..the good sense to do it first and soon.
And in so doing seal a bond of enduring friendship between us.
That's what they says, general.
God's plan is a great mystery.
lt will be revealed to us.
That's all the fodder you get tonight.
We's going to a country where there's nothing more for an animal to eat...
. ..than there is what's in the palm of my hand. Ha, ha.
General Lee, fine day, sir.
We got batteries all along that hill, covering our front to the river.
Strong anchor on the north.
Tomorrow, guns will be positioned in those trees to the south.
We'll be able to cover the entire open ground, all of it.
General, they gonna come at us here?
Colonel Alexander...
. ..Federal troops amassed across that river are watching us prepare for them.
lf l were General Burnside, l wouldn't attack here.
l'd move back upstream, come across from above us.
Burnside is not a man with the luxury of flexibility.
He's being pushed from behind by loud voices in Washington. . .
. ..by newspapers who demand quick action.
But we're here, and so he will attack us here.
We got batteries pointing from all angles.
They cross that canal, that'll slow them down.
We shall hit them from all sides.
No, sir, a chicken couldn't live on that field.
General Lee, sir.
General Jackson sends his respects. . .
. ..and advises his corps will deploy to the south of this position. . .
. ..by tomorrow, as you instructed.
Well, what are his men made of?
He's 1 50 miles away.
To General Jackson, dawn begins the minute after midnight.
General Hood, l've often wondered how it is that.. .
. ..Texas men, the most independent-minded in this Army of irascibles. . .
. ..have agreed to serve under a Kentuckian.
l have often wondered the same.
General Gregg, have you settled your differences with General Jackson?
No, General Hill, l have not.
Have you?
No, sir.
JACKSON: Tell me, general...
. ..do you expect to live until the end of this war?
Oh. l do not know. . .
. ..but l'm inclined to think l will.
l expect l will be wounded.
And you, general?
l do not expect to live to see the end of this war.
Nor can l say that without victory l would desire to do so.
-Get up. -Get up.
Sir?
Yes, Mr. Pendleton, you may enter.
Forgive me, general. There's a letter for you.
Courier was running a little slow today, but l thought you'd want to see it.
Yes, thank you.
Good night, sir.
ANNA: My own dear father:
As my mother's letter has been cut short by my arrival...
...l think it but justice that I should continue it.
l know that you are rejoiced to hear of my coming.
And l hope that God has sent me to radiate your pathway through life.
l am a very tiny little thing.
l weigh only eight and a half pounds...
...and Aunt Harriet says l am the express image of my darling papa.
My mother is very comfortable this morning.
Your loving daughter.
Thank you, Lord.
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you.
They've occupied all the buildings along the riverfront.
We will be lining up those pontoon bridges through a hail of lead.
Once across, the Rebs are sure to make us pay for every block.
Beyond the town is the canal which cuts across this open field.. .
. ..a field we'll have to cross to reach their entrenchments on Marye's Heights. ..
. ..another difficult obstacle in the face of artillery fire.
Down to our left we could burst through.. .
. ..turn Jackson's lines, push him back, trap Longstreet on top of the hill.. .
. ..surround him.
lt's possible.
Turn Jackson's lines?
No, general, we'll meet them head on.
And it will be a bloody mess.
We'll march up to that hill there. ..
. ..and we'll eat their artillery fire all the way across this field.
We'll be able to look at ourselves and say:
"We're good soldiers. We did what we were told."
lf we're not successful, we can say it was a good plan, but there were contingencies.
You can go back to your hometown...
. ..and tell the families of your men they died doing their duty.
The Rebs have fortified the high ground up the river.
And anyway, there are strong currents and obstacles to a crossing there.
Below Fredericksburg, the river is too wide.
And our earliest forces are clear down to Port Royal.
Fredericksburg is now the only place we can cross.
lf Burnside doesn't cross here, he might as well resign.
That wily gray fox has outmaneuvered our command again.
And there's going to be hell to pay.
MAN: Hurry up! Let's go!
BARKSDALE: Pick your targets, boys!
Commence firing!
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG]
Them Yankees is coming, sure as Jesus. They got two pontoons across that river.
We got to get you and them children out of here.
Stop fussing with me. Get your family ready. We'll leave together.
Miss Jane, us done talked this over, and we decided to stay here.. .
. ..and look after the house. No use saying no more.
Martha, l won't leave you to the mercy of those blue devils.
Miss Jane, you know they ain't gonna be bothering us colored folks.
lf we go with you, there won't be any food left in the pantry when we come back.
And we need to eat, same as you.
-Pastor Lacy, we must run to our lines. LACY: There's no time.
The streets are raining iron. To the basement.
[SHOUTS]
Anybody hurt?
Sam?
Easy.
Sam!
Can you get up? Easy! Easy!
Fall back, Mississippi!
Fall back!
[KNOCKlNG ON DOOR]
JOHN: Mother? Are you here?
Oh, praise be! lt's Master John!
-We're down here in the cellar! JOHN: The door is blocked!
l'll go around to the side!
Children, y'all stay right here. Mama'll be back.
Come out! There's an ambulance out front.
The enemy is crossing the river. Hurry!
-No! Martha, l won't leave without you. -l done told you, l'm staying.
Off with you then.
Come on, Martha.
Stay in the basement!
Hyah.
[SHOUTlNG]
Get the bayonets!
May God be with them.
May he strengthen their hearts and their arms for the coming struggle.
Give them the victory.
[CHATTERlNG]
Can l be of service to you fine Northern gentlemen?
ls this your master's place?
This is my place.
Children!
Sorry to have to bother you, ma'am.
Come on, let's go.
Go back inside. Hurry up.
Put a stop to this at once! Where are the officers?
Drop that, soldier. Now!
Get a message to Couch, to Hancock.
This will not be tolerated! This is an army, not a rabble!
Well, General Jackson, you are a most gallant sight this morning.
Thank you, General Stuart, your gift is much appreciated.
General Longstreet, show us where your troops are positioned.
Yes, sir. We're anchored on the north by Anderson's division...
. ..up on the bend in the river and Ransom's division...
. ..along and below the ridge of Marye's Heights...
. ..with Cobb's brigade dug in down on the road behind that stone wall.
Now, to their right, is General McLaws...
. ..and further down in the woods and to the right, Pickett and Hood.
General Hood is my right flank.
He's connected in those heavy trees over there with General Jackson's left.
Up here on the Heights, we have the Washington artillery. ..
. ..Colonel Alexander's batteries and support.
lt's a strong line, general.
Very well.
General Jackson, would you please extend the line for us?
Um, General A.P. Hill is on the left, adjoining General Hood.
Position is supported by General Taliaferro and General Early.
Now to the right flank and behind is D.H. Hill.
We've built a road behind our lines running the entire length.
We can move troops as is necessary.
lf the enemy penetrates our lines at any point...
. ..the reserves, Taliaferro and Early, can move rapidly to a new position.
lf the enemy attempts to cut our center. ..
. ..or if General Pickett is pressed, we can change positions, sir.
Good, very good.
General Stuart, are you in a strong position for protecting. . .
. ..General Jackson's flank?
STUART: Oh, yes, sir.
We're covering the enemy from the river, as far out as our own lines.
lf the Yankees move down river or threaten to turn General Jackson's line. ..
. ..we can block their advance until the line is moved.
Very well. Gentlemen, these deployments are sound.
The rest is in God's hands.
BOTH: Amen.
CHAMBERLAlN: ln the Roman civil war...
...Julius Caesar knew he had to march on Rome itself...
...which no legion was permitted to do.
Marcus Lucanus left us a chronicle of what happened.
How swiftly Caesar had surmounted the icy Alps...
...and in his mind conceived immense upheavals, coming war.
When he reached the little Rubicon, clearly through the murky night...
...appeared a mighty image of his country in distress...
. ..grief in her face. ..
. ..her white hair streaming from her tower-crowned head.
With tresses torn and shoulders bare, she stood before him and sighing, said:
"Where further do you march? Where do you take my standards, warriors?
lf lawfully you come, if as citizens, this far only is allowed."
Trembling struck his limbs.
And weakness checked his progress, holding his feet at the river's edge.
At last he speaks.
Oh, thunderer. . .
. ..surveying great Rome's walls from the Tarpeian rock.
Oh, Phrygian, house gods of lulus. . .
. ..clan and mysteries of Quirinus who was carried off to heaven.
Oh, Jupiter of Latium, seated in lofty Alba and hearths of Vesta.
Oh, Rome, equal to the highest deity, favor my plans.
Not with impious weapons do l pursue you.
Here am l, Caesar...
...conqueror of land and sea, your own soldier everywhere...
...now too if l am permitted.
The man who makes me your enemy, it is he will be the guilty one.
He broke the barriers of war and through the swollen river...
...swiftly took his standards.
When Caesar crossed the flood and reached the opposite bank...
...from Hesperia's forbidden fields, he took his stand and said:
"Here, l abandoned peace and desecrated law.
Fortune, it is you l follow.
Farewell to treaties. From now on, war is our judge."
Hail Caesar.
We who are about to die salute you.
General Zook! Move your brigade forward!
SOLDlER: Double quick, forward march!
[BAND PLAYlNG lRlSH JlG]
[MARCHlNG BAND PLAYlNG UPBEAT MUSlC]
Steady, boys, steady. You'll soon be forward.
ls that to be General Meagher's position?
He's enjoying the privilege of an officer. Protecting the rear.
He's got a lame knee, for pity's sake.
Fair enough. Someone's got to keep Burnside company.
Quiet in the ranks!
Shoulder arms!
[SOLDlER PLAYlNG BUGLE]
Colonel.
20th Maine to the front.
Battalion! Shoulder arms!
SOLDlER: Shoulder arms!
Left face!
High-file right...
. ..march!
Come on, boys! Show them the cold steel! lrish brigade, move out!
lrish brigade, at the double-quick. ..
. ..forward march!
Front and center!
Double column, boys! Form up!
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG]
Forward!
Keep moving!
That's the lrish. What are those boys doing fighting in blue?
Don't they know we're fighting for our independence?
Did they learn nothing at the hands of the English?
They're Reb lrishmen. They're our brothers.
They've been misled to their fates.
Do your duty!
Steady, men! Steady!
Men, do your duty!
Battalion, halt!
Ready!
Aim!
Fire!
Load them up, boys, load them up!
Keep loading, boys!
Ready!
Aim!
Fire!
Load! Load! Load!
Ready!
Aim!
Fire!
Fall back! Fall back, men!
Now move! Move!
Fall back! Now!
Go to hell! Go to hell and damnation!
Move, boys!
Lie down here!
Lie down and load!
Load!
Load and fire!
Quickly!
Blaze away, lads! Do it, boys!
Fire, boys.
Fire!
Keep firing, men! Keep firing!
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG lNDlSTlNCTLY]
Fall back!
Fall back, lads!
Every man for himself!
Fall back, men!
[SHOUTlNG]
[ALL SHOUTlNG]
-Caldwell's brigade, forward! Now! -Yes, sir!
At the double-quick! March!
[SOLDlER PLAYlNG DRUM]
-General Armistead. -Afternoon, General Pickett.
-See that last charge by Meagher's brigade? -Those fellas deserved a better fate.
Their bravery is worthy of a better cause.
My heart stood still as l watched it.
ARMlSTEAD: l would not have believed that mortal men. . .
. ..could march into the face of such destruction.
LEE: General Longstreet...
. ..those people committing more fresh divisions at your lines.. .
. ..their mounting numbers may overwhelm our defense.
Sir, if they put every man they have on the field to approach me. . .
. ..give me plenty of ammunition, l'll kill them all before they reach my line.
Nevertheless, we must be prudent, general.
We must never ignore the unknown or the unpredictable.
Yes, sir. l'll take the necessary measures. Orders!
Send orders to Ransom's Tar Heels to advance his division...
. ..and to Kershaw to bring up his brigade to support Cobb at the wall.
Yes, sir! Hyah, hyah!
Forward, men!
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG]
General Griffin, sir.
There goes my first brigade to hell.
All right, get them ready.
20th Maine, fix bayonets!
Officers of the 3rd Brigade will dismount.
Shoulder arms!
All right, men, move them out!
Forward march!
[SOLDlER PLAYlNG DRUM]
Load! Five-second fuse!
She burst! The barrel burst!
SOLDlER: Stretcher! -General Lee, you all right, sir?
-Sergeant! Call for the surgeon! Quickly! -Here l go. Help me up, boys.
lt's not yet our time, gentlemen.
Not yet our time.
General Kemper. General Kemper.
You are ordered by General Longstreet to proceed to your left in support of McLaws.
Take two regiments of your brigade into the sunken road behind the stone wall.
Yes, sir. At once.
Do your duty, general.
My horse. We go to where the fight is.
Commanding general has called us into battle.
We move at once.
[SOLDlERS CHEERlNG]
lf we can whip the enemy here today. ..
. .. l tell you, from what l know. . .
. ..the Confederacy is surely established.
Men of Virginia. . .
. ..you who have fought on so many hard-won fields. . .
. ..today your country calls upon you one more time. . .
. ..to stand between her and the enemy.
And l know that you will do your duty!
[SOLDlERS CHEERlNG]
Brigade, halt! Form by battalion!
Pass them forward. Just load and pass them forward!
Fire!
20th Maine. . .
. ..halt!
AMES: lt is not difficult to move from line of battle into column of fours.
lt is much harder to move from column of fours into line of battle...
...and if we're called to make that move, it will be when we are under fire.
You understand how important it is that these moves are learned so thoroughly...
...that the men can perform them in their sleep.
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG]
Seems a terrible long distance up that hill.
lt'll be shortened by those in the front.
Begging your pardon, sir.
The only thing that'll be shortened by those in front is their lives.
God help us now.
-Colonel, take care of the right wing. -Yes, sir. l'll watch them, sir.
Hail Caesar.
We who are about to die salute you.
20th Maine!
-Forward! -Forward!
-March! -March!
By the right of companies, to the front! March!
Right of companies to the front! March!
Form a line, boys! Form a line!
Form up a line! Form up a line!
Dress to the colors!
Come on, boys!
Dress to the colors!
Come on, boys.
Dress to the colors!
[SOLDlERS SHOUTlNG]
Keep your line, men. Keep your line. Close that gap!
Dress to the colors!
At the double-quick, men!
Double-quick, boys! Come on, boys!
Keep it tight, boys! Keep it tight!
Turn right, boys! Right!
Turn to the right!
Keep it tight, men! Keep it tight, men!
Come on, boys!
At the double-quick, boys! Come on, boys!
Forward, men. Keep moving!
Battalion, halt!
-Battalion, halt! -Battalion, halt!
Watch your line!
Dress to the colors!
Ready! Fire!
Reload, boys! Reload quickly!
Hold your line! Hold your line!
Two, three, four...
-. . .five, six, seven... SOLDlER: Dress right! Dress right!
. ..eight.
-Steady! Steady! -Fire!
Load them! Let's go!
Keep firing! Keep firing!
Battalion, fight by fire!
Thattaway, boys, fire away!
Pour it into them!
Close the gap, boys! Pour it into them!
Fill this hole now!
All right, pour it into them, boys!
Steady now! Pour it into them! Dress that line down there!
-Sir? -What is it?!
Request permission to return to the rear, sir.
Permission granted. Permission granted.
All right, then, boys. Pour it.
No, no, Patrick, me boy. Just reload and shoot.
Pour it into them, boys! Pour it in to them!
Fill that line in!
Fill this hole now!
Dress to the right!
Fire!
Pour it into them, boys! Pour it into them!
Fire!
-Fall back, men! -Fall back! Fall back!
Fall back, boys!
-What did you do that for? -You'll thank me in the morning.
Oh, Mother. Oh, Mother, help me. . . .
lt's all right, Casey, l got you. Don't worry about a thing. l'll get you home.
SOLDlER: Quickly, men. Reload quickly!
lt is well that war is so terrible...
. ..for we should grow too fond of it.
Yes, sir?
We're requisitioning your house for use as a hospital.
Come on inside out the cold.
You there.
You wounded?
Truly sorry, old fella--
Damn.
[BREATHlNG HEAVlLY]
-General Hancock, sir. -Surgeon.
This man is Major Sidney Willard of the 35th Massachusetts.
This way, sir.
Prepare to lift. Lift.
He's been shot twice in the chest, general. There's nothing l can do.
[SlGHS]
-ls there whiskey in this house? -Yes, sir.
Drink this, sir.
l love them people you done chased from this house.
l's known them most all my life.
The Beales is good people.
Mr. General?
l was born a slave.
And l wants to die free.
Lord knows l wants to die free, and l wants my children to be free.
Heaven help me.
May God bless you all.
[GASPS]
Damn it, Tom, you scared me half to death.
You? Lawrence, l thought you was with the beyond.
[LAUGH lNG]
[GROANlNG]
Mother?
l was able to secure the aid of a good spyglass. . .
. ..and could ascertain beyond all doubt that our house is still standing.
Oh.
Oh, l pray to God for Martha and her dear ones.
LUCY: But, Mother...
. ..it is a pitiful sight on the fields below Marye's Heights.
l should feel rancor in my heart for those invaders...
. ..but all l feel for them is sorrow.
Dear Lucy. . .
. ..when you were but a child in petticoats...
. .. l believe the year was 1 847. . .
. ..there was a great famine in lreland.
Those fields below the Heights were covered...
. ..with the finest crop of corn ever raised in this section.
The greater part of it was sent as a donation to the starving lrish.
l cannot help thinking...
. ..but that it helped to feed the poor victims of the lrish brigade...
. ..who fell on this very field today.
General Gregg.
General Jackson.
l wish to apologize...
. ..for the differences we had.
The doctor tells me you have not long to live.
l ask you to dismiss this matter from your mind. . .
. ..and turn your thoughts to God.. .
. ..and the world to which you go.
General. ..
. ..you know that l'm not a believer.
Well, then l will believe for the both of us.
How horrible is war.
Horrible, yes.. .
. ..but we have been invaded.
Lord, what can we do?
Kill them, sir.
Kill every last man of them.
Gentlemen.
[GROANlNG]
Oh, what l wouldn't give for a cup of Rio just now.