Original subtitles

I

Ain't been so dry since my pappy still burned down

How long before we're gonna make another stop? I'll let you know when we get there Charlie

Seems like a week since we stopped Rome wasn't built in a day. Well, let them Frenchmen worry about their own problems

I'm worried about my throat French. You better start worrying about your neck because I'm gonna wring it right off

I'm gonna eat that thing. You called your head. You don't quit pestering me. Oh

Don't be so picky Unish

You suppose he's doing out here all that don't ask me

I

I

Have to move from your cause. It looks like you're heading for California. That's right, San Francisco

Well, then you could do me a big favor

My men and I are headed that way too

We'd be grateful if we could join you our maps are a little inadequate and frankly, I'm not too familiar with this area

We we'd stay out of everybody's way. My men are quite self-sufficient these men of yours. Where are they?

No, just beyond that rise they'll be here in a minute. I rode ahead when I spotted the train

My name is Elder Samuel Elder sir captain United States Army retired. What are they talking about Ben? I

Don't know. I can't hear either

Whoever it is. I wish he hadn't showed up

How can you say that about a man? You don't even know

Oh

Sergeant perks have your men to bark. Yes, sir

All right men form ranks

They'll get you ever

These are my men the most deserving I've ever commanded

Hey bill

I

Ain't seen nothing like that since the war them kids

I got their whole camp set up and I don't even have my cook fire going that's because they've been working

You're probably standing around watching. Is that so who filled the water barrels who cut the killing wood who won't it's the team who who who?

I always thought you were a useless old buzzard now. You're beginning to sound like a hoot owl

All right start digging the ditches

Sergeant looks like you and your boys. I mean your men are doing a mighty fine job around here. Thank you, sir

We're a little behind schedule

Captain Elder likes to have the tents up and the drainage ditches dug in ten minutes flat

Drainage ditches this part of the country this time of the year. We'll be lucky if we have a heavy due for morning

regulation sir chapter 7 article 14 a

Drainage ditch not less than 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep shall be dug

You know a son a lot of us had that infantry field manual memorized before you even cut your I teeth

I'm sure of that. Mr. Hawks, but as an experienced military man

You are also no doubt completely familiar with the section which clearly states the obligation of a non-commissioned officer

To prepare his men for any eventuality

I am quite familiar and I suggest that sergeant perks be permitted to carry out his duties without any further interference

Look captain. I was just trying to save the boys a little extra work. That's very commendable of you. Mr

Hawks, but I see no need for any further discussion. Carry on sergeant. I'll wait just a minute Oh captain elder

If you'll excuse me

Ladies captain elder we've been thinking this being your first night with the train

Maybe you and your boys would like to take supper with us

Thank you, ma'am, but we'd rather not impose on you people

Nonsense now from the looks of them. They could all do with some home cooking won't be no trouble at all

We'll just split him up one or two boys to a family. My men have been taking care of themselves since we left independence. I

Intend to see that they continue to do so like any military unit in the field until we reach, California

Sorry ladies

Well, it looks like you and the ladies bit off a mite more than you can chew hey Bill, oh we had it coming

It don't make sense

Since when is it wrong for folks to be neighborly?

He's acting mighty peculiar. If you ask me, well, maybe he's got his reasons for acting that way

You know, we got no right to interfere Charlie says who what do we know about him?

You take that uniform off him. What do you got? How do we know what kind of a man he is or ever was?

By looking at those boys, that's how we know

I

It's kind of heavy let me give you a hand it's all right

Couple more buckets and water barrel be full up

Be done in half the time if I help then maybe we'd have a while to sit and talk

maybe

Something I don't really know what we'd have to talk about

well, what I kind of had in mind was I

Mean you are Millie Allen, aren't you?

How did you know my name? Oh

Well, I guess I heard someone mention it who?

Your mom maybe I

Reckon I better own up to it. I asked one of the drivers

Never Oh fire gumption of some people. I didn't think you'd mind

Do you?

Can't see what good to do now

But that still doesn't mean that I like people going around asking questions about me behind my back

How else was I gonna meet you?

If you'd like it better I could have Captain Elder ask your pa to introduce us right and proper

Here's to me it's a little late for that too

Frank

Frank

Nobody's ever called me anything except sergeant perks since we joined up with this train. I know I

Reckon I'd better own up to it, too. I asked one of the boys in the platoon

Maybe I will it help me after all

You

Millie

What's going on here

It's just giving her a hand with a char sir. I asked him to help me pop get back to the wagon Millie

It's for you. Stay away from her

If I've done something to offend you

warning you perks

You so much as look at her again, I'll take a bullwhip to you

With all due respect sir, I wouldn't advise that

I'm sorry this had to happen Millie

Real sorry

Why did you do it Paul why must you eat everyone who wears a uniform

Man has to do what he thinks is right for those he loves

You don't understand Millie you were just a little girl when it happened I

Never want to see you hurt like you're more

You

More I see how this wagon train is run the more I wish we hadn't joined up with it

Hawks has got no right to put that tin soldier right behind us. No right at all

Then you can't take no offense at him what he stands for Lila

Then you got to put it out of your mind. You've got to forget the past. You're asking too much Lila

I can't erase memories that are burned into my mind

You've suffered enough from men like him

Charlie I have to take back everything I've ever said about your cooking

Really have to take my hat off to you you do what for this this no doubt is the best cup of coffee

I've ever tasted in my life. Well, there's much all I did was just put up

Coffee, why are you ungrateful ignorant? Well, that is hot chocolate chocolate

It can't be we had hot chocolate last night. The hot chocolate we had last night was hot tea tea

Tastes more like lamp oil to me. Oh, is that so?

I should just let you do your own cooking around here and your own cleaning up after you too

And then you'd see what I go through with every day just to take your insults

All right, Charlie, if that's the way you feel about it. Well, that's the way I feel about hey, wait a minute

Where are you going? Come back here? I still got a half a pot of this call at the chopper or whatever it is left

I'm getting tired of that chocolate Charlie. I'm gonna go out and get myself a cup of coffee

Lamp oil he goes

You

Sir

Permission to set the night watch sir

Mission granted one hour each for private Sanderson and Regan two hours each for all the others. I've already scheduled it that way, sir

What about the wagon and the equipment ready to roll sir? All axles greased harness on the lead team repaired good

All right sergeant inform the men that they have 30 minutes of leisure time before tattoo

Yes, sir

Captain Elder. Oh

Good evening. Mr. Hawks. Can I help you?

Yeah, I figured it's about time for you and me to have a little talk

Yes, I thought you wouldn't

After you thank you

Would you care to sit down Thanks

You know captain I don't like to pry into your private affairs

But some of the people have been asking me questions that I can't answer about you and the boys

Well, that's quite understandable. Mr. Hawks. I I

Realized that my ideas of discipline must seem strange to your party, especially to the women

Well, a few of them have complained to me, but I told him you probably had your reasons I have

ten of them

ten boys orphaned by the war

With the exception of perks not one of them able to fend for himself, but

United in one platoon each helping the others. We all can reach, California

That makes sense

It's about the way we run this outfit one big exception

Get into a tough spot. We have a hundred men that can use guns

All you guts a lot of guts. I reckon. Well, it's not a question of courage

Thousands tens of thousands of boys lost their fathers in the war

Most of them had mothers friends kin of some kind to take care of them

These boys had nobody

Their fathers were all killed in battle Shiloh

Petersburg

Running Springs. There must be some place they can be taken care of. Oh, yes

Orphanages workhouses poor farms. Most of them understaffed and overcrowded little better than prison camps

No, mr. Hawks

When a nation robs a boy of his birthright, he's entitled to a little more than that

What do you plan to do about it?

well, I I

have some money and

I'll give it to you

I'll give it to you

Well, I

I have some money and

a government land grant just north of san francisco

There's good soil and enough timber to support a military school for a hundred boys like mine

military school

Well, don't get me wrong captain. Some of the finest men i've ever known were in the army, but everybody isn't cut out for it

Nobody's aware of that more than I am

But the man can teach only what he knows

I don't want them to grow up to be professional soldiers. That's not my aim

I just want to make sure that they have a chance to grow up at all

And I will if it's the last thing I ever do

Sorry ma'am, I can't let you go past

I reckon i've come about as far as i've a mind to anyway

Is it against orders to stand here and talk spell?

No, ma'am captain elder said we used to be special polite to the women folk that's right considerate of the captain

What's your name?

todd anderson ma'am

You look a mite lonesome todd walking this post all to yourself. It's only for an hour

Growing boy could get powerful hungry in that time

I thought maybe some of these might tide you over oatmeal cookies. I ain't had any of them since I

Sorry ma'am

We ain't allowed to eat on picket duty

regulation

I expect that so for full meals or maybe even sandwiches

But did you ever hear of one regulation?

That said anything about oatmeal cookies

No, I reckon not as a matter of fact

I once knew a soldier

about the same age as sergeant perks

Sent him cookies all the time

He used to write me letters telling me how much he enjoyed him

Especially on picket duty. He did

No, he must have been a cavalry man us foot soldiers

Well, we're different

Well, we're different no

Why i'm talking about was

Was in the infantry just like you you mean that

I reckon that's where most of the best men were like captain elder and my pa

Was your pa in the infantry too over three years. He was a corporal

I bet you he would have even made sergeant. He hadn't been killed at running springs

Springs yes, it wasn't a very big battle. I don't reckon you ever heard of it

Yes, tyler

I've heard of it

Is anything wrong ma'am

No, i'm fine real fine

Just remembered this

Something i've got to do

Sure was nice talking to you ma'am

and about those cookies

You reckon I could take them now and save them for later

Yes, dad

Let me do that

It's been a long time since I had a soldier appreciate my oatmeal cookies

So

Ben

Millie

So

So

So

So

So

You haven't said a word to me all morning ben

What's wrong?

I ain't quite sure

I was just thinking about jody

And those boys in the wagon behind us

You don't make sense

What's our son?

What's jody got to do with them?

I ain't sure

hawk said all of their fathers were killed at

petersburg

shiloh

Were running springs

Our jody was never one of those battles

You're just going out of your way to look for trouble

One's got nothing to do with the other

Maybe not of all the kids that were orphaned in the war. Why did elder pick just them?

Boys whose fathers were all killed in those battles

probably just

coincidence is all

Men like elder never do anything without a reason

And whatever his is I aim to find out

Halt you'll have to walk around sir

Let me by boy. Sorry, sir. I have orders not to let anyone pass through the bivouac area

orders

Who gave you orders to tell me what to do? I did

And i'd appreciate it if you'd respect the perimeters of our camp as everybody else does

Around here. Mr. Hawks makes the rules. Who are you to change them?

I'm in charge of these men and I intend to see that my orders are enforced how?

By putting guns in the hands of youngsters

The rifle is not loaded not

That makes about as much sense as everything else you've done since you joined this train

You may not agree, but everything we do has a reason

Someday the lives of all the people in this train may depend upon the alertness of a century centuries without bullets

I hope that need may never arise

But this is to be a long trek and if we're to succeed we must maintain cohesion esprit de corps discipline. Oh, no

captain or

Whatever you call yourself

Those are just a lot of highfalutin words for what men like you really want

power

authority

Blind obedience to your will even if it's wrong

Yes, we make mistakes

I don't deny that

but the good officer the good soldier

Never asks another man to do something. He wouldn't do himself and when we give orders

It's not because we worship ourselves, but because it's the most expedient way to get the job done

You mean that's what you want everybody to believe? Well, let me tell you something. Mr. High and mighty

I had a boy who felt like you do

He was young he liked the feel of a poplin uniform next to his skin

Well, he was what you would call discipline. He followed orders like they were gospel because they came from men like you

And what did it get him shallow grave in the virginia hills

So don't you tell me anything about orders orders is what took him from me

Orders from little tin gods like you

Sir did I do the wrong thing?

No, son

You were right

Never doubt that

When a soldier begins to question himself, he's no longer of any use to any man

least of all himself

All right

Carry on soldier

So

Highfalutin words for what men like you really want blind obedience to your will even when it's wrong even when it's wrong

No

No, no

I had a boy who thought that way

What did it get him?

A shallow grave in the virginia hills a shallow grave in the virginia hills. No

Dear god, no

Orders is what took him from me

Orders from little tin gods like you

Tin gods like you

Like you

Like you

God help me, please god help me to forget

So

So

Wake up

It's all right now sir, everything's all right, what is it?

Did I yes

You haven't had one this bad in a long while sir

The

the boys

Today here

No, sir. It's 20 minutes to reveille

They're all still sleeping

Good

That's good

So

What are you so happy about this morning

Well after carefully looking myself in the mirror

I'm happy to say that I haven't lost my boy's charm

While you old toad when they handed out the boy's charm you were standing in a line with billy goats

I

Wonder what he's got against billy goats

Uh

Hey you wait a minute

What you want to do that for mister I ever catch you tooting one of those things again

I'll take you across my knee instead of a tin horn. I wouldn't advise that mr. Allen

All right, son join the others

You seem determined to give us trouble give you trouble

Oh, it was your best horse that bolted when that fool kid blew that bugle, huh?

He was following military orders. I figured you'd say something like that. You got an excuse for everything haven't you?

Well, this is once hawks is in charge. We'll see what he has to say. This is what he says allen

That bugle made half as much noise as you're making right now. Every animal on this train would have stampeded

So you just simmer down we'll get your horse back for you. That ain't half of what's riling me

Do you realize I was almost killed and you ought to be thanking the lord instead of acting this way hawks

There's gonna be nothing but trouble on this train until we get shed of that

Tin soldier and those no count kids. All right, that's enough

You can fight and argue with elder all you want when you start spreading that venom of yours on those boys

It's about time. Somebody sets you straight. Mr

Alder asking us for a chance and we owe it to him. Not just sam elder you me everybody around here. It's our debt

We took it on with the blood of their fathers when they died at shiloh petersburg and running spring

There's something else. You don't know allen all those boys those no account boys and thousands more like them

Are the most valuable and important assets in this country today. I want to tell you something else. Mr

You get back to that wagon of yours before I really tear into you. Do you understand?

He gives you or the boys any more trouble let me know

Captain tell the board that i'm sorry this had to happen try to replace it for him. Thank you. Mr. Hawks. We're both very grateful

So

Hurry it up charlie. I want to get out of here as soon as we can i'd have been ready if we had any help around

here

Oh, mr. Hawks, we're much obliged to you for for finding our mayor my pleasure ma'am

So

Really

Really

Frank you ought not to be here. You heard what pa said. Do you feel the same way? I mean about not seeing me

Then i'll risk it tonight after supper

All right, millie come up front we're moving out after supper

Lila yes, ben i'll be right there

You

Sakes alive, what are you doing messing up the wagon like this lila? I can't seem to find that packet of jody's letters

you

We haven't looked at them letters in a long while ben

Might be better if we never did again, but if hawks was right

Some of those boys fathers fought in the same battles. Jody did he might have known one or two of them

Ain't very likely

There was hundreds even thousands of men in most of them places, but if he did know him

He might have mentioned a couple of names in his letters

That'd give me something to go on

What do you mean something to go on? I aim to talk to some of those boys

Ask them some questions

See if they know something I don't know

Ben

You know all you need to know

Jody's gone

Nothing can change that or bring him back

The man loses his only son

He's entitled to more than just a black edge telegram from the war department

He's got a right to know how it happened

Why?

He's got a right to know who's responsible everybody's responsible it was the war can't you understand that

You're only torturing yourself

You gotta stop it I can't leastwise not now gotta find them letters

All right, ben

Well, maybe you should read these letters again only to get it out of your system

Whatever you're looking for you won't find it there

How can you be so all fired sure i'm sure because

Because because I know most of them letters by heart

Millie over here

You

A while I didn't think you'd show up

I really shouldn't be here frank

I get to wondering where I am

So what if they do?

The girl gets to be your age. She can take care of herself. All right

It's not that it's it's just pa

Paul wants to tell you how to lead your life

You let him do it now and it'll be that way forever

It didn't used to be like this

When jody was alive, I mean he never paid particular attention to me then

I don't mean he didn't love me or anything. It's just

Well, he he had a son then and all his big dreams were for him

I guess it's different with the girl

I guess it is. All right. All he's got now is ma and me

He needs his frank so don't think too bad of him

Well, he hasn't gone out of his way to be what you might call friendly I gotta admit that

He's he's been acting awful strange lately like like something deep down inside of him was on fire about to burst open

and

millie

A lot of folks lost kin because of the war my own pa died in battle

But do I go around hating everybody threatening them?

Jody was something special to pa

You've never seen two people as close as they were. It was sort of beautiful in a way

I

Don't know why you're going to california millie that way you think the rainbow ends

It better be how much further it could go

I hope you're right

For your sake and captain elders

You think a lot of them, don't you frank?

That's the way I remember my own pa

Captain elder is the finest man i've ever known

Everybody on the trains talking about him. I suppose he seems strange to a lot of them

Like anybody else you got to get to know him

It's not fair judging a man without knowing what's driving him wherever he's going

A lot of folks don't think like that

Folks like your father

I

Guess i'd better be getting back now

I didn't mean to offend you didn't the truth should never hurt even though it does

Can I can I walk you back partway

Now

Satisfied now

No

There was one more

Mentioned a lot of names and places

Will you remember

It was the last one we got before he was killed at running springs

Well, it must be there someplace you remember we tied them all up together

And

Maybe we put it someplace else

Maybe millie knows

Millie

Millie

Millie

You better leave I need to hide now

So this is what happens the minute my back is turned to you

But pa we haven't done anything speaking off with the likes of him shaming your own pa

Mr. Allen, you've got it all wrong. I know what you're up to. I got eyes in my head

Haven't I I can see I don't know what you think you saw. Mr. Allen. I warned you to stay away from her

But sir, we've just been talking I give you my word your word

I suppose that's something your captain elder learned you

Teaching you to do anything you want then lie your way out of it by giving your word

I might have been wrong seeing millie against your wishes. Mr. Allen

But you've got no right taking it out on captain elder. He doesn't lie not even to himself. He's a good soldier

But more important he's a good man

The kind who sets an example for all of us. I don't know how any man could look up to that tin soldier

the congress of the united states did

When they gave him the medal of honor for leading the charge at running springs

Now you stay there, oh, please don't do anything what's the trouble rifle where's my right what's happened

It's him

It was elder

He took jody from us. He ordered the charge at running springs. Oh, yes, I know

You're right ben there was another letter

One that jody wrote just before he was

he mentioned

Captain eller as being his new company commander and you held it from me

You didn't tell me why I was afraid afraid of what you might do. Oh ben for your own good

Mr. Hawks, mr. Hawks

So

Can I help you mr. Allen out of my way

What do you want mr. Allen, where is he where's elder what are you gonna do with that rifle?

So

Captain elder

Well, what do you want allen

I want to find out how it feels to murder a man. Well, I don't know what you're talking about

He was just a boy

Only 19

Blonde hair clear eyes. Oh, there wasn't anything special about him. It's

He was my son

Jody allen

Don't that name mean anything to you should it

You sure forget easy

You killed him along with the others at running springs running springs

I

I had no choice

we were en route to join the fifth division when I

I discovered the enemy had set up an ambush

I knew that our

Our main force was heading right into the the strongest concentration of artillery i've ever seen

I knew that they'd be annihilated unless

Unless the enemy could be forced to turn their guns. So you let it charge

Make sure those guns would be turned on your own men. It was a calculated risk

I gambled the lives of 200 men to save 2000. And what happened? Mr. Gambler, huh?

What happened when you decided to play god?

Our charge had no effect

The fifth was routed despite us

I sacrificed

200 men with no purpose those weren't men to you elder

They were just names on a roster you don't even remember one of them I remember

I remember how they charged

I remember the looks on their faces when they died

I remember the fire

shots and the screams

Screams that never stopped. You ain't gonna hear him much longer. Allen

Hawks, don't you come any closer? Ben, please whatever you think he does stay back

You pull that trigger. So help me out. Look there's no call for you to interfere

There's been enough bloodshed on my account already. Yeah

Instead of giving you a court-martial for it. They gave you a congressional medal of honor medal

It says you're a hero instead of a a murderer

Nobody knows better than I how little I deserve that medal

I couldn't refuse it

But I could resign my commission and try to make amends a little too late for the men you killed but not for the sons

They left behind

Don't you see?

Sergeant perks was the son of my executive officer at running springs

After I found him we

Well, he led me to two others

That was only the beginning

Then we located seven more

All sons of men who had been with the fifth division fought with us at shiloh and petersburg, but you never told him what you did

No

I never told any of them who I was or

Or how I wronged them

And I couldn't explain to them why their future was so important to me

So I

just applied for a government land grant and

We all headed west so you could mold them in your own rotten image. You don't care anything about those kids

You're just trying to ease your own conscience while you're not going to do it any longer

You

Mister you don't know how close you come to a hanging

You're not going to see this rifle or any other weapon as long as you're on this train. Well, that won't save him

You can take the gun out of my hands, but you can't take the words out of my mouth

I'm gonna tell those kids what he done to their fathers

The truth he's been afraid to tell him. No

No, you can't do that

If those boys lose their faith in me

Everything i've worked for hope for and prayed for will be destroyed

Would have been better if you'd killed me when you had the chance. Oh, no, I was wrong about that, too

That would have been too easy too fast

I want you to suffer the way i've suffered. I want something to eat away at your insides till it tears you apart

Then maybe you'll know what i've been through what makes you think he doesn't know already you or nobody else had to sentence him

Sam elder was his own judge and jury court-martialed himself. He court-martialed himself. Well, he let himself off pretty easy

When I tell those kids what he done you think any of them will give him a chance

With your permission, sir

You

Took the liberty of bringing them in sir

well, you

You overstepped your authority sergeant. You had no right sir about what mr. Allen said

There's nothing that he could tell them

That they haven't known since we left independence

I told them you yes, sir

You see I

I was allowed to see my father in the hospital before he died

He told me what you'd done he said you made the right decision sir

He was as proud to have served under you as I am then

Then the boys the men knew this all the time. Yes, sir

And they voted down to the last one to follow you

So

Anything you'd like to add to that alan

No

You

Get a little late

But I suggest captain that your men could do with some sleep. We got a hard trip ahead of us

Permission to set the night watch sir permission granted sergeant

Good night, sam

Good night bill

Squad attention

The men are ready to move out sir, very good sergeant. All right fall into the wagon column dismissed

Uh, son, yes, sir

I've been meaning to talk to you. I

Well about the other day i'm sorry about your bugle

We found well that is mr. Hawks there. He found this

We'd like you to have it if you want it

Gee, thank you. It's my tarnish

He'll take care of it. Mr. Allen, it's part of his training

Thank you

I never would have believed it bill of all people them two forgiven and forget

A man like sam elder may never forget charlie

But at least he knows now that he can go on trying to make up for what he thinks he did wrong

I guess that's what we all have to have a reason to go on

Now we better move out

So

So