Original subtitles

[ Bugle Blowing ]

[ Bugle Continues ]

[ Cannons Firing ]

[ Cannon Fire Continues ]

[ Cannon Fire Continues ]

They come closer every day, Pa.

- They on our land? - No, sir.

Then it doesn't concern us.

Does it?

You have somethin' else to say?

No, sir.

Lord, we-- [ Door Closes ]

What'd I do?

It's what you haven't done, boy.

A man eats with his hat on is goin' nowhere in a hurry.

Now, your mother wanted all of you raised as good Christians.

And I might not be able to do that thorny job...

as well as she could, but I can do a little somethin' about your manners.

Now, shall we-- Lord, we cleared this land.

We plowed it, sowed it and harvested. We cooked the harvest.

It wouldn't be here, we wouldn't be eatin' it if we hadn't done it all ourselves.

We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel,

but we thank you just the same anyway, Lord,

for this food we're about to eat. Amen.

Where'd you come by the hat, boy? Down by the creek, sir.

Some fella down there passin' out hats?

I found it. It was just lying there.

Jacob, you look like you've got somethin'on your mind.

Go on, say what you're thinkin'.

We've been through it all before, Pa.

Now, don't paddle 'round with me. You were raised to say what you think.

You were all raised to say what you think.

Anything I can't stand is a lot of noisy silence.

Now, come on, let's have some talkin' here.

If you're gonna make a speech, I'm sorry I said it.

I know how you feel about this war, Pa.

I guess we all more or less feel the same way.

But I don't see how we can just sit by and ignore it any longer.

Now, you say it's not our business, not our fight.

Well, we're Virginians.

And I believe that anything that concerns Virginia concerns us.

- You do? - Yes, sir, I do.

All right.

John?

Sir? what are you gonna do?

You gonna keep your slaves or let 'em go free?

You know I don't have any slaves, Pa.

That's right,John.

You don't have a slave to your name, do you?

James, what about you?

You ever think you might like to own a slave?

I guess I never thought about it, Pa. well, think about it.!

Think about it.

If you had the money, would you go out and buy yourself a slave?

No, sir, I wouldn't. why not?

If I can't do my own work with my own hands, it'll never get done.

Now, suppose you had a friend that owned slaves...

and suppose somebody's gonna come and take 'em away from him,

would you help him fight to keep 'em?

- No, sir. - Your name's Nathan, isn't it?

Aw, you know my name, Pa.

Well, I seem to remember somethin' about that. I was talkin' to Henry.

Sir? well, what do you think?

- No, sir, I wouldn't. - Why not?

I don't see any reason to fight for something I don't believe is right, and I don't think...

a real friend would ask me to. Then why we have to have this same conversation...

every Saturday before Sunday meetin', I'll never know.

But I'm gonna pray to the Almighty that this will be the end of it.

Pass the biscuits!

[ Church Bell Ringing ]

[ Ringing Continues ]

Papa?

we're ready to go, Papa.

You still miss her, don't you, Papa?

Miss her?

Oh,Jennie, you don't know what I feel when I come up here.

Even after all these years. Sixteen years gone.

Sixteen years. And even so,

I somehow feel...

that she's not dead at all, but only resting.

And it's like I'm...

just waitin' for her to get up and walk home with me.

[ Church Bell Ringing ]

[ Congregation Singing ""Rock of Ages'"]

[ Congregation Singing ""Rock of Ages'"]

Be of sin the double cure

Safe from wrath and make me pure

Could my tears forever flow

Could my zeal no languor know

Did you bring it?

No. Licorice. I'll see ya after.

Could not atone

Thou must save and thou alone

In my hand no price I bring

Simply to thy cross I cling

While I draw this fleeting breath

When my eyes shall close in death

When I rise to worlds unknown

And behold thee on thy throne

Rock of ages cleft for me

Let me hide myself in thee

Amen

There are no doubt some present, Charlie Anderson,

who wonder why you and yours are never on time for the Lord's services.

Have I kept the Lord waiting, Pastor Bjoerling?

You have not.

[ Laughing ]

Our message for today...

is duty.

Now this means many things to many people.

But for a Virginian,

they all lead to one.

[ Whispering ] James.

[ Whispering ] Get that fish line.

The three...

most important duties are.. [ Whispering ] Tell him to stop.

duty to Fod... Stop him, will ya?

that created us and loves us,.

duty to the state that gives us sustenance...

and provides for us,.

and duty to our neighbor,

[ Figgling ]

our fellow man,

without whom... we... could not live.

When you good people can find it within yourselves...

to refrain from doing whatever it is you're doing,

I'll get on with the Lord's word.

Duty to a Virginian...

is not just a word, my friends.

Now, for the last time, Charlie Anderson, I need that mule of yours.

I don't understand your reluctance in talking to me about the sale of it.

Now, that mule you want is a matched Kentucky red;

matched with another Kentucky red that pulls just like she does.

Matched, Abernathy, matched! Do you understand what matched means?

How much? Thirty dollars Federal.

I'll give 5O Confederate. I'll let lightning strike her first.

Uh, Miss Jennie,

I'll be leavin' soon, and--

I'll be leavin' soon, and-- You said that already, Sam.

I did? Oh, yes, I did.

I, uh--

I would be eternally grateful if you'd permit me to call upon you this evenin'.

Eternally's a long time, Sam.

Not when one carries the memory of you, Miss Jennie.

I look forward to seein' ya after supper, Sam.

Abernathy, your idea of a deal makes my stomach hurt.

You want me to get that mule now? The boy say I--

Get in that wagon, Gabriel.

Charlie Anderson, I wonder if you'd be good enough to tell me...

exactly why do you bother to come to services?

Meaning no disrespect, of course.

It was my wife's last request, Pastor Bjoerling.

Meaning no disrespect, of course.

Whoa, boy.

Doc. Mrs. Witherspoon.

Charlie, looks like I'll be paying you a visit soon.

Uh-huh.

You haven't said a word.

I don't know what to say. I mean--

Well, I know what to say, I just don't know how.

It must be all very complicated then.

No, it's, uh,just all memorized.

Everything I wanted to say I've said a dozen times before I got here.

[ Sam ] I said it to my horse and it sounded good.

I said it again to the trees and it sounded better.

I said it to the moon and it sounded perfect.

The moon can't hear you, Sam.

He smiles and smiles, but he never hears.

I do.

[ Horse Whinnying ]

Well, I'm sure gonna miss her.

Is she goin' somewhere?

Oh, every woman goes somewhere sooner or later.

You don't expect her to stay around here and take care of us all her life, do you?

I hadn't thought about it. I hadn't planned on her goin' anywhere.

Well, you better get used to the idea, boy.

Your sister's ripe and the pickers are here.

Of course, I don't s'pose you know what I mean, do you, boy?

I'm not as dumb as you think I am, Pa.

[ Chuckles ]

Whoa. Halt!

You get back up to the house, boy.

Mr. Anderson, there's a rumor around here...

that you have the coldest water this side of the Shenandoah.

That's right,Johnson. The best east of the Mississippi.

Six foot deep, 2O foot down. Come on, help yourself.

Dismount, Sergeant.

I'm glad you're here, Johnson.

I've been meanin' to have a little talk with your people about those cannon of yours.

My chickens have stopped layin', the cow's dried up.

Who do I send the bill to? You might try Abe Lincoln. They're mostly his.

When are you gonna take this war seriously, Mr. Anderson?

Let me tell you somethin', Johnson, before you get on my wrong side.

My corn I take serious because it's my corn.

And my potatoes, tomatoes and fences I take note of because they're mine.

But this war is not mine, and I take no note of it.

Well, maybe you'll take notice of it when the Yankees drop a cannonball in your parlor.

I might as well tell you right now that I can't think of another thing...

I wanna hear you say.

You have six sons, don't you, Mr. Anderson?

Does the size of my family have some special interest for you?

As a matter of fact it does.

We need men. Two of these men here are no more than 1 6.

Seems strange to quite a few people around here that none of your sons are in the army.

It don't seem strange to me with all the work there is to do around here.

I'll come right to the point, Mr. Anderson. Came out here to get 'em.

[ Laughing ]

Did I say something funny? I think so.

You came all the way out here to get my boys, huh? Yes, sir, I did.

Where are your sons now, Mr. Anderson?

You wanna see 'em, do ya? Yes, sir, I do.

Jacob!

James!

John.!

Nathan.!

Henry!

Boy!

If you've got anything to say to 'em, go ahead. They'll listen.

There's a Yankee army breathing down your neck. I don't think you realize--

You're town bred, aren't ya? I don't see what that--

I've got 5OO acres of good, rich dirt here.

As long as the rains come and the sun shines,

it'll grow anything I've a mind to plant.

We've pulled every stump, cleared every field; and we've done it ourselves...

without the sweat of one slave. So?

So? So, can you give me one good reason...

why I should send my family, that took me a lifetime to raise...

down that road like a bunch of damn fools to do somebody else's fightin'?

Virginia needs all of her sons, Mr. Anderson.

That might be so,Johnson, but these are my sons!

They don't belong to the state.

When they were babies, I never saw the state comin' around with a spare tit.

We never asked anything of the state, and never expected anything.

We do our own livin', and thanks to no man for the right.

But seein' as how you're so worried about it, I'll tell ya.

If any of my boys thinks this war's right...

and wants to join in, he's free to do it.

Did ya all hear that? Did ya hear it?

If you wanna dress up like these fellas, go ahead. Here's your chance.

Patrol, mount.

Mr. Anderson,

if you can sit in the middle of this war and not get touched, I congratulate you.

Where are these Yankees now?

'Bout ten miles that way.

'Bout ten or twelves miles that way, and about five miles that way.

Which way are you headed?

That way.

[ Rifle Shots ]

[ Rifle Shots Continue ]

What do you do with dead soldiers?

Where's their army? Harrisonburg.

All right, you ride over there, Nathan.

Take Henry with ya. Tell 'em to come get 'em.

Yes, sir.

Does it concern us now?

You go to the house, get somethin', and cover 'em up.

Come on.

Uh, don't you think we oughta wait? No!

Papa?

Sam would like to talk to you, Papa. All right,Jennie.

Good evening, sir.

Sam.

It's bedtime.

Bedtime? Why, it's only--

Picker's here, Pa.

What did he mean by that? It's nothin', Sam. Have a seat.

I prefer to stand, sir. No, sit down, Sam.

I never talk to a man who's lookin' down on me.

Now, there's something you wanna talk to me about?

Yes, sir. Sit down, Sam.

I've--

I've, uh, wanted to talk to you for a long time, sir, but--

Well, to come straight to the point of the matter, sir, I--

I wanna ask for your daughter's hand.

You mean, you wanna marry her, Sam?

Yes, sir. [ Lamp Rattling ]

Why?

- Sir? - Why do you wanna marry her?

Well, I, I love her, Mr. Anderson.

Well, that's not good enough, Sam.

- I beg your pardon? - Do you like her?

Well, I just said-- No, no,you said you loved her.

There's some difference between lovin' and likin'.

When I married Jennie's mother, I didn't love her.

I liked her.

I liked her a whole lot.

I liked Martha for at least three years after we were married,

and then one day it just dawned on me I loved her.

I still do.

I still do.

You see, Sam,

when you love a woman without likin' her,

the night can be long and cold, and contempt comes up with the sun, and--

Do you understand all this I'm tellin' ya?

Yes, sir. Well?

Oh, well, I... I likeJennie, sir. I've always liked her.

All right, then, you be good to her.

Because if you don't, it's between you and me, boy.

Well then, you have no objection, sir?

I didn't say that. Oh.

Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

[ Door Closes ] Yee-ee.!

[ Feet Stomping ] Yee-hoo.!

Yee-haw-haw! Whoo-haw!

whoo-hee.!

I suppose that means Papa Charlie gave his permission.

Sam'll be a couple miles down the road before it dawns on him to tell me.

It was Mother's.

You'll look beautiful, Jennie.

Being married to someone you truly love...

must be the most wonderful feelin' in the world.

When I was a little girl, I slept all alone in a big room.

My bed had a feather mattress.

Outside there was thunder, lightning, rain fallin' on our tin roof.

I'd lie there in the dark under my blankets...

feelin'so snug, and good and warm...

because I knew I was safe.

I was loved, and somebody cared. And now, married toJames,

it's that same little girl feeling. I'm loved and somebody cares.

Oh, I'm so happy I wanna shout!

That what it feels like too.

[ Whinnying ]

Well, first-rate-lookin' animals you got here, son.

They should be. I do everything but sing 'em to sleep at night.

[ Man ] Anderson's the name, Mr. Carol.

Nine horses and two mules. [ Carol ] You're right, Mr. Tinkham.

These'll dojust fine.

One thing about these folks, they sure know quality. I'll take these two...

and four out of the pasture.

what do you mean, you'll take 'em?

Well, howdy, Mr. Anderson. I ain't seen you in quite a spell.

I don't get around to visitin'jails much, Tinkham.

This here's Mr. Carol.

Mr. Osborne. Mr. Marshall.

They're Federal purchasing agents, buying horses for the cavalry.

That's right, Mr. Anderson. Although we've got a set price we can pay,

I'd like to hear what you think these animals are worth.

The horses aren't for sale.

What my son tells ya is the gospel truth, gentlemen.

And you can carve his words in stone if you've a mind to. The horses are not for sale.

[ Chuckles ] That may be, but I think I ought to tell you...

that we're authorized to confiscate any we can't buy.

- What's confiscate mean, Pa? - Steal.

[ Chuckles ] You know, I don't think you quite understand.

You're not gonna take one horse off this farm, so you might as well forget it.

I thought you said these were reasonable people.

Mr. Carol, everybody in the county...

knows they'rejust sitting out the war.

I think what Mr. Tinkham means is that, uh,

he sort of figured that anybody too, uh, too yellow to fight...

wouldn't mind making a couple dollars off the war. Yellow?

I apologize for my son's manners, Mr. Carol.

He was taught to have more respect for his elders.

I accept your apology, sir.

Jacob, I don't know what gets into you once in a while.

You know you shouldn't hit this gentleman...

as long as I'm around.

James! Henry!

[ Funshot ] Yike!

I'm not in the habit of makin' promises to strangers, mister; but you have my word on it.

If you and these other animals don't get off this farm this minute,

I'm gonna shoot you stone dead.

That fella Tinkham,

he's the only man I know that started at the bottom...

and went down in the world.

He used to steal horses for nothin'. Now he gets paid for it.

Come on, boy! Get out of there before you catch cold.

Go on in the house.

See what you got us into?

Me? You hit him.

Well, you would've if I hadn't beat you to it.

Pa... first it was Johnson,

and that was on our land.

And now they come drivin' right up into our yard.

Aren't we gonna do anything about it?

Well, I must be gettin' old.

Seems to me we just did.

It's no easy job, Sam, takin' care of a woman.

No, sir. Mm-hmm.

Yep.

They expect things they never ask for.

And when they don't get them, they ask you why.

Sometimes they don't ask.

And they just go ahead and punish you for not doing somethin'...

you didn't know you were supposed to do in the first place.

What for instance, sir?

That's a very difficult question to answer, Sam. You're never quite sure.

It's just that it's sort of you might say... relative.

Relative to what, sir?

To how they're feelin' at the moment.

And how's that? You never know.

Uh, I don't believe I really understand what you're trying to tell me.

I know, I know. I never understood it myself.

I never understood it.

It's just one of those things, Sam.

It's around. You just don't ever see it.

Now suppose--

SupposeJennie started to cry one day.

You don't know what she's crying about, so you ask her why.

Do you follow me, Sam? Yes, sir.

You ask her, and she won't tell ya.

And that's when you ask her...

what it was you did that caused her to cry.

She still won't tell ya.

And that's when you start to get angry.

But, don't get angry, Sam.

She won't tell you why she's cryin' because she doesn't know.

Women are like that, Sam.

And it's exasperating. It's, it's... mmmph!

But don't let it make you angry.

No.

When she gets like that, just walk up and hug her a little bit.

'Cause that's all they really want...

when they're like that, Sam.

A little lovin'. You understand me, don't ya?

No, sir.

You don't, huh?

[ Ann ] There's somethin'else you must remember.

Husbands like to be alone once in a while.

Why?

You never know why.

But I can always tell when James wants to be alone.

A mood comes over him.

I can always see it in his eyes before it gets there. I don't know where...

the mood comes from or why, but that's when I leave him alone.

It seems sometimes things get so thick around a man...

that he comes to feel that everything is closin' in on him.

That's when he wants to be left alone.

You understand, don't you?

No.

No.

[ Organ Playing ""The wedding March'"]

[ Skipped item nr. 434 ]

""Dearly beloved,

""for as much as marriage...

""is a holy estate ordained by Fod...

to be held in honor by all--'"

To love and to cherish till death us do part.

[ Bjoerling ] "According to Fod's holy ordinance,

and thereto I plight thee my troth. '"

[ Sam ] According to Fod's holy ordinance,

and thereto I plight thee my troth.

""I,Jennie, take thee Sam...

to my wedded husband... '"

I,Jennie, take thee Sam to my wedded husband...

to have--'' to have and to hold from this day forward...

for better, for worse...

for richer, for poorer...

in sickness and in health...

to love, cherish and to obey till death us do part...

according to Fod's holy ordinance,

and thereto I plight thee my troth.

[ Bjoerling ] ""Receive this ring as a token of wedded love and troth. '"

Receive this ring as a token of wedded love... and troth.

Join your right hands.

""For as much as Sam and Jennie have consented together in holy wedlock...

""and have declared the same before God...

""and in the presence of this company,

""I pronounce them man and wife.

""In the name of the Father, and of the Son...

""and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

""What God hath joined together...

let not man put asunder.''

Congratulations, Sam.

Jennie.

Excuse me. Excuse me, sir.

The captain's compliments, sir.

Go on, Corporal.

He wishes to see you immediately. It's the Yankees.

They have broken through at winchester, sir.

Very well, Corporal.

I'll have to leave now. You know that, don't you?

Do you understand?

Do you?

[ Groaning ] It's started.

Pa! You just sit quiet.

Pa.! Somethin'terrible's gonna happen...

if we don't get Ann home. All right, all right.

Take the carriage. Jennie and I will go with Harkens.

Jacob, you drive 'em home. Nathan, go with 'em.

Henry? Yes, sir.

Find Doc Witherspoon. What shall I tell him, sir?

Tell him nothing. When I send for him, he knows. Yes, sir.

I'll be back, sir, just as soon as I can.

You take care of yourself, you hear?

[ Baby Crying ]

[ Crying Continues ]

Congratulations, son. It's a boy.

I know the sound. [ Brothers Laughing ]

Congratulations, James. How wonderful!

Ann wants to see you.

Something went wrong, Charlie.

I'm sorry.

It's a girl!

[ Brothers Laughing ]

[ Baby Crying ]

James?

No. I might break it.

How do you break an Anderson?

I don't know how you could bring yourself to do this to me, Tom Witherspoon.

After all the business I've given to you over the years!

It's not that I have any objection to girls, you understand.

It's just that it's awful hard to break a habit.

[ Chuckling ]

How old are you now, boy?

[ Clears Throat ] Eighteen, sir.

That means you'll be 2O in four years.

Eighteen to you is sixteen to me.

Just a little bit, sir. I've never tasted it. That's no good reason.

I've known men that've been drinkin' hard and steady all their lives.

They've never tasted it, either. Isn't that right, Doc?

[ Chuckles ] All right, here we are.

Here we go. Here's to the ladies.

[ Coughing ]

These are busy days. Good night, boys. Night, Doc.

Tom?

Tom, what's happenin'?

Virginia's losing, isn't she?

Looks that way, Charlie.

How do you feel about it all?

I was born in Virginia. Lived here all my life.

Raised three sons and two daughters under her flag.

My oldest son Paul is buried somewhere in Pennsylvania.

I'm sorry. I didn't know that.

They said Gettysburg is where he fell...

at a place called Little Round Top.

My youngest boy came home last week with tuberculosis.

He won't see another Christmas.

My third son rides with General Forrest. I don't know where they are.

You, uh, you were asking me how I feel about it all.

That's... the only way I know how to answer you.

If she needs me, send for me.

There's another baby due up the river. Come on.

[ Dogs Barking ]

[ Barking ]

Get out of here! Git! Either get out, or go find yourself a tree.

Just don't draw no fire to me.

[ Soldier ] Boys, now get outta here.! Fet outta here now.!

[ Barking ]

C'mon, get outta here!

[ Hoofbeats ]

[ Soldier ] Fet outta here.! Fit.! You hear?

Agh!

Yah! Whoo-haw!

Yee-haw!

Well now, look how young this one is.

[ Laughs ] I swear to goodness, if these here rebs...

ain't gonna be sendin' out grandpappies and old ladies next.

Let me hold that rifle, Johnny.

My name isn'tJohnny.

Let me have the rifle. What for?

Somehow it just don't set right with the officers...

when they see prisoners walkin'around armed.

Now gimme that rifle before I put a ball through that dumb head of your'n.

I admire spunk in a boy.

But if you don't do what I say from now on,

you're gonna find out spunk don't come free for nothin'.

All right, reb, let's go. I'm no soldier.

I don't look that ignorant, do I? We've seen enough of them...

Johnny Reb caps to last us a lifetime.

Go tell my pa.

Where they takin' you, boy?

I don't know.Just go tell him what happened.

You don't have to tell his pa nothin'. You're free.

Massa Anderson.! Massa Anderson.!

[ Panting ] They took him. What are you saying?

They took him. Who's they? Who'd they take?

The Yankee men. They took the boy.

- How many Yankee men? - I don't know.

Five, six. I don't know.

Now it concerns us.

Nothin'. There's some footprints near the trees, but they don't lead anywhere.

We haven't seen another man since we left the house, Pa. What do we do now?

Well, we'll... go home.

And we'll pack up...

and we'll leave tonight.

It's late, Gabriel. Won't Mr. Abernathy be lookin' for you?

He's gone, missy. Gone to Richmond. Left the field boss in charge.

Won't he be wonderin' where you are?

Old Jethro don't care nothin' about me.

When my mama died, he even took our cabin.

I don't gotta go back, do I, missy?

Man say I'm free. Don't that mean I don't gotta go back?

Well, if the man said you're free, Gabriel,

I guess that means you can go anywhere in the world you wanna go.

You mean I can just walk on down that road and keep on walkin'?

You can run if you like, Gabriel.

Good-bye, missy.

We can probably make better time, Pa, if we stay off the roads.

We can cut across here to the Rapidan.

There's a union camp the other side of the fort.

Is that the closest? Yes, sir. Far as I know.

The ones that took the boy were probably a few skirmishers. I don't think we could find 'em.

You think they turned him in as a prisoner? It's about all they can do.

All right. We'll try that one.

If you mount up, I'll be with you directly.

[ Ann ] Come in.

Hello, Papa Charlie.

Well,

I think she's gettin' bigger than you are.

Ann, we're leaving, and James is staying with you.

I don't know how these people dare take a son of mine.

When I catch up with 'em, it's gonna be a horrible thing to behold.

The boy means a great deal to you, doesn't he, Papa Charlie?

All my sons mean a great deal to me.

But the boy--

My Martha died the night he was born.

I look at him, I see her.

I'll pray for you all.

I'm afraid it's too late to do any prayin' for me...

and expect satisfactory results.

There.

You and James decided on a name? Martha.

She'd like that.

My Martha'd like that very much.

Ann, I haven't told you,

but we're all mighty proud to have you in our family.

I love you very much.

[ Door Closes ]

You take care of yourself, you hear me?

We'll be back just as soon as-- [ Hoofbeats ]

- Where do you think you're goin'? - Wherever you go, Papa.

From what these preachers tell me,

where I'm goin', you wouldn't like it there.

You may be on your way, but you aren't there yet, Papa.

Just never mind that. You're not goin' with us.

So unstrap, unhook, get out of your brother's clothes. You're a woman!

Yes, I'm a woman. But I don't see anybody here that I can't outrun, outride and outshoot.

I'll unstrap for you, Papa,

and unhook.

I'll even sit here and watch you ride out of sight.

- And then what? - Then I'll follow.

That's what I thought.

Don't worry about the place here, Pa. We'll manage.

You just keep that little Martha warm and fat.

She'll probably turn out to be the only one around here with a brain.

Bye, son. Good-bye, Pa.

You the leader of this band of fools?

Colonel Fairchild is my name.

Whether or not I'm the leader of fools...

is a question which has often entered my mind.

To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking, sir?

Charlie Anderson's my name.

You better decide later, Colonel, whether speaking with me is a pleasure or not.

Got business with me, Mr. Anderson? Yes, sir, I do.

All right, Mr. Nelson. What can I do for you, sir?

You can return my son for a start.

And then you can issue some kind of an order, whatever it is you do,

and instruct your people to keep off my farm and leave my family alone.

Your son? My youngest son.

Your people came on my farm, and they took him. Why?

That's what I'd like to know. But he's a prisoner, and your army's got him.

He isn't a Confederate? No, sir.

He's an Anderson, and that's all he is.

How old is he? He's sixteen.

Could you show me on the map where your farm is?

Well, it's Shenandoah Gap.

It shows here. Right there.

It couldn't have been any of my men who took your son, Mr. Anderson,

because we haven't been in your section.

But I think you should understand something.

My men fought a battle with rebels who threw stones at them...

'cause that was all that they had.

We took 1 ,5OO prisoners...

and there wasn't 5O rounds of ammunition among them.

What are you tellin' me, Colonel?

Only that what you're trying to do is nearly impossible.

Every corps in our army is taking thousands of prisoners each day.

How do you expect to find one sixteen-year-old boy?

[ Army Officer ] Hut, hut, hut, two, three, four.

Hut, hut, hut, two, three, four.

Hut, hut, hut, two, three, four.

If I had him, Mr. Anderson, I'd give him to you.

I don't have any prisoners here. We sent them to the railroad for shipment north.

If you happen to find the boy,

give this slip to the officer in charge, it may help you. What is it?

It's just a statement from me that your son was taken by mistake.

And that it would be considered a personal favor to me if he is released to you.

Where's that railroad you send your prisoners to, Colonel?

It's at Ivy Glen.

I do wish you good luck. I have a sixteen-year-old son too.

He's in school in Boston.

Thank God!

Those stragglers back there!

All right, keep movin:

Go on inside.

Keep those men movin' back there.

All right, move along!

The boy couldn't be with them, could he, Pa?

I have a note for Captain Richards. Sir?

You Anderson? I'm Anderson.

There's nothin' I can do for ya.

I don't recall askin' you to do anything for me. I'm lookin' for my son.

I don't have him. How do you know that?

All I'm askin' is to look through these cattle cars.

Is that too much to expect?

If your son is among these prisoners, you're too late.

There's a war going on, Mr. Anderson.

Sergeant, lock 'em up! Lock 'em up.

we have schedules to meet.

[ Sergeant ] Lock 'em up!

What'd he say, Pa?

He says he has schedules to meet.

Sergeant!

Get this stuff off of the track, mister! Who are you?

I'd like to know what you think you're doin'! You know the penalty--

You'd all please me very much if you'd drop your guns and stick your hands in the air.

You drop the rifles right now!

Now I remember. Anderson. Your name is Anderson.

Now you can all turn around, and start walkin'.

I don't care where you go just as long as you get out of my sight.

You're the man who's lookin' for his son.

You're the man that's got schedules to keep.

Come on, move out. Come on, let's go.

Let's go, Captain, you heard him. Come on, move!

Get on it, boy.

How long do you intend to keep my train here, sir?

I'm glad you asked me that.

I believe in a man knowin' all there is to know about his business.

First I'm gonna empty your train and then I'm gonna burn it! Burn it?

Open up those doors!

Why, you can't do that!

You can't burn my train!

Maybe I can't, but you gotta give me credit for tryin'!

But why? Why? It's not the kind of a train I favor.

You can get out. You're free.

Boy!

Jacob!

Boy's not here,Jennie.

Sam!

Jennie.

Oh!

You better leave here soon, Mr. Anderson.

There's a regular cavalry patrol on these railroads.

[Jacob ] Pa, what about the train?

Sir?

Sir, I've been the engineer on this train for ten years.

She's been a good train all that time.

Well, it ain't right to burn her just 'cause she come on to hard times.

You run a sad kind of a train, mister.

It takes people away when they don't wanna go...

and won't bring 'em back when they're ready.

But I'll leave it to the ones that were on it. Sam?

Burn it.

Burn the train!

Burn it.!

Ya-hoo!

Let's take it out of that car. Bring another torch.

Henry, give Sam the boy's horse.

The rest of you get mounted. Come on.

[ Cheering ]

You bein' the only officer here, sir,

well, some of the boys are after knowing what to do.

- Go home. - Home, sir?

- Go home. - Home, sir?

The war is lost. Go back to your families.

I had no right to tell him that, Mr. Anderson.

But those men can't go through another fight.

We knew before we went into the last one we couldn't win.

Why'd you go, Sam?

Easier than runnin', I guess.

If there's a cavalry patrol around here, we better move.

[ Ship Whistle Blowing ]

Hello, Carter.

You can have your chance tonight, boy, if you wanna take it.

Chance for what? To run.

They don't waste many men on prisoner duty.

They're usually the worst of the lot.

[ Carter ] They plan on herding us on that stern-wheeler.

Some of us don't fancy no sight-seeing trip up north.

When they open that gate tonight, you stick as close to me as a flea on a hound dog.

And somethin' else. Once we get goin', you're on your own.

I gotta forget that you ain't nothin' but a lap baby.

[ Thunderclap ]

Nathan, you and Henry take the horses over to that barn there.

Yes, sir.

[ Thunderclap ]

Jacob, see if you can get a fire started. Yes, sir.

[ Banging Noise ]

Say, what's Pa doin' in there?

Sleepin', I guess.

I can hear him movin'.

[ Thunderclap ]

Sure gonna taste good about now.

For somebody it is.

Sam?

Sir? You too,Jennie.

Here,just, uh--

Your mother and I had it a little better than this. It's not very comfortable.

But when you've lived together for a dozen years,

you'll realize that comfort's not what counts.

It's customary for a gentleman to carry his bride across the threshold.

So, if... if you wanna-- Right.

Yes, sir.

[ Thunderclap ]

What are you lookin' at? Nothin', sir.

Come on, move along, move along.

All right, inside.

Move along there. Now!

Get that other guard!

Aaah!

Come on! Come on! This way, boy.

Get down! Get down!

[ Screaming ]

[ Shouting ]

Get in. Get in!

Come on.

Them blue bellies must be everywhere.

We're gonna do our travelin' at night headin' south... always south.

Then we can't hardly help comin' on somethin' friendly.

But our farm is north.

[ Dog Barking ]

You hear somethin'?

I smell somethin'.

Wood smoke.

[ Carter ] That's a Confederate camp.!

Wood smoke ain't all you smelt!

You smelt country boys!

Hee-haw!

Whoo-haw!

I got these over at the hospital wagon.

Fellas they belong to won't be needin' them no more.

The lieutenant over there says they be pullin' back in the mornin'.

We're welcome to go with 'em if we want to. That was good of him.

What is this? Don't ask.

Ain't nothin' your mama ever set the table with. You can believe that.

We're walkin' in tall cotton, boy.

Down in Vicksburg, I hear they're eatin' rats!

[ Horse whinnies ]

[ Sentry ] Yankees.! Yankees.!

[ Bugle ]

Here, take this.

[ Bugle Continues ]

Don't fire till I tell ya!

I've never shot at a man before.

They ain't gonna know that.

[ Cow Bell Ringing ]

[ Moos ]

Lieutenant? Yes, sir?

Is that a Confederate cow or a Union cow? Must be a Union cow, sir.

Union cow's tasty? Quite tasty, sir.

Then take her prisoner. Yes, sir.

[ Cheering ]

[ Cheering ]

[ Laughing ]

[ Cheering ]

[ Soldiers Froaning ]

Sorry, sir.

That's all right, Lieutenant. You scared a few pounds off her.

Get ready.

Fire!

Fire!

Charge!

Charge!

Fire.!

Whoo-haw!

You might as well know somethin' right now, boy.

In case you got any doubts, we ain't got a dog's chance in hell.

I ain't never seen nobody get so peevish over a cow before!

Hee-haw!

What... What you--

[ Groans ]

Howdy!

Hello.

What can I do for ya?

Oh,just a drink of your water if you don't mind.

Come a long ways. Got a long ways to go.

You're welcome to all you can drink, and all you can carry.

Obliged.

- Nice place you got here. Must support quite a few. - Nine.

Nine? Imagine that!

How come I don't see none of'em around...

'cept you?

They're all away from home for a while.

Oh, Mule, you sure do a job up right.

Yeah, I'm bound to say it. You sure do.

You two look around. See if they got any horses.

I'll see what's in the house.

Yeah.

James? [ Gasps ]

- Mule? -James!

James!

This all there is?

We used the last of the flour yesterday and this is the last of the coffee.

You don't think we're gonna find him, do you, Sam?

No, sir, I don't.

Boy could be anyplace, Pa.

He may even be somewhere up north by now.

Federal prison, you mean?

Yes, sir.

Horses haven't had a good feed in a long time, Pa. They're almost spent.

I wanna say somethin'.

I've known since the train that we weren't liable to find him.

It was just a hair of a chance that we got Sam back.

I knew that--

Maybe I knew even before we left home,

but somehow I just had to try!

And if we don't try, we don't do.

And if we don't do,

why are we here on this earth?

I--

I hope you all understood.

We understood ya, Pa. We're all with ya.

Now, tomorrow morning we'll start back.

Pa?

I'll admit to you that I don't feel the same way I did before.

I'll admit that I'd sure like to get home.

But I don't want you giving up because of us.

I'm with ya.

I don't wanna go home unless you really want to.

Thank you, son.

We'll go home. Maybe the boy is there.

[ Hoofbeats ]

Hold your fire, men!

Hold your fire!

Dead!

How old are you?

How old?

Sixteen.

Six-- Sixteen.

I'm not gonna kill you.

I want you to live!

I want you to live to be an old man.

And I want you to have many... many, many children.

And I want you to feel about your children then...

the way I feel about mine now!

And someday,

when a man comes along and kills one of'em,

I want you to remember!

I want you to remember.

[ Sobbing ]

We'll bury him on the farm near his mother.

[ Door Opens ]

Somebody sick, Tom?

Where have you been?

What's wrong?

What's wrong? The baby--

The baby's all right, Charlie.

Uh,James and... Ann...

are dead.

[ Moans ]

We, uh... we figured scavengers did it.

From what I could tell,

James died instantly.

It wasn't until two days later I just happened to come by.

Ann had--

She was dead too.

I, I had them buried near Martha.

I thought you'd like that.

It somehow seemed the only place.

Where's the baby, Tom?

Upstairs. I found a woman to take care of her.

She's all right, Charlie.

The child is my granddaughter.

Her name is Martha.

It's been a long time, Martha, since I held a baby.

It's been a long time.

[ Charlie ] O Lord, we cleared this land.

we plowed it and sewed it...

and harvested.

We cooked the harvest. We--

It wouldn't--

It wouldn't be here, we wouldn't be eatin' it...

if we hadn't done it all our--

all ourselves.

I don't even know what to say to ya anymore, Martha.

There's nothin' much I can tell ya about this war.

It's like all wars, I suppose.

The undertakers are winnin' it.

The politicians will talk a lot about the glory of it.

And the old men will talk about the need of it.

But... the soldiers,

they just want to go home.

I guess you're not so lonely now, Martha,

with James and Ann...

and Jacob,

maybe the boy.

Y-You didn't know Ann, did you?

Well, you'll like her. You'll like her a lot, Martha.

Why, she and James are so much alike.

They're just like--

No.

No, we were never that much alike, were we, Martha?

We just sort of--

We just sort of grew alike through the years.

But I wish--

I wish I could just know...

what you're thinkin' about it all, Martha.

Then maybe things wouldn't look so bad to me.

If I only knew what you thought!

[ Church Bell Ringing ]

Ah, you... you never give up, do ya?

[ Ringing ]

Thought you'd get away with it, huh?

Why didn't one of you tell me it was Sunday?

Come on. Get cleaned up. We're late.

- You have somethin' to say? - No, sir.

Well, then saddle your horses. Get my carriage.

Kindred go

This mortal life also

The body they may kill

God's truth abideth still

His kingdom is forever

Amen

[ Baby Cries ] For our second hymn--

[ Crying ]

For our second hymn,

we'll turn to page-- [ Baby Crying ]

[ Crying ]

How long, O Lord?

[ Crying ]

With God's help, we'll turn to page...

1 3 7.

Shall we all rise and sing?

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise him all creatures here below

Praise him above ye heavenly host

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost