Original subtitles

Fort Bridger was only a few hours' ride

from the territory the wagon train was rolling through,

and I had reason to go there.

Good reason.

Fort Bridger's where I grew up.

I suppose growing up for everybody

is sugar and spice...

A concoction of happiness and pain.

Time waters down unpleasant memories

and sort of magnifies the happy ones.

Can I take care of your horse, stranger?

Stranger?

'Fraid you're the stranger, boy.

Fort Bridger here's my home.

Your home?

Well, I've been here nearly four years

and I ain't never seen... Hold on, now.

You ain't...

Well, sure. You must be.

Y-you're Mr. Bridger's son, Flint McCullough.

That's right.

Hey, you've come home!

I'll go get Mr. Bridger for you.

Oh, no, you don't. I want to surprise him.

Yes, sir. Mr. McCullough.

Where is he?

He ain't here, McCullough.

Tell me where he is, or I'll kill you.

He'll be here.

Sundown.

What are you aiming to do, McCullough?

I'm gonna kill him.

Move!

JIM: Who's down there?

Flint! You've come home!

Why, what's happened to you, boy?

What is it, boy?

I'm sorry, Mr. Bridger.

I came home to see you,

and I found him.

Oh, so this is what the war did to you.

You sick, boy?

I'm gonna kill him at sundown.

Sundown? Who, boy, who?

It was a day just like any other day

when the nightmare started four years ago.

Son, this war's no business of yours.

This is a rebellion, an uprising.

It'll be put down soon.

It's a war, sir, the North against the South.

I was born in Virginia.

I owe my allegiance to the South.

You was born in Virginia, but this is your home.

You was raised here with me and the Indians.

The West is your home.

Mr. Bridger, there are lots of people in the West

from the North and the South.

A man's got to pick a side and do his share.

You know, when you was little

and got a stubborn streak like that,

I whupped you good for it.

Would you like to try it now, Mr. Bridger, sir?

Hey, uh, here come Tom Yates and Jean.

Howdy, Mr. Yates. Hello, Jean.

I got the bracelet ready for you.

May I go, Father?

Yes.

Don't go wandering far, daughter.

We'll have to hurry to get back before dark.

I'll get you your present.

Talk to your folks? Did ya?

Yes.

Is it all right?

Is it...

Well, is it all right?

Well, with my mother, yes,

but you know what my father's like.

Jean, we've been through all this before.

I love you. What difference does it make what we believe?

It doesn't make any difference to me.

Then I'll tell your father right now we're gonna be married.

Flint, no, you can't do that.

What else can I do? What do you expect?

Well...

You know I love you

more than anybody else in this whole world.

And I love you. Isn't that enough?

Oh, Flint, I'm Mormon and you're not.

But if you just have a little patience,

my father will understand in time.

Time! How much time does he want?

It's been months now since I asked you.

We're no closer to getting married now than we were then.

Jean, I don't have any time.

I'm gonna join the army.

The army?

I've been thinking about it a long time.

No!

A man isn't much of a man

if he doesn't do his share when the time comes.

Flint, you know I love you and I want to marry you.

When?

Well... well, I just don't know, Flint.

If I could have a little time to think about it...

When?

Well...

Next time I see you.

TOM: Jean. Jean!

I bet she'll be straightening her bonnet when she comes out.

I'll be in in a few weeks, Jim.

I hope your stock comes around all right.

Thank you.

Hey!

We'll be here.

She's a fine girl, Flint.

They're good people,

but I don't know how Tom might feel about Jean

taking up with somebody who ain't one of them.

Might you be James Bridger?

Always have been.

We're in need of supplies.

Well, that's what we're here for.

Uh-huh.

Mm.

All this just for the two of you?

No, there's a party of us.

We're camped some distance from here.

Oh, I see.

Well, I guess we can take care of this.

Sugar, flour, beans... ammunition?

That's an awful lot of ammunition.

I guess you aim to do a lot of shooting, eh?

We're traveling. It may be some time

before we reach another point of supply.

Oh ho. Well.

Uh, Flint?

Yes, sir.

This is my adopted son, Flint McCullough.

Adopted, eh?

Mr. Bridger's been taking care of me

since my real folks died, about ten years now, I guess.

You must know the country around here pretty well.

Well, Mr. Bridger says he's taught me everything he knows.

If that's true, that's every stick and stone of it.

Oh, that's interesting.

You know, it'll probably take some time to get those supplies together.

I was wondering if there was some place

around here we might get a bite to eat.

Oh, no, there ain't no place around here,

but we'd be pleased to have you eat with us.

Well, thank you kindly.

Get going, boy.

Yes, sir.

Take care of your supplies.

McCullough is our man, Lieutenant.

Seems so, Colonel.

But suppose he isn't interested?

You should know me better than that, Quincy.

When I want something, I get it.

You know, that's an interesting story,

how you came to adopt Flint here.

JIM: Yep, kinda tough on a young'un

to lose his folks so early.

They schooled him and taught him his manners,

and I learned him all I could,

but I couldn't teach him to forget

that he was born in Virginia.

Oh, I don't know.

It's a strange fact, Mr. Bridger,

that a man's heart stays with

the place of his birth, as a rule.

Of course, that isn't always so.

How do you feel about it, Flint?

Well, I was brought up here, sir,

but if somebody asked me where I was born,

I'd be mighty proud to say Virginia.

You see?

And, uh...

how do you feel about the war, Flint?

Well, I've been thinking about it a lot...

Thinking a lot about it?

He's been doing nothing but talk about it,

getting himself all riled up!

Hmph. Lot of nonsense.

War is a serious business, Flint.

Takes a particular type of man to be a soldier.

Oh, there's glory in it, sure.

The thrill of battle.

But, uh, victory on the battlefield

is won by the blood and sweat of men,

real men who are not afraid to face death

for the things they believe in.

That's what I've been telling Mr. Bridger.

I think a man's gotta do his duty as he sees it.

Takes a lot of courage.

I'm not afraid, Mr. Taylor.

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that you are...

but, you know, you'd think,

feeling the way you do, that, uh...

you'd have acted instead of just talking about it.

If I knew where to join up, I'd do it right now.

There you go again, getting yourself all riled up, Flint.

Just a minute, Mr. Bridger.

I'm gonna take you two men into my confidence.

I'm Colonel Jason Taylor, Army of the Confederacy.

This is Lieutenant Quincy Abbott,

my adjutant.

Confederate Army? Whatcha doing way out here?

Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Bridger.

There are a lot of men out here like this young man

who were born in the South

and whose hearts are still there,

in spite of the fact that they live here.

We're on a recruiting mission to give these young men

the opportunity to fulfill their obligations.

You mean I could join up now?

The lieutenant and I are returning to camp tonight.

But, of course, if you're sure you want to join up...

I am sure, sir.

I'll get my things.

I, uh, I'd like to talk to my boy alone.

Why, yes, of course.

You sure you know what you're doing, son?

Yes, sir, I'm sure.

Nothing I can do or say to keep you?

No. I've made up my mind.

Oh, what about Jean?

Tell her...

Tell her she forgot her bracelet.

She'll understand.

All right.

Well, Flint...

I tried hard to raise you up to be a good man,

the right kind of man.

Stay right, son.

Take care of yourself.

Come back when it's over.

Mr. Bridger...

I'll come back.

And for everything, thank you, sir.

Fall in! Come on, let's move.

Fall in. Fall in. Wake up.

You get rid of that bucket, soldier, and quick.

Fall in! You're not farmers.

Let's try to make two straight lines out of this.

Hold in that gap, soldier.

Straighten up that line back there!

Take them smiles off your faces.

You better remember what I taught you.

We're ready, sir.

At ease.

Colonel Taylor.

Yes?

Your men are assembled.

All right.

About time I made them acquainted

with their assignment.

My hunch is they won't like it, sir.

Doesn't matter what they like.

They'll do as they're told.

Let's not waste time.

You have a new man out there, sir.

They're all new men!

This one hasn't been sworn in.

McCullough. Flint McCullough.

Hogwash!

It's army, Colonel.

The oath is an important thing to most men.

Attention!

Flint McCullough, step forward.

Raise your right hand.

Repeat after me.

I solemnly pledge all of my allegiance...

I solemnly pledge all of my allegiance...

to the cause of the Confederate States of America...

to the cause of the Confederate States of America...

promising to fight her enemies,

protect her people, and keep faith with her principles.

Promising to fight her enemies,

protect her people, and keep faith with her principles.

So help me God.

So help me God.

Return to rank, soldier.

Pick up that rifle, soldier!

Soldier, return to ranks!

Colonel, how soon are we gonna be heading south?

Soldier, you're at attention.

Sergeant Hayes, is this the way you train your men?

No, sir.

Thorpe, you keep your mouth shut

till you give permission to speak.

Soldier, the answer to your question is...

that we are not heading south.

It takes more than guts to win a war.

It takes powder and shot,

mules and flour,

and all kinds of things that cost lost of money.

And the side that has the largest supply of gold

is the side that, in the long run, wins.

That is a military fact.

Regardless of the hogwash you may have heard

about the glory

of great victories on the battlefields...

our enemies...

have a large source of gold

which pours to them from the western mines.

And their source of gold must be cut.

And it is up to us to see that this is done.

That is our mission.

Any further questions?

Yeah. When we...

HAYES: Soldier.

You say "sir"

when you are addressing the colonel.

Sir...

When we signed up,

we thought we was heading for the battlefields.

Are you telling us we're not even gonna get there?

I'm telling you what your mission is,

and as a soldier I expect you

to carry out my orders

whenever and wherever they are issued.

When do we get our uniforms?

You will receive your uniforms

when our orders take us back behind the Southern lines.

Until that time, you are not really regular soldiers,

but guerrillas, assigned to special duty.

Guerrillas? Why, they're the same as spies.

If they catch us in no uniforms,

why, they'll kill us.

A very good thing for you all to remember.

It should make you careful, very careful,

not to get caught.

Sergeant, dismiss your men.

Yes, sir.

Company dismissed!

Thorpe, what'd you think about today?

Hmm?

Thorpe?

I said what'd you...

What do you want?

I'd like to talk to you, sir.

Have a drink?

Well, you'll come to it eventually.

It's the soldier's only friend.

Speak up.

Why didn't Colonel Taylor tell me what this job was?

You didn't ask.

You couldn't wait to become a soldier.

I didn't think it'd be like this.

Lot of things you didn't know about, McCullough.

You ever kill a man?

Give it some thought.

You said it.

"A man's gotta do his duty as he sees it."

Mr. Abbott?

Mr. Abbott?

Lieutenant Abbott, sir.

I don't like being laughed at, sir.

All right.

All right.

We'll forget rank for now.

Just man to man.

I wasn't laughing at you, McCullough.

Not exactly.

It's, uh...

the whole stupid thing that makes me laugh,

you and a million others fired up with the...

idea, the glory of war,

a hero's death on the battlefield,

uniforms, shiny buttons, medals.

You listen to me, McCullough.

I'm gonna do something for you,

set you straight.

War is a word.

There's glory in the sound of it,

and that's where it ends.

War is a foul, stinking sin.

It makes men into butchers,

and rips and tears them apart

morally and physically.

But Colonel Taylor said that...

'Course he said!

He wanted you.

Colonel. Taylor. My superior officer.

McCullough, what do you think of Colonel Taylor?

Colonel Taylor, my boy...

is a barbarian.

A peasant.

An educated peasant, but a peasant.

His father before him was a peasant,

and his father before him, peasants,

all of them.

But Jase Taylor's a good soldier.

I respect him for that.

Just how good, you'll come to know soon enough.

I-I don't understand.

My family...

is one of the most aristocratic strains

in all of the South.

I was born a gentleman.

Atlanta's my home.

Plantations, wealth, comfort are my heritage.

This war is being fought

to preserve my way of life.

This is reality, my boy.

Selfish, unidealistic, but it is reality.

I'm fighting this war for myself.

But you're an officer.

Well, yes.

I'm an officer.

I learned all about being an officer at West Point.

For two years, they tried to make an officer

and a gentleman out of me.

I quit why?

Because I am a gentleman by birth,

and I shall always be a gentleman,

whether I like it or not.

But you mark these words, McCullough.

There'll come a time

when you'll wish you never set eyes

on Jase Taylor or me or the war.

Is that all, sir? No.

You've got an ounce of reality in you,

you'll heed what I've said.

You'll climb back on your horse.

You'll ride back to Fort Bridger

before it's too late.

Lieutenant, you're drunk.

I've never been more sober.

Come in.

HAYES: Dismissed.

Get Lieutenant Abbott.

Lieutenant, the Federals have a shipment of gold

on the way from Virginia City.

Should reach this area

sometime within the next two days.

Yes, sir, and your orders?

I want you to take Sergeant Hayes

and a couple men and scout the trails around here.

I want to pick out a spot that'll

lend itself to our purpose.

I think we would need the help of a man

thoroughly familiar with the surrounding country.

What?

Our new man. McCullough.

He knows every stick of this country,

and every trail.

Lieutenant, I said to take a couple of men.

Obviously, that left it open

for you to choose whoever you want.

Yes, sir.

With your permission, I won't take Hayes.

The men don't like him.

Sergeant Hayes is a good soldier.

He does what he's told when he's told.

Sir, if the colonel resents my suggestions,

in the future I'll keep them to myself.

Lieutenant...

You know that I'm always open to suggestion.

That last remark was unnecessary.

Yes, sir.

All right. Leave Hayes here.

Take whoever you want.

And get to it!

How much further?

About an hour's ride.

It's a Yankee patrol.

Shut up. Listen.

They don't know who we are.

You do all the talking, McCullough.

Detail, halt!

Who are you men?

FLINT: We're riding the line for old man Thorwell.

Who's he?

Mr. Tad Thorwell. I thought everybody knew him.

He raises most the beef you fellas eat.

Oh, I see.

Riding line for him?

Well, just what does that mean?

Herding his cattle for him.

Just took a herd down to the lower range.

You men look fit and healthy.

How does it happen you're not in uniform?

Or aren't you interested in the war?

Sure we are!

I was gonna join up, but, well, they told me

somebody had to take care of the beef for the army

and everybody else, I guess, so...

Well, we do that best, so we're doing it.

I guess you're right.

It does take more than soldiers and guns to fight a war.

You men seem to know this country pretty well.

Where are you headed for right now?

Heber Valley. Going down to pick up another herd.

Well, you could do us a good service.

As you can plainly see, this country's new to us.

Our next assignment is Heber Valley.

We're headed for it right now.

Maybe you could guide us.

Sure. All you gotta do is turn your patrol around

and go up this hill.

I'll show you the way from there on in.

Good enough.

Detail, follow me!

What'll we do now?

How far is it to that place?

Overnight ride.

Let's go.

Can't leave him.

It's bad.

You know your way out of here?

Yes, sir.

Don't know, McCullough. It looks too risky.

He'll bleed to death, sir, if we keep moving.

I know the people in that farmhouse, sir.

They're Mormons. They'll help us.

All right. You go alone.

Yes, sir.

JEAN: Who is it?

Flint.

Let me in. Flint!

Let me in.

Flint! What are you doing here?

I'm in trouble, Jean. I need some help.

TOM: Jean! Who are you talking to?

It's Flint.

What's wrong?

I'll explain later, Jean. Trust me.

What are you doing here at this hour?

There's a man outside, sir. He's badly wounded.

If he doesn't get help soon, he's gonna die.

Well, what are you waiting for, boy?

Bring the man in.

Yes, sir.

Martha, bring hot water and something for bandages.

But, Thomas, do you know what you're doing?

Martha, my dear, it's right.

The man is hurt.

It is God's will.

We must help those distressed.

He will show us the right.

Where will we put him, Mr. Yates?

Sir, nobody must know we're here.

Very well.

Bring boiling water.

This way.

Put him down right here.

Yes.

We are deeply grateful to you, sir.

I'm Lieutenant Abbott, Army of the Confederacy.

These men are under my command.

I think you're entitled to know that.

TOM: It doesn't matter.

We do not hold with war or violence.

It is sinful and useless,

but we cannot withhold our help when it is needed.

I respect your beliefs, sir.

Jean, don't be angry. Let me explain.

Jean, if you were a man, you'd understand.

I'm a woman, Flint,

and I don't understand.

Just doesn't matter anymore.

Doesn't it matter anymore?

Have you stopped loving me?

Oh, Flint!

I love you so much!

If anything would happen to you,

I'd want to die.

Jean, nothing's going to happen to me,

so don't worry about it.

Don't go back, Flint.

You don't have to. Stay here.

If you love me like you say you do, you'd stay.

You asked me to think of our love and understand

while you're out there being hunted down like an animal.

Oh, Flint, please stay. Please!

Jean.

I believe what I'm doing is right.

When the war's over, I'll come back

and we'll be married, no matter what.

Don't say that unless you mean it, Flint.

You know I mean it.

I've made the boy as comfortable as I could.

Thank you, Mrs. Yates.

Jean, I love you.

Don't ever forget that.

Come on.

Get in your room.

I'm staying with you, Flint.

All right.

McCullough, you're a fool.

What do you want?

Anybody pass by here tonight?

There's been no one by here.

You know what it means to harbor an enemy in time of war.

We have no enemies.

What are you, anyway?

We're Mormons, sir.

Mormons, huh?

You give me your word

you're hiding no one in this house?

There's no one here but my wife and myself.

I'm sorry to have bothered you.

Thomas!

Yes, Martha, I lied.

If it is right, God will forgive.

That's a courageous thing he did.

Lieutenant, we can't ask any more of these people.

We've gotta get out of here.

What about Thorpe?

We'll just have to move him.

You don't have to worry about him.

He's dead.

Now, you remember what I said last night.

All I remember about last night was...

That man lying down there could've been you, Flint.

But it wasn't.

Look at me.

And it won't be.

Flint. Flint!

Why don't you stay?

As far as Colonel Taylor is concerned,

you could be as dead as Thorpe.

I've made my decision.

You're an uncommonly high-principled young man, McCullough.

I'm a fool.

Come on, fool.

Guide me back to camp.

You're right, McCullough.

This is a fine tactical position.

Thank you, sir.

Hayes, deploy your men!

Yes, sir!

All right, dismount!

Now, look, McCullough,

I want you to take a detail of four men.

Use the black powder.

I want you to blow up those bridges.

No prisoners, and I'll hold you responsible

for anybody who escapes in that direction.

Yes, sir.

All right, move, you men!

Come on!

Let's see a little speed here!

If the Yankees don't kill you, I will!

Come on, let's get a move on!

Come on, kill them!

Come on, kill them!

Yahoo!

Kill them all! Come on, no prisoners!

Kill them! Kill them all!

What's this?

Prisoner, sir.

I told you we didn't want any prisoners.

You heard me. But he surrendered, sir.

Hayes! Here's another one for you.

No!

After him!

McCullough, you're under arrest.

But you don't understand, sir. He surrendered.

You don't just shoot a prisoner.

Hayes was obeying my orders.

Lieutenant, take this man in charge.

First battle's always bad for the appetite.

It isn't that.

It's to see men shot down in cold blood.

No use brooding about it.

In his position, the Colonel had no choice.

Lucky it wasn't you.

Come with me.

McCullough, your conduct this afternoon as a soldier

was inexcusable.

Sir, I didn't know that you...

I'm not finished.

Because of your conduct, a prisoner has escaped.

In our circumstances, unless that man is caught,

it can mean death for all of us.

I didn't realize that at the time, sir.

Military regulations call for

the extreme penalty for such behavior.

However, in view of the fact

that this was your first encounter

and because of your youth and inexperience,

I have decided to forget the whole matter

for the present.

Thank you, sir.

All right. Now there is something

you are going to do for us.

My men have combed every inch of the surrounding country.

No sign of this escaped prisoner.

Recalling your fortunate escape from the patrol,

it occurs to me that this escaped prisoner

may be hiding in the same farmhouse.

I don't want to waste time looking for him.

You know exactly where it is,

and you will lead us there right now.

What do you want here?

I'm Colonel Taylor, Confederate Army.

I have reason to believe you are hiding an enemy in this house.

We have no enemies.

I'll give you one last chance

to disclose his whereabouts.

Otherwise, I'll shoot you on the spot.

Sir, if he's here, he's in the cellar.

Hayes, put the old man down there with the others.

Burn the place.

Jean!

I don't remember what happened after that.

It was a long time before I remembered anything.

Then I learned Taylor'd been sent to prison.

That's the only thing that kept him from me.

So I tried to forget.

And I thought I had until today.

The nightmare was four years ago,

but now it seems like yesterday.

The man is alive, and as long as he lives

it is not a nightmare; it's a reality.

I knew this day would come.

I know what I have to do.

Taylor!

Taylor...

There's nothing left of him for me to destroy.

The Fates have played a weird trick.

He destroyed himself just as he destroyed others.

This part of my life now is just a memory.

After spending some time with Mr. Bridger

and reminiscing about

some of the more pleasant years of my youth,

I again joined the wagon train on its journey west.