Glory

---

Dear Mother:

I hope you are keeping well

and not worrying too much about me.

You mustn't think

any of us are gonna be killed.

For they're collecting such a force

here that an attack would be insane.

The Massachusetts men

passed through this morning.

How grand it is to meet the men

from all the states...

...ready to fight for their country...

...as the old fellows did

in the Revolution.

But this time we must make it

a whole country...

...for all who live here,

so that all can speak.

Before this war began...

...many of my regiment

had never seen a Negro.

But now the roads are choked

with the dispossessed.

We fight for men and women

whose poetry is not yet written...

...but which will presently be

as enviable and as renowned as any.

Last night we heard

of yet another defeat...

...but we are not disheartened.

I am honoured to be part

of such a splendid company.

They have made me captain,

of which I am enormously proud.

You would think it strange

to see me giving orders to 100 men...

...most of whom are older than I am.

Thank you for sending

my volume of Emerson.

His words come home to me like truth.

''A deep man, '' he says, ''believes

that the evil eye can wither...

... that the heart's

blessing can heal...

...and that love

can overcome all odds. ''

My dearest love to Father.

Your son, Robert.

Fire!

Fire!

Steady, boys!

Forward!

For God's sake, come on!

Robert, come on!

We must fall back!

No! Morse!

Morse!

You all right there, captain?

Please! Not my leg!

Where's the chloroform?

Stop!

So it's the neck, captain?

The surgeons are all busy

but l'll fix you up right enough.

Let me know if l hurt you.

lt's nothing.

Heard the latest?

What's that?

l heard it from a friend

who's a dispatch rider...

...who got it from his friend,

one of Stanton's War Office clerks.

He says Lincoln's gonna issue

an Emancipation Proclamation.

Gonna free the slaves.

What?

Maybe not those in the Border States,

but he's gonna free some.

- My God!

- Yeah.

Says he would've done it sooner

but he needed a big victory.

l guess that's what this is.

Oh, my God!

Please don't cut anymore!

Please!

Please!

Am l hurting you, captain?

l'm sorry.

Robert!

Thomas!

Captain Shaw.

l was so proud when l heard.

They had no choice.

All the other officers are dead.

- And Forbes?

- lmpossible as always.

He's around here somewhere.

- How about you?

- Working for your father.

Helping him with

the Freedman's Relief Association.

There's a shortage of housing-

Are you all right?

Yes. lt's all right.

Darling, there's someone

who wishes to meet you.

General Hunter rounded up

slaves from the fields...

...called them contraband

and put them in camps, like cattle.

Then the War Department decided

to issue them pikes rather than guns.

Of course they deserted.

So would l.

Governor, you know my son, Robert.

- lt's good to see you again.

- Governor Andrew.

Have you met Frederick Douglass?

Mr. Douglass.

l understand you were at Antietam.

A great and a terrible day.

l could use your help.

The governor's proposing to raise

a regiment of Negro soldiers.

No, it was not just my idea.

Mr. Douglass has-

We'll offer pride and dignity

to those who've known only degradation.

Coloured soldiers, Rob.

Just think of it!

Wonderful.

l've submitted your name

to be commissioned...

...colonel of the 54th

Massachusetts lnfantry.

Thank you, governor, that's...

That's a wonderful idea.

Excuse me.

Well done, Shaw.

- Splendid job, young man.

- Bravo, Robert.

What's the matter, Chester?

Too much punch?

l mean, l know how much you'd like to be

a colonel, but a coloured regiment?

You know how unpopular

that would be...

...handing out guns to 1,000 coloureds?

What's wrong?

l'm gonna do it.

You're not serious?

l want you to come with me.

Me?

And you?

Can you picture me

in charge of a regiment?

Picture me in charge of anything?

l would be honoured to have you.

Then you're an idiot.

ls it true?

There's to be a coloured regiment?

So it seems.

Then l am your first volunteer.

Present arms!

How's it look, colonel?

We gonna whup the Secesh?

Hey, boss, when we get the blue suit?

We ready to whup them Rebs.

When we gonna get to fight?

- Attention!

- Attention!

- Good morning.

- Morning.

Good morning, gentlemen.

l am Colonel Robert Gould Shaw.

l am your commanding officer.

lt is a great pleasure

to see you all here today.

lt is my hope

that the same courage...

...spirit and honour...

...which has brought us together...

...will one day restore this union.

May God bless us all.

Form companies?

- We'll commence with forming companies.

- Officers, take charge...

You recruits will report

to your respective officers...

...by the letter of your company

in alphabetical order...

...which is in

the top left-hand corner...

...of your muster sheet.

ls that a book, brother?

Yes, it is, actually.

The name's Searles. Thomas Searles.

Jupiter Sharts, sir.

What it about, that book?

lt's a collection of essays.

Fourier, Emerson...

...all the transcendentalists.

lt got pictures?

- Teach me?

- Yes, l'd be happy to.

Just look at what's walking in here.

Look at them. Go on.

l'd rather have a hog than a n*gger.

You could eat the hog.

lt's getting dark

mighty early around here.

Sergeant of the guard!

Post your sentry!

Yes, sir!

Wait, that's my space, n*gger.

l sleeps better close up on that door.

lf you don't mind, l'd prefer a space

with more sufficient reading light.

l like it when n*ggers talk

good as white folk.

l'd be happy to teach you.

lt would be my pleasure.

Hey, look here, snowflake,

l ain't learning from no house n*gger.

l am a free man,

as was my father before me.

Oh, you free?

Move your free black ass

out my space...

- ...before l-

- Hey, hold up-

Nobody talking to you, pap.

lt's all right.

l'll be fine over here.

Excuse me.

Wonder when they gonna

give us the blue suit?

They ain't giving black soldiers

blue suits, only white soldiers.

Well, we soldiers now.

Where you from, field hand?

South Carolina.

You ought to know

better than that, boy.

Hey, would you quit that-?

Hey, boy, quit that drumming.

What's your name, boy?

- l said, what's your name, boy?

- Can't you see that he's mute?

He what?

He's mute.

You mean this child can't talk?

Here, come over here, hon.

Dummies and field hands.

Ain't that about a b*tch!

What about you there, boy?

Where abouts you from?

Yeah, l'm from around Tennessee.

l ran away when l was 12.

l ain't never looked back.

What you doing since then?

l run for President.

l didn't win though.

Major?

Forbes, that's you.

Thomas.

How are you?

- You know Charlie Morse.

- Thomas Searles.

Captain.

So how was your meal?

The rmoulade was a trifle tart...

...but the souffl more

than made up for it.

And your comrades?

Charming. Extraordinary

conversationalists, every one.

Major Forbes.

A word, please.

Excuse me, Thomas.

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