Glory Page #5

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...learn his songs,

even wear his suits.

But you ain't never

gonna be nothing to him...

...but a ugly-ass chimp

in a blue suit.

Oh, you don't like that, do you?

Well, what we gonna do about it?

You want to fight me, boy?

What you gonna do about it?

You want to fight me, don't you?

Don't you?

- Come on, n*gger.

- All right!

Hands off me, gravedigger.

Does the whole world

gotta stomp in your face?

N*gger, get your hands off me!

Ain't no n*ggers around here.

So the white man give you stripes,

now you ordering everybody...

...like the master himself.

N*gger, you ain't nothing

but the white man's dog!

And what are you?

So full of hate you wanna

go fight everybody...

...because you been whipped

and chased.

That might not be living,

but it sure ain't dying.

And dying's what these white boys

been doing for three years.

Dying by the thousands.

Dying for you, fool!

l know because l dug the graves.

And while l'm digging, l'm asking,

''When, Lord, is it gonna be our time?''

The time's coming

when we gonna have to ante up...

...ante up and kick in like men.

Like men!

You watch who you call a '' n*gger.''

lf any n*ggers around here, it's you.

Smart-mouth, stupid-ass,

swamp-running n*gger!

lf you ain't careful,

that's all you ever gonna be.

You men go on about your business.

Sit down.

Well, colonel,

what can l do for you?

You can give me and my regiment

a transfer to combat command.

Couldn't do it, colonel.

You're much too valuable

to my operations here.

May l sit?

Thank you.

Major.

l've written a letter

to my father...

...asking him to press Governor Andrew

and President Lincoln.

But l don't have to wait

for all that, do l?

Colonel Montgomery, would you bring

that ashtray over here?

But ''valuable to

your operations here,'' you say.

Your foraging? Your depredations?

l'm quite a student of

your operations in this region.

Thirty-four mansions pillaged

and burnt under Colonel Montgomery's...

...expedition up the Combahee?

Four-thousand bails of cotton

smuggled through the lines...

...with payment to parties

unknown, except by you.

False quartermaster requisitions.

Major Forbes saw the copies.

Yes, indeed.

Along with confiscated valuables

shipped North as personal baggage.

Shall l go on?

Can you?

l can report you

to the War Department.

Oh, yes.

l can do that.

Let you take your regiment

out to fight.

That's what you want, isn't it?

Show what they can do?

When?

You are bright-eyed,

aren't you?

When?

Just as soon as l can

write the orders.

Major.

By company in the line,

double-quick!

All right, men, form the firing line!

Over here.

Form the firing line right here.

Front line, kneel.

Steady, boys!

Firing by battalion!

Ready...

...aim...

Charge!

...fire!

Cease fire!

Recover.

Here they come!

Reload.

Load it, load it!

Ready!

Aim!

Get ready, get ready,

Fire!

Reload!

Fire at will!

Pour it in.

Charge!

Fire!

They're bloody skirmishes, captain.

Thomas!

How do, Colonel?

Hurts, doesn't it?

Well, l'm extremely jealous.

You'll be back in Boston before me...

...sitting by the fire, reading

Hawthorne, cup of decent coffee.

l'm not going back.

Listen to me...

You're shot. You have to go back.

Promise me that

you won't send me back.

Promise me!

All right.

Colonel Shaw!

- What is all this?

- You haven't heard?

Lee was turned back

in Pennsylvania...Gettysburg!

Now Grant's taken Vicksburg.

And all on the Fourth of July.

My God!

lt looks like

it'll be over by Christmas.

- So how did they do?

- Splendid. Just splendid.

- Any casualties?

- Forty-two.

Give me the details.

l'll wire it in.

l don't think we'll make the paper-

l'll talk to you later in your tent.

As you were.

Trip, isn't it?

Yes, sir.

You fought very well yesterday, Trip.

Sergeant Rawlins has recommended

that you receive a commendation.

Yes, sir?

Yes.

And l think you should bear

the regimental colours.

No.

lt's considered quite an honour.

Why not?

Well, l'm...

...wanting to say something, sir.

But l...

Go ahead.

All right. See...

...l ain't fighting this war...

...for you, sir.

l see.

l mean, what's the point?

Nobody'll win.

lt'll just go on and on.

Can't go on forever.

Yeah, but ain't nobody gonna win.

Somebody's gonna win.

Who?

l mean, you...

You get to go on back to Boston

in a big house and all that.

What about us?

What do we get?

Well, you won't get anything

if we lose.

What do you want to do?

l don't know, sir.

Stinks, l suppose.

Yeah. Stinks bad.

And we all covered up in it too.

l mean, ain't nobody clean, sir.

Be nice to get clean, though.

How do we do that?

We ante up and kick in, sir.

But l still don't want

to carry your flag.

No one will take Charleston

without silencing the forts...

...protecting its harbour.

And the first one

that must be taken is that.

Fort Wagner.

Wagner mounts a 10-inch Columbiad...

...three smooth-bore 32-pounders...

...a 42-pound carronade...

...a 10-inch coast mortar...

...and four 12-pound howitzers.

Plus a garrison of about 1000 men.

As many of you gentlemen

may be aware...

...for the last four days,

our Navy has weakened Wagner...

...with a constant barrage.

Headquarters has determined

it time for our attack.

We will proceed with a direct

frontal assault, tomorrow at dusk.

The problem, gentlemen,

is the approach.

There is only

a narrow strip of sand...

...through which we can only send

one regiment at a time.

Our hope is, that the leading

regiment can occupy the Rebs...

...long enough for reinforcements

to exploit the breach.

Needless to say...

...the casualties in the leading

regiment may be extreme.

General Strong.

The 54th Massachusetts...

...requests the honour of

leading the attack on Fort Wagner.

lt's Colonel Shaw, isn't it?

Yes, sir.

You and your men

haven't slept for two days.

That's right, sir.

And you think they have the strength

to lead this charge?

There's more to fighting

than rest, sir.

There's character.

There's strength of heart.

You should have seen us in action

two days ago.

We were a sight to see.

We'll be ready, sir.

When do you want us?

Oh, my Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord

He packed in the animals two by two

The ox, the camel and a kangaroo

Packed them in that ark so tight

I couldn't get no sleep that night

Noah's son's, Shem and Ham

Telling about God's master plan

Oh, my Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord

Tomorrow we go into battle.

So Lordy, let me fight

with the rifle in one hand...

...and Good Book in the other...

...that if l should die

at the muzzle of the rifle...

...die on water or on land...

...l may know that you,

blessed Jesus Almighty...

...are with me.

And l have no fear.

Amen.

Oh, my Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord

Oh, my Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord

Lord...

...we stand before You this evening

to say thank You.

We thank You, Father,

for Your grace...

...and Your many blessings.

Now, l run off...

...and left all my young'uns

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