Gods and Generals Page #5

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- Thank you...

Kilrain, sir. Sergeant Kilrain.

Glad to be of service.

You know, colonel...

...the boys...

We've been watching you, sir,

that we have.

You've learned fast.

Becoming a pleasure to serve under you.

Yes, well...

Are you a veteran, sergeant?

Aye, sir. I suppose you could say that.

Did me duty in the regular Army

for a while.

Did the great long walk

with General Scott...

...down south of the Rio Grande.

Some men you fought with are on the

other side. Almost all of their generals.

Oh, it gets worse than generals, colonel.

Some of the lads that I left Ireland with

are on the other side as well. Imagine that.

We left together to escape a tyranny...

...and end up shooting at one another

in the land of the free.

I, too, have friends

on the other side, sergeant.

And enemies.

Yes, sir.

No shortage of enemies, that's for sure.

Forward!

Rest!

Throughout the broad extent

of the country...

...through which you have marched...

...by your respect for the rights

and property of others...

...you have always shown you are soldiers,

not only to defend...

...but able and willing

both to defend and protect.

You've already won...

...a brilliant reputation throughout

the Army of the whole Confederacy.

And I trust in the future

by your deeds in the field...

...and by the assistance of the same kind

providence who has favored our cause...

...you will win more victories and add

luster to the reputation you now enjoy.

You already gained a proud position...

...in the future history of this...

...our second war of independence.

I shall look with anxiety

to your future movements...

...and I trust whenever I shall hear

of the 1 st Brigade...

...on the field of battle...

...it will be of still nobler deeds achieved

and higher reputation won.

In the Army of the Shenandoah,

you were the 1 st Brigade.

In the Army of the Potomac,

you were the 1 st Brigade.

In the 2nd Corps of this Army,

you are the 1 st Brigade.

You are the 1 st Brigade

in the affections of your general.

And I hope by your future deeds

and bearing...

...you will be handed down

to posterity...

...as the 1 st Brigade...

...in this, our second war of independence.

Godspeed!

Jackson! Jackson! Jackson! Jackson!

Jackson! Jackson! Jackson!

Gentlemen.

Excuse us, General Burnside...

...General Hancock has information

you may find useful.

Yes, General Hancock, a pleasure.

Sumner, come.

We have visitors.

Sir, General Hancock reports the river

can be forded the short way upstream.

There'll be no difficulty crossing. With

your permission, we can move right away.

General Hancock, I appreciate your efforts

at reconnaissance...

...but this possibility has been

considered and rejected.

The pontoons will be here any time.

We'll cross with not only the men

but also the wagons and supplies.

It would be foolhardy to send the men

without the wagons, the big guns...

Excuse me, am I correct

in my observation...

...that there's little force opposing us

across the river?

Yes, you're absolutely correct.

For once we seem to have caught

Lee by surprise.

Then, sir, if I may suggest,

isn't it possible Lee is moving this way?

Certainly he's aware of our intentions. If

we could occupy the town with infantry...

...it would make our job much easier

when the bridges do arrive.

Yes, but that's risky. Those men

could be cut off. In this weather?

It snows one day, melts the next.

The river could rise unexpectedly.

It will be best, I assure you, if we wait

until the entire Army can cross together.

General Burnside, if we don't cross

the river soon...

...General Lee will make every effort

to stop us.

He will not let us move

toward Richmond unopposed.

Where are General Jackson's forces now?

Shouldn't we attempt to occupy

Fredericksburg...

...and possibly the Heights beyond now,

while we have it for the taking?

Please allow me, sir...

...to at least send General Hancock's

division across the river.

Surely they can carry

enough supplies with them...

...and the artillery from this side can

protect them against any advance by Lee.

Gentlemen, we will cross this river

when the bridges arrive and not before.

I do not have the luxury of deviating

from the larger plan.

The president approved my strategy,

and I shall stick to it.

Once this Army is across the river,

we will advance on Richmond in force.

We must not allow him...

...the luxury of attacking us as divided and

separated units as he's done in the past.

And I will not make the same mistake

as my predecessors.

So no, General Hancock.

You will stay on this side

until the pontoons are in place...

...and the entire Army crosses together.

An irresistible, impregnable force.

Did you know George Washington

spent his boyhood not far from here?

And across that river, he's supposed

to have thrown that silver dollar...

...and cut down that cherry tree.

That may be so, Mr. Taylor, but it has

an even greater significance for me.

It's where I met my wife.

That's something these Yankees

do not understand, will never understand.

You see these rivers and valleys

and streams...

...and fields, even towns?

They're just markings on a map to those

people in the war office in Washington.

But to us, my goodness, they're

birthplaces and burial grounds.

They're battlefields

where our ancestors fought...

...places where you and I learned

to walk, to talk and to pray.

Places where we made friendships

and, oh, yes, fell in love.

And they're the incarnation

of all our memories, Mr. Taylor...

...and all that we are.

All that we are.

- What place is this?

- Chancellor's Crossing.

We're another two hours or so

from Fredericksburg.

We'll rest here for a short time.

Yes, sir. I'll see what

the good folks can provide.

The general be fixing to eat

something warm?

No, no, Jim.

We gotta ride on straight

through to General Lee.

Don't want to get all warmed up

just to feel the cold all over again.

You never seem to mind the cold much.

I minds it. I just don't shows it.

Now, Little Sorrel, I know

this corn look poorly...

...but it sure beats no corn at all.

You heard from your family lately?

Ain't heared much for some time.

Yankee mail used to move

quicker than Secesh mail.

Lord, from where you sit

you can see the great distance...

...that separates our Southern men

from their wives and children.

We pray that you watch over our families.

Lord, I ask you to watch over

Jim Lewis' family...

...over his friends, his loved ones,

wherever they may be.

Lord, I know you sees

into the hearts of all men...

...just like you sees into the heart

of old Jim Lewis.

And, Lord, I know there's

no lying or deceitfulness...

...can hide from you.

You find the truth...

...in the bottom of the deepest pit

of darkness.

There be no hiding from your truth

and your ever-watchful eye.

Amen.

How is it, Lord?

Can you explain something

to this old Virginia man?

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