Gods and Generals Page #6

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How is it a good Christian man...

...like some folks I know...

...can tolerate their black brothers

in bondage?

How is it, Lord, they don't just...

...break them chains?

How is it, Lord?

My heart is open and aching.

And I wants to know.

Lord, speak to us.

Speak to your children.

Speak to Jim Lewis and Thomas Jackson,

your humble and obedient servants.

Speak to all of us.

Our hearts are open.

Lord, you show us the way,

we will follow.

Amen.

Amen.

- Jim?

- Yeah.

What is the status of your family?

About half is free, half slave.

That's counting all the cousins and such.

You must know that there are

some officers in this Army...

...who are of the opinion that...

...we should be enlisting Negroes

as a condition for freedom.

General Lee is among them.

That's what they says around the camp.

Your people will be free,

one way or another.

The question is,

if the Southern government will have...

...the good sense to do it first and soon.

And in so doing seal a bond

of enduring friendship between us.

That's what they says, general.

God's plan is a great mystery.

It will be revealed to us.

That's all the fodder you get tonight.

We's going to a country where there's

nothing more for an animal to eat...

...than there is what's in the palm

of my hand.

General Lee, fine day, sir.

We got batteries all along that hill,

covering our front to the river.

Strong anchor on the north.

Tomorrow, guns will be positioned

in those trees to the south.

We'll be able to cover the entire

open ground, all of it.

General, they gonna come at us here?

Colonel Alexander...

...Federal troops amassed across that river

are watching us prepare for them.

If I were General Burnside,

I wouldn't attack here.

I'd move back upstream,

come across from above us.

Burnside is not a man

with the luxury of flexibility.

He's being pushed from behind

by loud voices in Washington...

...by newspapers

who demand quick action.

But we're here,

and so he will attack us here.

We got batteries pointing from all angles.

They cross that canal,

that'll slow them down.

We shall hit them from all sides.

No, sir, a chicken couldn't live

on that field.

General Hood, I've often wondered

how it is that...

...Texas men,

the most independent-minded...

...in this Army of irascibles...

...have agreed to serve under

a Kentuckian.

I have often wondered the same.

General Gregg, have you settled your

differences with General Jackson?

No, General Hill, I have not.

Have you?

No, sir.

Tell me, general...

...do you expect to live

until the end of this war?

I do not know...

...but I'm inclined to think I will.

I expect I will be wounded.

And you, general?

I do not expect to live to see

the end of this war.

Nor can I say that without victory

I would desire to do so.

- Get up.

- Get up.

Sir?

Yes, Mr. Pendleton, you may enter.

Forgive me, general.

There's a letter for you.

Courier was running a little slow today,

but I thought you'd want to see it.

Yes, thank you.

Good night, sir.

My own dear father:

As my mother's letter

has been cut short by my arrival...

...I think it but justice

that I should continue it.

I know that you are rejoiced

to hear of my coming.

And I hope that God has sent me

to radiate your pathway through life.

I am a very tiny little thing.

I weigh only eight and a half pounds...

...and Aunt Harriet says I am

the express image of my darling papa.

My mother is very comfortable

this morning.

Your loving daughter.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

They've occupied all the buildings

along the riverfront.

We will be lining up those pontoon

bridges through a hail of lead.

Once across, the Rebs are sure

to make us pay for every block.

Beyond the town is the canal

which cuts across this open field...

...a field we'll have to cross to reach

their entrenchments on Marye's Heights...

...another difficult obstacle

in the face of artillery fire.

Down to our left we could burst through...

...turn Jackson's lines, push him back,

trap Longstreet on top of the hill...

...surround him.

It's possible.

Turn Jackson's lines?

No, general, we'll meet them head on.

And it will be a bloody mess.

We'll march up to that hill there...

...and we'll eat their artillery fire

all the way across this field.

We'll be able to look

at ourselves and say:

"We're good soldiers.

We did what we were told."

If we're not successful, we can say it was

a good plan, but there were contingencies.

You can go back to your hometown...

...and tell the families of your men

they died doing their duty.

The Rebs have fortified

the high ground up the river.

And anyway, there are strong currents

and obstacles to a crossing there.

Below Fredericksburg the river is too wide.

And our earliest forces are

clear down to Port Royal.

Fredericksburg is now

the only place we can cross.

If Burnside doesn't cross here,

he might as well resign.

That wily gray fox has outmaneuvered

our command again.

And there's going to be hell to pay.

Hurry up! Let's go!

Pick your targets, boys!

And firing!

Them Yankees is coming, sure as Jesus.

They got two pontoons across that river.

We got to get you and them children

out of here.

Stop fussing with me. Get your family

ready. We'll leave together.

Miss Jane, us done talked this over,

and we decided to stay here...

...and look after the house.

No use saying no more.

Martha, I won't leave you to the mercy

of those blue devils.

Miss Jane, you know they ain't gonna be

bothering us colored folks.

If we go with you...

...there won't be any food left

in the pantry when we come back.

And we need to eat, same as you.

- Pastor Lacy, we must run to our lines.

- There's no time.

The streets are raining iron.

To the basement.

Anybody hurt?

Sam?

Easy.

Sam!

Can you get up? Easy! Easy!

Mother? Are you here?

Oh, praise be! It's young John!

- We're down here in the cellar!

- The door is blocked!

I'll go around to the side!

Children, y'all stay right here.

Mama'll be back.

Come out!

There's an ambulance out front.

The enemy is crossing the river. Hurry!

- No! Martha, I won't leave without you.

- I done told you, I'm staying.

Off with you then.

Come on, Martha.

Stay in the basement!

Get the bayonets!

May God be with them.

May he strengthen their hearts

and their arms for the coming struggle.

Give them the victory.

Can I be of service

to you fine Northern gentlemen?

Is this your master's place?

This is my place.

Children!

Sorry to have to bother you, ma'am.

Come on, let's go.

Go back inside. Hurry up.

Put a stop to this at once!

Where are the officers?

Drop that, soldier. Now!

Get a message to Couch, to Hancock.

This will not be tolerated!

This is an army, not a rabble!

General Longstreet, show us

where your troops are positioned.

Yes, sir. We're anchored on the north

by Anderson's division...

...up on the bend in the river

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