The Great Locomotive Chase Page #2

You can escape back to your own lines

some dark night on picket duty.

I'm Bob Buff um. Would you care to tell us

how you intend to reach Marietta?

I'll travel on the same road,

sometimes before you, sometimes behind.

- We allowed to talk to you?

- Treat me as you would a stranger.

As for you, Mr. Buff um, it might be wiser

if you didn't speak at all.

I never met a Kentuckian

so plainly from Massachusetts.

Fihunde

Do you have your pistols?

Keep them hidden.

In this business, you never fight

unless you've failed, and we won't fail.

Nothing can stop us.

Fihunde

Nothing.

[Pittenger] Andrews gave us 3 days for

our journey through the Cumberlands.

Traveling by twos and threes,

we were strung out miles apart

In a desolate country.

We'd been supplied with Confederate

money, but food and lodging were scarce,

And transportation out of the question.

My companion was the Giant,

Bill Campbell.

As I came to know him, I felt a growing

concern over his quick, violent temper.

One such powder keg could blow

our whole expedition sky-high.

We reached the Tennessee River on time,

Only to find it impassable.

Pardon me, ma'am. Do you know

the whereabouts of the ferryman?

Home, like enough. But he won't

chance it across before morning.

River's swole up mighty angry.

- Could you put us up for the night?

- Where you from?

[Pittenger] Flemingsburg, Kentucky.

Inn's pretty full.

We can pay double.

Fihunde

They're from Flemingsburg, too.

There's a score of us in all.

We couldn't abide the Yankees anymore

so we pulled up stakes.

Gonna throw in our lot

with the Southern army.

Come in, all of ya.

It won't cost you a cent.

Flemingsburg? I can't rightly say

I've ever been to Flemingsburg.

Unless you wanna be under the thumb of the

abolitionists, you better not go now.

I never thought Kentucky would be run

by clay-eaters and poor white trash!

There's some mighty fine folks

in Kentucky.

Yes, and more of them

are coming south every day.

Isn't that just giving up

your state to the Yankees?

They've got it already.

They're so strong in the legislature,

they passed a law

That any man fighting for the South

forfeits his state's rights

- To citizenship, land and holdings.

- Has it come to that?

Yes, sir. I know that to be true.

The governor of Kentucky has four sons.

Two are fighting for the Yankees,

and two are in my regiment.

They told me that unless we won,

they could never go home again.

Damn Yankees!

Jess, you're at table.

Quit your swearing.

"Damn Yankee" ain't swearing, Mother,

and you know it.

Jem, maybe the brave Kentuckians

would like to join your regiment.

I'd be mighty proud to have them,

if you can wait till this comes off.

I'd take you to Chattanooga with me,

introduce you to General Ledbetter.

We're honored, but we had our hearts set

on enlisting in the 1st Georgia regiment.

Some of our friends have already joined it,

and we're anxious to push on.

1st Georgia!

Did you hear that, Mother?

No river's gonna hold you back.

That ferryman doesn't like flood water,

But he'll take you over first thing in the

morning or find himself out of a job.

[Innkeeper] I knew it. I knew Jess Mclntyre

would help you.

- They're helping us, ain't they?

- Yes, sir!

- Retha, give them boys more chicken.

- Yes, ma'am.

You're all very kind,

kinder than we deserve.

That's right.

[Innkeeper] You won't have no trouble at

all. Once folks find out what you're up to,

They'll put the big pot in the little one.

[Innkeeper] Well, look who's here!

[Retha] Land sakes, but you're wet!

You need some of Retha's cooking,

Mr. Andrews.

Sounds mighty good.

Smells even better.

I think I'll get warm first.

Evening.

[Innkeeper] Retha, fetch Mr. Andrews

that peach brandy, you hear?

Yes, ma'am.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have great news.

On the strength of it, I'd ask you all

to have a glass with me...

If I knew the color of your politics.

You needn't worry about these boys.

They've been living amongst Yankees,

but they're coming out on the right side.

Good.

We won a great victory at Shiloh.

- Did Beauregard lick that buzzard Grant?

- [Andrews] Cut him to ribbons.

What about the Yankee gunboats

at Pittsburgh Landing?

100 of them sunk,

and thousands of prisoners taken.

The whole Yankee force,

gone up the spout.

[cheers]

Isn't that wonderful?

Ladies and gentlemen...

I give you a toast.

The Confederacy.

You don't seem very happy

over our victory, Mr. Campbell.

He's not. He wants to kill

all the Yankees himself.

[laughter]

- Sounds like a Kentuckian.

- We're all from Kentucky.

You'll find plenty of action later on, sir.

But before you go any further South,

there's one thing we must teach you.

What's that?

Dixie.

- Sing it.

- May I?

[Innkeeper] Go right ahead.

Come on, boys, gather 'round.

Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton

Old times there are not forgotten I

Look away, look away

Look away, Dixie Land I

In Dixie Land where I was born

In early on one frosty morn I

Look away, look away

Look away, Dixie Land I

Then I wish I was in Dixie

Away, away

In Dixie Land I'll take my stand

To live and die in Dixie I

Away, away

Away down south in Dixie I

Away, away

Away down south in Dixie I

Away, away... I

IAway down south in Dixie I

Mr. Campbell, do you have

something on your mind?

I wanna know just one thing.

Do we have to be better Southerners

than the Johnny Rebs themselves?

I went pretty far tonight.

But let me tell you this:

If you can't drink their toasts

and sing their songs,

Love Jeff Davis and hate Abe Lincoln

until next Friday,

You'll never reach Marietta.

I'm sorry.

Then you were exaggerating about Shiloh?

Yes.

When I bring them good news, I'm doubly

welcome. The truth is bad enough.

Bad enough to stop

General Mitchell's advance?

No. Shiloh can't stop him,

but the devilish rains may.

The trouble is, our movements and his

have to dovetail.

[Andrews] He has an army

and cannon to move.

It's taking a chance, but we'll have

to postpone our plans for one day.

I'll wait here for the rest of the men.

You go into Chattanooga,

And if you see any of the boys who didn't

come this way, pass the word along.

[snoring]

What'd you do before the war?

Taught school a while.

How do you like this business?

There's one side of it I can't get used to.

Mr. Mclntyre...

And the widow woman

who fed us and gave us her bed...

When I deceive 'em, I feel like

the lowest snake that crawls.

I know.

That soldier,

he's supposed to be my enemy.

I'm supposed to hate him

the way Campbell does.

But I don't think I can.

It's worse when a Southerner's

your best friend.

Like old Jim Lindsay.

Even picked out the girl I'm going to

marry, 'cause she's Yankee-minded like me.

Now that I've turned spy

and have to fool him,

I can hardly look him in the eye anymore.

How do you stand it?

I believe in a federal union.

So do I.

I hope we can preserve it

without any more Shilohs.

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