The Patriot Page #6

CONTINENTAL SERGEANT

Thank you.

Marion nods, uncomfortable with the thanks.

MARION:

Sergeant, there are seventeen

wounded men here. Seven Redcoats

and ten Patriots, counting my son

inside. That puts me in a difficult

position.

The Continental Sergeant knows what's coming. The

Privates and Marion's children don't.

MARION:

You three are the least severely

wounded. I have to ask you to leave

and find care elsewhere.

The Privates are stunned at the request. The Sergeant

looks at Marion's children and nods.

SERGEANT:

I understand.

He struggles to his feet and jerks his head for the two

Privates to do the same.

SERGEANT:

Come on, boys.

Nathan, Samuel and Margaret are confused.

THOMAS:

Father?

NATHAN:

But they're wounded.

MARION:

There are rules, even in war.

Marion motions to a large, old scar on his arm.

MARION:

After the Battle of Ashuelot River,

against the French, I got this and

the one on my leg. I couldn't walk.

Washington had to march north. He

left me with other wounded men and a

like number of French prisoners.

Nine for nine. When the French

found us, their surgeon gave me the

best of care. We'll be safe this

way.

Marion's children are not convinced. The Sergeant and the

two Privates gather themselves to leave.

MARION:

Your best chance is in Bennington,

seven miles east, along the river

road.

The wounded men nod grimly and start off down the road.

MARION:

Thank you.

Marion and his children watch them go.

EXT. POND BLUFF ROAD - DAY

A dirt road runs along the edge of the Santee Swamps,

stretching toward green, rolling hills beyond. Beautiful

country. Peaceful. Then, the GROUND BEGINS TO SHAKE. A

THUNDEROUS SOUND rises, louder and louder. HORSES HOOVES.

From around a bend, a detachment of cavalry gallops:

British GREEN DRAGOONS. The finest light calvary in the

world. Hard, strong men. Excellent horsemen. Their

mounts are powerful, muscled and perfectly cared for. The

Dragoons themselves are all hardened veterans, marked with

the blood and dirt of a recent battle. Tired and

vigorous.

They're armed to the teeth. Each carries a flintlock

carbine, a brace of pistols and a sword. Some carry

lances as well. Regimental flags flutter. They are forty

of the most imposing, frightening horsemen imaginable.

And at their head, the most imposing man of all, LT.

COLONEL BANASTRE TARLETON. "The Butcher." Aristocratic.

Strong. Dark. A powerful horseman on the best mount of

the entire troop. Decorated. Imperious. No temper, just

hard, cold authority. His men struggle to keep up with

him.

Behind them, two dozen LOYALIST MILITIA CALVARY (American

civilians loyal to the crown). Nasty, local men.

Civilian clothes. Riding at their head is AMOS GASKINS,

grizzled, lower-class, wearing ill-fitting patrician's

clothing.

AROUND A BEND:

The three wounded Patriots who just left Marion's farm

hear the horses coming, stand on the side of the road,

raise their arms and a white cloth of surrender.

The Green Dragoons rein in. Tarleton stops in front of

the three men. He motions for one of his men to lower his

weapon. Then he speaks calmly, quietly, to the wounded

men.

TARLETON:

You're surrendering.

CONTINENTAL SERGEANT

Yes, sir.

TARLETON:

What unit?

CONTINENTAL SERGEANT

First Virginia Regulars under

Colonel Hamilton.

TARLETON:

Who cared for your wounds?

They hesitate.

CONTINENTAL SERGEANT

We did.

TARLETON:

With a lace table cloth?

Tarleton turns to his second-in-command, MAJOR WILKINS.

TARLETON:

Kill them.

Tarleton rides off. Wilkins and several other Dragoons

calmly FIRE THEIR PISTOLS, killing the three Patriots.

The troops ride off, thundering past the bodies of the

three men.

EXT. POND BLUFF - DAY

Marion and his children tend the wounded. Gabriel, weak

but walking, helps. REDCOAT INFANTRY appears out of the

woods, heading toward the house. Three dozen men. Scouts

and flank units covering the main body. Marion gathers

his family around him, stands and waits.

The Redcoats get to the house, warily eye the wounded and

Marion's family. A young REDCOAT LIEUTENANT motions his

men to check out the house and barn, then looks at the

wounded, doing a silent count. He turns to Marion.

REDCOAT LIEUTENANT

These men are of my regiment. Thank

you.

Marion nods. ONE OF THE REDCOATS emerges from the house

carrying Gabriel's dispatch case.

REDCOAT:

Rebel dispatches, sir.

Gabriel steps up.

GABRIEL:

I carried those. I was wounded,

these people gave me care, they have

nothing to do with the dispatches.

REDCOAT LIEUTENANT

I understand.

The SOUND OF HORSES HOOVES. All turn and see:

TARLETON AND THE GREEN DRAGOONS

Thundering down the road toward the house. It's an

impressive, frightening sight.

They rein in their horses, stopping in the yard, enveloped

by their trailing cloud of dust.

Tarleton surveys the scene, then speaks to the young

Redcoat Lieutenant.

TARLETON:

Lieutenant, have a detachment take

our wounded to our surgeons at

Camden crossing. Use whatever

horses and wagons you can find here.

REDCOAT LIEUTENANT

Yes, sir.

He hands the dispatch case to Tarleton.

REDCOAT LIEUTENANT

We found this, sir.

Tarleton opens it and quickly scans the contents.

TARLETON:

Who carried this?

GABRIEL:

I did.

TARLETON:

(to Lt. re:
Gabriel)

Take this one to Camden, he's a spy.

He will be hung.

Marion quickly steps between Tarleton and Gabriel.

MARION:

Colonel, he's a dispatch rider and

that's a marked dispatch case.

Tarleton ignores Marion and continues speaking to the

Lieutenant.

TARLETON:

Fire the house and barns.

REDCOAT LIEUTENANT

Yes, sir.

MARION:

Colonel...

REDCOAT LIEUTENANT

And the Rebel wounded?

TARLETON:

Kill them.

The Redcoat Lieutenant and several of his men are shocked

by the order. Marion is, also, but he's more concerned

with Gabriel. He pushes past some Redcoats and stands at

Tarleton's mount, looking up.

MARION:

A dispatch rider with a marked case

cannot be held for spying.

Tarleton finally pays attention to Marion. He looks down

at his anguished face and offers the barest of smiles.

TARLETON:

We're not going to hold him, we're

going to hang him.

MARION:

But...

Tarleton draws his pistol and points it at Marion.

Gabriel tries to intercede but is held back by a burly

Redcoat Corporal.

GABRIEL:

Father...

TARLETON:

Oh, he's your son. You should have

taught him about loyalty.

MARION:

Colonel, I beg you, please

reconsider. By the rules of war, a

dispatch rider with a marked case...

Tarleton controls his shifting mount, keeping his pistol

trained on Marion's face.

TARLETON:

Would you like a lesson in the rules

of war?

Marion doesn't answer. He looks up at Tarleton coldly,

taking his measure, waiting to see if he's going to pull

the trigger.

Tarleton walks his horse a couple of steps and shifts his

aim, pointing the pistol among Marion's children.

TARLETON:

Perhaps your children would.

The children are terrified. Thomas is more angry than

frightened. Marion quickly steps between the pistol and

his children and speaks quietly to Tarleton.

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