The Red Badge of Courage Page #4

Nobody seems to know

where we're going or why we're going.

We're kicked around from pillar to post.

Why were we marched into these woods...

except to give the Rebs

a regular potshot at us?

Come in here and

get our legs tangled in briers.

Then we fight, and the Rebs

have an easy time whipping us.

- It'll turn out all right.

- The devil it will.

Our generals are a bunch of lunkheads.

You think you fit the battle

by yourself yesterday.

No, I don't think I fit

the whole battle myself.

You boys shut up.

Don't waste your breath

in long-winded arguments.

You been squawking like old hens.

No need to do anything but fight.

You'll get plenty of that in 10 minutes.

I've never seen such fools.

Lieutenant, there's your position.

Get in quick, and fight like everything!

- We may be attacked at any minute.

- Come along, men!

Hop on your bellies against that bank!

The first rule is fire...

Fire!

By diddy, here we are.

Everybody fighting. Blood and destruction.

Fire!

- They're coming right at us.

- They'd better watch out.

If they keep on hitting at us

they just better watch out!

That's all I say.

They keep on hitting at us,

they'll knock us into the river.

The devil they will!

Fire!

The youth was not conscious

that he was erect upon his feet.

He lost every sense but his hate.

For the first time in his life,

he was possessed by a great passion:

The passion to destroy the enemy.

He felt the power of an army in himself.

He was a battle cry, a bullet, a sword.

Fleming, you fool!

Don't you know enough to quit

when there ain't nothing to shoot at?

Get back in here!

If I had 10,000 wildcats like you,

I could tear the stomach out of this war...

in less than a week, that's what I could do.

- Did you ever see such a wildcat?

- You all right?

You feel all right? There ain't nothing

wrong with you, is there?

Get mad, that's all you got to do.

And get this war over in a hurry.

By thunder, I bet this army

ain't got another regiment like us.

You bet.

"A woman, a dog and a walnut tree.

"The more you beat them,

the better they be."

- I'm just dying of thirst.

- Me, too.

I figure there ought to be a creek

over in those woods.

Sir, can me and Fleming

go after some water?

- I think I know where there's a creek.

- Okay, but come back.

- Take my canteen.

- Take mine.

Enemy's forming for another charge.

It'll be directed against Whiterside.

They'll break through

unless we can stop them.

- It'll be the dickens to pay stopping them.

- What troops can we spare?

The 12th was ordered in to help the 76th.

We haven't really got any.

There's the 304th.

They fight like mule drivers.

- We can spare them best of any.

- Get them ready.

I'll send word when to start,

be about five minutes.

Yes, sir.

Not many of your mule drivers

will get back.

That was the General, the General himself.

He's talking about us.

How long does it take to get water?

Where you been to?

- Well, speak up!

- We're going to attack.

- Attack? Who said so? How do you know?

- We heard the General say so himself.

He said the enemy's forming

for another charge against Whiterside.

- The officer said he could spare the 304th...

- We'll be attacking any minute.

Attack?

By Jiminy, this is what I call real fighting.

- Attack. By Jiminy!

- Well, I'll be darned.

- Attack? What for?

- Wonder why they picked us.

Get your men set. We're going to attack.

Let's see a good, straight line now, men.

Attention!

At ease.

- Good afternoon, boys.

- Good afternoon, General.

We're going to give the Rebs

a darn good licking today.

- What are you having for supper tonight?

- Hardtack and sowbelly.

- I'll be around if you fix an extra plate.

- Be an honor.

- Good luck.

- Thank you, General.

At ease.

- Good afternoon, boys.

- Afternoon, General.

We'll give the Rebs

a good licking today, won't we?

- What are you having for supper?

- Hardtack and sowbelly.

- I'll be around if you fix an extra plate.

- It would be a great honor.

Attention!

- At ease, boys. At ease.

- Attention!

Good afternoon, Captain.

What are you having for supper tonight?

- Hardtack and sowbelly, sir.

- Mind if I eat with you tonight?

All right. After you've licked the Rebs,

we'll all have supper together.

Good luck.

- At ease, boys.

- Attention!

- Howdy, boys.

- Howdy, General.

Good afternoon, General.

At ease. Howdy, Jim.

- Howdy, General.

- How are those wounds?

Stinging some, General,

but they're mending.

Fine. Anybody want a chaw?

- Thank you, General.

- You've got a hole in your cap, Lieutenant.

Bullet hole, sir.

- Well, good luck, boys.

- Thank you, sir.

- Having supper with us tonight, General?

- Go to blazes, Corporal!

I hear the gamecocks.

Sound the attack.

Thy will be done, sir.

On the double!

You fellas! Come on!

All we got to do is cross this here field.

What are you,

soldiers or a bunch of mule drivers?

Come on!

- Here they come.

- They're right on us, by Jiminy!

Pull them quick and take good aim.

Come on, men! Follow them!

We've got them now.

After them. Forward, men, forward!

- Come on.

- Forward!

Charge!

Charge!

Don't take it too hard, old boy.

I wish I was dead.

I just wish I was dead, that's all.

I'd a heap rather be dead.

I run out of powder.

I'd have killed another Yankee

if I'd had powder.

- You're lucky you weren't killed yourself.

- Want a drink of water?

- Not Yankee water.

- It's Reb water.

My canteen, but it's Reb water.

- What state are you fellers from?

- We're all from Tennessee.

- How about y'all?

- We're from Ohio.

I never spoke to nobody from Ohio before.

I never spoke to nobody from Tennessee.

What's your name?

- Lucius M. Pettigrew.

- I'm Bill Porter.

- You just oughta heard.

- Heard what?

The Colonel and the Captain was talking,

and the Colonel says:

"Captain Allworth, by the way,

who was the lad that carried the flag?"

What do you think of that?

"Who was the lad that carried the flag?"

he says.

And the Captain says,

"That's Fleming, and he's a jim-hickey."

It happened right by us.

And the Colonel, he says:

"He is, indeed.

He kept the flag way to the front.

"I saw him. He's a good one."

"Yes," says the Captain.

"He and a feller named Wilson.

"They was at the head of the charge,

howling like Indians all the time.

- "A feller named Wilson," he said.

- Go to blazes. He never said that.

He did, too. And then the Colonel says:

"Were they indeed?

My sakes, those two babies?"

"They were," says the Captain.

"Well," says the Colonel...

- "they deserve to be major generals."

- What a lie.

That's the truth. I heard it myself.

We was there, Fleming,

and it's just as Thompson told you.

That old Colonel's a right smart feller.

Tom, there's something

I just got to get off my chest.

What's that?

Yesterday,

when things started getting hot...

I was mighty scared.

- We all was.

- Yeah.

But I lit out.

You mean you ran away, Henry?

Not very far. I was only scared

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes