"Lieutenant Freeman?" "Mrs. Hazard, ma'am, how are you?" "Just fine." "Have you seen my husband?" "He left an hour ago." "He's positioning a battery over by the Rock Creek area." "Thank you." "Do you really think the Southern army will invade Washington?" "Well, with the Rebs..." "Excuse me, ma'am, the Southern army only 20 miles away..." "Well, better to be safe than sorry." "But I'm sure your husband knows more about a possible battle now that he has his transfer to the sharpshooters." "Sharpshooters?" "I'm sorry, ma'am." "I thought you knew." "No, I..." "Thank you, sir, for the information." "Why don't you let me get you an escort." "I can find my way, lieutenant." "Thank you." "Little Miss Molasses with her darky." "What you hear from Jeffie Davis, honey child?" "Something wrong with your hearing, Reb?" "We don't want any trouble." "Please just leave us alone." "Why don't you tell that to your people that attacked our troops coming through Baltimore." " Take your hands off that bridle." "We're white men." "You can't talk to us like that." "You're talking to us like we're slaves." "Giddap!" "Primary field of fire, all four guns, is across the river." "Georgetown to the Chain Bridge." "The secondary position will be to cover the northern approaches." "I'm looking for my husband, Lieutenant Hazard." "Thank you, sir." "Excuse me, sergeant." "Brett!" "Billy!" "I got a transfer." "I'm gonna be in the 1 st U.S. Sharpshooters." "It's a new regimen just authorized by Congress." "I didn't want to tell you until it came through." "Isn't it great?" "You'll be in the thick of the fighting." "Why couldn't you stay with the engineers?" "Brett, I'm a soldier." "Soldiers are supposed to fight." "Our ancestors fought so the U.S. Could be free." "I could make history." "By killing Southerners?" "I didn't mean your family." "I know a lot of Southerners love the Union and don't want war." "But they're gonna fight for the Confederacy." "Good people will be killed." "Is that the kind of history you want to make?" "It's gonna be all right." "Everybody says the war will be over in one big battle." "When I leave for camp, go to Belvedere and stay with my mother." "What about Semiramis?" "I'll make arrangements for her to get safely to Mont Royal." "Why are we fighting?" "Because you never told me any of this, Billy." "I don't want anything to happen to you." "If I'm to believe the Charleston recruiting officer I'd better ride day and night to reach Virginia before the war's over." " It won't be that easy, Charles." " Most of us were born on horseback." "We'll ride circles around those Yankees." "There's three of them to every one of us." "I'll take those odds any day." "It's a shame you gotta rub shoulders with the president of the Confederacy instead of riding with Wade Hampton's Legion." "Orry..." "I'm gonna miss you." "You're a lot more than a cousin to me, Charles." "You're like a little brother." "So I don't want you taking any unnecessary chances." " You know me." " That's what worries me." "Charles reminds me so much of Orry when he went off to fight in Mexico." "He came back from that war." "And they'll come back from this one." "I can't believe what happened." "Our dearest friends, the Hazards." "Billy, my son-in-law..." " Torn apart by war." " Maybe it won't last very long." "I do hope so, my dear." "The two handsomest men in the Confederacy." "You even make those uniforms look good." "Watch out, Aunt Clarissa!" "I may take you with me." "I can't live without your corn bread." "Dear Charles." "I'm not ready to say goodbye." "I never wanted this war." "But we'd be without pride and honor if we let the North tell us how to live." "There are things worth fighting for, Madeline, this land our families, our way of life..." "And you." "I can't wait till you become Mrs. Orry Main." "And once your divorce is final I'll get you to a preacher quicker than you can say, "I do."" "I do." "Sport, the war will be over before that general gets through saying goodbye." "Charles can't wait to get on the road now that he's heard Virginia belles outshine even our South Carolina beauties." "Mother." "You take care of yourself." "Oh, Orry, I promised myself I wouldn't cry." "Now..." "There'll be no time for tears." "You'll be too busy running this plantation." "There's a war waiting on us." "Time's a-wasting." "Cuffey." "Don't worry, Mr. Orry." "I'll take care of everything." "I know you will." "Race you to the war!" "Take care, Charles." "I must say, gentlemen, I consider this a great honor, and I thank you." "You do us the honor, Mr. LaMotte, accepting your commission." "All of us on the militia general staff feel your qualifications make you an ideal colonel to turn our green volunteers into soldiers to defend South Carolina." "I shall start recruiting in my district immediately, sir." "May I tell you how much we've enjoyed your hospitality Colonel LaMotte, although I must say I did miss seeing your lovely wife." "Is Mrs. LaMotte ailing?" "Mrs. LaMotte is no longer residing at Resolute." "You'll have to forgive Mr. Clay." "He's been in legislature at Columbia since the Fort Sumter crisis and wasn't aware of your domestic situation." "My domestic situation is of no concern to anyone, sir." "Gentlemen, good day." "Good day, sir." "Well, sure and you're a fine figure of a man, George Hazard." "You look as handsome in that uniform as you did the first night we danced together in Mexico." "After the Mexican War, I swore I'd never wear a uniform again." "But I just can't sit here in Lehigh Station while the country's being torn in half." "I agree with the president." "The Union must be preserved." "But regulations or not they'll have to court-martial me before I wear this ridiculous hat." "Even I'd have to think twice before wearing that thing." "I shouldn't be going to Washington." "I should have requested a field command." "Now, George, the president wants you on his staff." "Not just because you're a West Pointer." "It's because he knows an exceptional man, just as I do." "My brother's close to Lincoln, and he feels the president will mobilize us and not just the military, but the private sector too." "That includes Hazard Iron..." "Isabel, I hope we're doing the right thing." "There is a war on." "A party like this might be in bad taste." "We're just celebrating the departure of our very own hero." "After all, we're the most prominent family in this part of the state." "People will see it as our patriotic duty." "I'm not sure how happy George is with all this fanfare." "The army's best officers have resigned and gone south, which they'll regret." "Because the Confederate cause may already be lost." "Those of us who run important companies create the engine that'll power the Union to quick victory." "As a matter of fact, I've already drawn up plans..." "I'm afraid you're going to have to be the colonel." "Thank you very much, but I haven't done anything yet to deserve this." "I'd like to think that this is not only for those of us who are going off to war but for those who've already left including my younger brother, Lt. William Hazard and especially for those who are staying here at home working for the Union cause with the same dedication and spirit." "Including my eldest brother, Stanley, who will run Hazard Iron in my absence." "Thank you very much." " We have confidence in you, Stanley." " Thank you, George." " You'll do a great job." "Good luck." " Thank you." "All of this makes me know you really are going to leave us." "I'm going to miss you both so much." " Your guests are eager to meet you." " Thank you, Isabel." "Mother." "Don't let sentiment interfere with our plans, my darling." "Now isn't just a chance to profit from this foolish war but for you to be the man you've always wanted to be." "General." "President Davis is waiting." "Mr. President, I appreciate your sentiments but we simply cannot afford to temporize." "The North will strangle the South if we do." "Excuse me." "I was told to join you..." "Indeed, sir." "Gentlemen, Brigadier General Orry Main." "General Robert E. Lee, my military adviser, and members of my Cabinet." "Our agents in the federal capital have shown us how the North plans to crush us in the coils of a giant water snake." "That is precisely the situation, sir." "All down the Eastern seaboard to the Florida Keys then along the gulf to New Orleans." "Their navy would seal off the Confederacy." "They will send their western army south to secure the Border States." " And cut the Confederacy in two." " Never." "Never." "But it would be daring." "They could squeeze us to death by cutting off our supplies and weapons from Texas, the ports of Mexico and Europe." "Scott, their general in chief and a Virginian opposed this far-fetched strategy." "The man is a traitor to the South." "To be a Southerner and believe in the Union does not make one a traitor, sir or I would not be here." "I realize you turned down Lincoln's offer to command the Yankee armies but I had no idea..." " Mr. President I believe secession is unconstitutional and slavery is a moral and political evil in any society." "Then why have you joined us?" "Because I could not draw my sword against Virginia." "My loyalty and my affections and those of my family for five generations belong to her." "That is why I'm here, sir." "Now, if we are to have any chance at all to defeat the North we must enlist our own snake and strike like a cobra, right at their vitals." " The federal capital of Washington..." " Sir, I do not agree with you!" "Many of our state militias would refuse to join an invasion of the North." "Mr. President, if you allow the individual states to dictate our..." "Lincoln maneuvered us into firing the first shot at Fort Sumter." "I'll not let him brand me the aggressor again." "Next time, the North will be the first to fire!" "Enough for today, gentlemen." "General Main?" "You must be wondering why I summoned you here." " To be honest, sir, yes." " Your cotton mill in South Carolina was one of the first in the South and very successful." "We showed excellent profit, but now the mill is producing war materials." "My partner and I had to liquidate, as he's from Pennsylvania." "That's another tragedy in all this:" "The destruction of old and dear friendships." "George and I hope to continue that friendship someday, sir." "Son..." "My government desperately needs your expertise." "I needn't tell you how few factories we have in the South." " And the shortage of raw materials..." " I know, sir." "I know." "That's why I need you." "To make our war machine as efficient as possible." "I'll do my best." "You have my word." "That's all any of us can do." "The Union has a substantial force here, beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains 60 miles to the west of their capital." "So we've had to post 11,000 of our men to stop them from invading the Shenandoah Valley." "Now the main Yankee army is massing here, outside Washington." "Looks like they'll drive through eastern Virginia." "That's probably where we'll have to fight them." "Captain Main, ride north of Centerville." "See how big a force they have, and if they appear ready to move south." "Don't take risks trying to take a prisoner." "I need information not dead scouts." " Yes, sir." " Good luck, captain." "Oh, that's just fine, corporal." " A haircut?" " A trim." "Just because there's a war on doesn't mean we stop being gentlemen." " Thank you, corporal." " Ambrose, you never cease to amaze me." "Well, thank you, Charles." "Come on." "I need a volunteer, and you're it." "A volunteer." "Yankees." "Stay off to the woods." "Maybe we can lose them." "It's a woman." "We got enough trouble without borrowing more." "Took you long enough to decide to help me." "Might at least say thank you." "Just get me out of this mess." "I gotta get these medicines through to your troops." "I'll take her." "You detour the Yankees." " We'll meet at the fork near the river." " I see rank has certain privileges." "Boys!" "Back!" "I can take care of myself, captain." "I'm sure you can." " About time you got here." " Those Yankees could double back." "Last time I saw them they were chasing their tails." "My farm's a few miles up the road." "Let's not sit here." "That does it." "You could show us a little gratitude." "I'm sorry." "Augusta Barclay, captain." "Charles Main." " Ambrose Pell." " I am grateful, more than you know." "I've been smuggling quinine and morphine from Union hospitals." "If they'd caught me..." "Couldn't let anything happen to a Virginia belle, could we?" "We'll see you get home safely, ma'am." "Hello!" "Ma'am, we were worried about you." "I ran into these officers on the road, and I must say, I'm awful glad I did." "Captain Main, Lieutenant Pell, this is Washington and his son, Boz." "We'll see to your horses." " We'd best be on our way." " Let me offer you some supper." "It's the least I can do." " Thanks, but..." " We'd be honored to accept your offer." "A man has to eat, and I have a feeling the lady's cooking's better than yours." "I'm not fighting for the South if it means keeping slavery." "I'm fighting for the place where I live." "That's why most of the men joined up." "Sometimes I wonder if Mr. Davis understands that." " I think he does, deep down." " Like you?" "I don't believe in this war." "Just doing what I can to make things easier for those who have to fight it." "Yes..." "Thank you for the fine meal, ma'am, but we have to leave." "I want to reach the Yankee encampments before morning." "Well, I'll get the horses." "Excuse me, ma'am." "Does your husband object to the work you're doing?" "It seems a bit dangerous." "My husband died a few years ago." "He was a good man." "Older than me." "Learned a great deal from him." "Sounds like you really miss him." "With all the work there is to do, and my other activities there's not much time to be lonely." "Thank you again, Mrs. Barclay." "It's Augusta, captain." " Good luck." " Goodbye." " Take care of yourself, Washington." " Goodbye, captain." " Thank you very much, ma'am." " Goodbye, Boz." "Captain, lieutenant." "That is some kind of lady." "Good night." "Mrs. Grady?" "I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long." "I had difficulty finding your letter of application." "I sent it when I first heard about the nursing corps." "I have many skills, and I can learn others very quickly." " I'm afraid there's more to it than that." " I don't understand." "Sit, please." "Mary?" "We make it a point to find out as much as possible about the women who apply to us." "Perhaps you've heard that Mrs. Dix is quite concerned that we don't attract well, the wrong sort of woman." "Are you saying that I'm the wrong sort of woman?" "Let me be direct, Mrs. Grady." "We've learned you spent three months in an asylum for the insane." "That was after my husband's death." "That doesn't mean I'm crazy." "Nursing in wartime is difficult and dangerous work." "There'll be hideous suffering and death." "We can't send a nurse who might break under the strain." "My husband was murdered at Harpers Ferry." "Surely you can understand the grief of a woman." "Even if others consider it madness." "There is also the matter of your abolitionist views." " Some of your causes, we just..." " Such as marrying a Negro?" "That was not a cause, Mrs. Reilly." "That was love." "Your marriage has nothing to do with this." "I'm sorry, but I must reject your letter of application." "Then I must inform you I have highly placed friends in the government." "I'm afraid this isn't a matter of personal influence." "You and Mrs. Dix have not seen the last of me." "I promise you that, Mrs. Reilly." "We were married in such a hurry, I never had time to get your ring engraved." ""Forever."" "I think that calls for a toast." "Yes." "To the Hazards." "And the Mains." "May God keep our families safe and bring us together when this is all through." "Hear, hear." "Isn't that your family at the far end?" "Yes, it is." "Could we please find our table?" " Who's she with?" " Sam Greene." "He's a congressman." "Constance, that dress." "Isn't it your Worth gown?" "Yes." "Virgilia liked it so much that I gave it to her." "Excuse me." "That's all right, don't get up." "I just wanna say goodbye to my sister." "I leave in the morning, Virgilia." "I may not see you until the war's over." "I just want to wish you all the best." "Billy." "Take care of yourself." "One member of the Hazard family seems to care about you." "I prefer not to discuss my family." "We have more important things to discuss." "I have missed seeing you." "Why did you wait so long to tell me you were in Washington?" "Because I wasn't ready to see you yet." "And now you are?" "I need your help again, Sam." "I want to be a nurse." "It seems to be the only way a woman can fight this war." "And I've run into difficulty that I didn't plan on." "Why?" "You're certainly charming enough." "I can attest to that." "Dorothea Dix sets very high standards for her nursing corps." "And charm doesn't seem to be a prerequisite." "I know that a number of women have been turned down, but..." "I haven't even gotten past her aide, Sam." "Why?" "Thank you." "What's the problem?" "Have you forgotten that I was in an asylum?" "Her aides found out about it." "And you want me to talk to Mrs. Dix on your behalf." "Would you, please, Sam?" "Well..." "Sam, your recommendation would override anything her staff might say." "And you could explain to her..." "My reward will be...?" "My friendship and support, as always." "You never fail to amaze me." "You could ask for the moon and not even offer a kiss in return." "So does this mean you'll help me?" "Yes." "Why, George." "What a surprise." "I doubt that, since you saw me earlier this evening." "Was that you?" "I did see a man in a uniform that looked a lot like you." "But then I thought, "No, George would never take up arms against his beloved Southern friends."" "You haven't changed, have you?" "A constant in this time of change." "Why are you here, George?" "Did your wife send you?" "What are you doing in Washington?" "Do you really care?" "I want Sam Greene to help me get into the nursing corps." "Why didn't you see me first?" " Oh, George, don't patronize me." " I'm not." "I've been concerned about you." "Well, I'm fine." "At least let me loan you money so you can find a decent place to live." "You might have shown such brotherly concern when Grady was alive." "I'm sorry your husband was killed, but nobody in our family's to blame." "We're not a family, George, we never have been." "We were close when we were younger." "I'm not sure how or why that changed." "When I began to think for myself which is something women aren't supposed to do." "It amazed me." "Everyone would listen to Stanley's most ridiculous ideas but no one cared to hear what I might think." "Do you know how that feels, George?" "To spend your life becoming educated only to be overlooked because you're not male?" "I've always been interested in what you had to say." "The only opinion you wanted to hear was your own." "Oh, George!" "You, of all people, should've seen what I was trying to do." "You dismissed me like the rest." ""An abolitionist fanatic."" "You moderates still don't hear the drums." "You say all you want to do is preserve the Union, that slavery isn't the issue." " And I say it's the only issue, George." " I despise slavery as much as you do but I'm not here to argue right or wrong or anything else!" "I am here because you are my sister!" "I care about you!" "And to let you know your family's there if you need them!" "Is that so difficult to understand?" "!" "Is it so hard for you to understand that I just want to be alone?" "Virgilia, we can't change what is past." " But we can make a new beginning." " No." "It was too late for that a long time ago." " Virgilia." " Lf you'll excuse me, I'd like to turn in." "Give my regards to Constance." "If you ever need me you know how to find me." "Don't hang too close to me tonight, James." "You'll meet more people if you don't monopolize my time." "You seem to have damn little of that for me, in public or private." "It's for your own good, James." "A loyal wife always helps her husband's career." "And tonight's the perfect opportunity." "Imagine!" "You and me at a party given by Jefferson Davis." "Davis is bound to recognize my vision and courage and realize he needs me in the war effort." "Flattery, James." "All men like flattery." "Use whatever charm you can muster." "Stop treating me like a child." "My views are my strength." "Being a clerk to the first assistant in the treasury?" "It's not good enough for you." "I want more for you." "Much more." "For me?" "Or for yourself?" "Isn't it all one and the same?" "Excuse me, but I must ask Mrs. Davis where she got that simply interesting dress." "Mr. Huntoon, in time of war a central government must enforce stern measures necessary to our military operation such as the use of slaves as laborers, regardless of its unpopularity." "Then I submit, with all due respect to yourself and to your office that it must not happen." "Only the sovereign states can decide policy." "If they are forced to surrender freedom to a central power why, we'd be like that circus in Washington." "May I remind you, sir, that I am charged with making this new nation strong and successful." "We must have a central government stronger than its separate parts." " Never!" "The states will not tolerate it." "If that be so, Mr. Huntoon then the Confederacy will not last out the year." "You can have independent states, or you can have a strong new nation." "You cannot have both!" "A choice must be made." "It is my choice not to be party ever to autocratic ways!" "Furthermore..." "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Huntoon." "Well done, James." "He's afraid to argue political philosophy because he knows he's wrong." "James!" "Ashton..." "Don't "Ashton" me!" "I heard everything." "Is that flattery to you?" "Arguing with the most important man in government?" "He behaves like a dictator." "I have a strong conviction..." "To hell with your conviction!" "You probably ended your political career just now." "That is, if you ever really had one!" "Glass of champagne, please." "I simply can't abide punch that's lost its potency." "Good evening, Mr. Huntoon." "Good evening, sir." "I'm afraid you have the advantage." "Have we met before?" "Well, I'm not surprised you don't remember me." "The last time I saw you I was wearing the uniform of a major in the Union army." " In New Orleans, after my speech." " Precisely." "After which we adjourned to Madam Conti's house where we enjoyed the favors of certain ladies." " Yes, of course..." "You told me you could not serve the Union." "But if Jeff Davis were elected, you'd not serve him either." "As you can see, I'm still a man of my word." "And you, sir, are still a man of vision." "Thank you." "I appreciate your graciousness." "Not at all." "I overheard your discussion with that arrogant jackass." "You were completely justified in what you said to him." "I'm afraid my wife doesn't share your opinion." "Well, she certainly is beautiful." "Which probably means you'll have to forgive her." "Come, then." "Let me introduce you to her." "Well I'd love to, sir." "But business before the pleasure of meeting your wife." "If you will." "I confess I have a particular reason for wishing to renew your acquaintance." "To come to the point, Mr. Huntoon, I'm organizing a small group of men." "Men of vision and stature like yourself to finance a confidential venture that I guarantee will provide incredible profit." " You mean some kind of investment?" " A maritime investment, sir." "You see, I think the Yankee blockade provides a golden opportunity for men of the will and wherewithal." " You're suggesting running the blockade?" " Yes, I am." "I already have an interest in one ship." "And I've just located a very fast steamer called the Water Witch." "Now she can be refitted in Liverpool to suit our purposes, at a fair price." "Your share of the profits will be equal to your share of the investment." "The Confederacy will need more arms and ammunition." "Sir, I'm referring to luxuries." "Luxuries are where the money is." "Of course, the danger to the ship is tremendous." "So, what we are looking for is the short term, Mr. Huntoon, not the long term." "But with the right cargo only two successful runs will bring in a profit of 500 percent." "After that, let the Yankees sink her, if they can." "And if not, our potential earnings are astronomical." "I must decline, sir." "I want no part of such a scheme." "May I ask why, sir?" "I have several reasons, but one is enough." "It is unpatriotic." "Since when are perfume, silk and good sherry unpatriotic?" " The answer is no, sir!" " No to what?" "We're disagreeing on a business venture, although we do share the same politics." "And, evidently, the same love of beauty." "My dear, may I present..." "Elkanah Bent, sir, at your service." "Mr. Bent, my wife, Ashton." "You went to the wrong person, Mr. Bent." "My husband would never invest in something like that." "Because of his patriotism?" "No." "Because he's a coward." "But I'm not, and I have my own money." "How can that be, madam?" "Your husband is a lawyer." "And the law says your money became his the moment you were married." "I control my money, Mr. Bent, because I control my husband." "Well, I can believe that." "And I think he was very wrong to refuse you." "Does that mean that you would not?" "Perhaps we should discuss it later in private." "Left!" "Left!" "Left, right, left!" "Left!" "Left!" "Left, right, left!" "Left!" "Left!" "Left, right, left!" "Left!" "Left!" "Left, right, left!" "Carter, keep your cadence!" "Captain Durham!" "Put them in line." "By company into line!" "March!" "Excellent." "That will be enough for today." "You and your men are to be congratulated, Captain Durham." "Just shows how quickly our Southern boys take to soldiering." "Permission to speak, sir." "What is it, soldier?" "Well, sir, I want to be released from my enlistment." "It's my wife, sir, she misses me." "And my young'uns." "Sir, I gotta be honest with you, I'm not cut out for this militia life." "I can shoot rabbits and possum but I sure don't think I could pull the trigger on no human, not even a Yank." "What's your name, soldier?" " Burnett, sir." " Well, Private Burnett." "What do you think would happen to our Confederacy if every man decided he was not "cut out for this militia life"?" "Ours is a glorious cause, young man." "Freedom." "Independence." "The supremacy of the white man." "Every one of us must be willing to give his last breath to that end." "Your request is denied, soldier." " But, sir..." " That's easy for you to say no, colonel." "You ain't got no family no more." "Colonel!" "Colonel!" "Colonel." "Sergeant, dismiss the men!" "Right face!" "March!" ""For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings then I scorn to change my state with kings."" "You love my son very much." "He means everything to me." "I never want to hurt him." "Madeline, you bring him such happiness, you could never hurt him." "It's something else, isn't it?" "I just don't want to ever bring shame to this family." "You never could." "There's something that you don't know." "My mother..." "She had Negro blood in her..." "My dear, Orry already told me." "Oh, Mrs. Main, then you know that if anyone ever found out..." "All that matters is that my son loves you." "So do I." "Don't you think it's time you stopped saying, "Mrs. Main"?" "Call me "Clarissa," if you wish." "Or maybe just "Mother."" "Do exactly what we say, boy, or you'll be in hell damn quick." "Have this nigger saddle up a horse." "Not a word, or I'll slit your throat and the old lady's too." "You're going home, Mrs. LaMotte." "And this time, you're going to be a dutiful wife." "Miss Madeline..." "Get her on a horse!" "Take her home." "Give me that." "Fire!" "Fire!" "Fire in the cotton barn!" "Pump up the water from the well!" "Get a bucket line moving!" "Get that ladder from the horse barn!" "We gotta get water on that roof!" " You gonna get..." " Now's not the time!" " Cuffey, this fire needs both of us!" " Let's go!" "Fire!" "Fire!" "Get on this side!" "Come on, get a move on!" "Get a move on!" "More water!" "Cuffey, you gotta move this wagon!" "More water!" "More water!" "Hurry!" "Hurry!" "Keep them moving!" "Keep them moving!" "Keep these buckets moving." "I'm gonna get Miss Clarissa!" "What's she gonna do, spit on the fire and put it out?" "Get back on that pump!" " Come on!" " Quickly!" "Move it on over there!" "Gotta get more water!" "Where's Cuffey, Ezra?" "Miss Clarissa, he went back inside the barn, down on that end." "Keep the buckets moving!" "We gotta get more water in here!" " How'd it get started?" " Justin threw a lantern on the roof!" "Then he run off and took Miss Madeline with him!" "Look out!" "Miss Clarissa." "Miss Clarissa." "We better get her in the house." "Cuffey, you better get out there and help fight that fire." "The cotton's gone, boy." "I ain't wasting more sweat saving things don't even belong to me." "You better never let Miss Clarissa hear that kind of talk." "Let her." "We're killing ourselves, and them folk don't even care about us." "Miss Clarissa?" "Don't try to move, ma'am." "You took a terrible lick on the head." "We sent for the doctor." "Did you find Miss Madeline yet?" "We looking for her." "You just rest now." "We get word to Miss Brett." "We going to take care of everything." "Welcome home, my dear." "This was never my home." "I've had time to think, and now I realize how much I want you." "Justin..." "You're mine in the eyes of your God, your church and the law." "No piece of paper is going to change that." "Justin, please." "It's too late." "Please." "Don't be afraid." "I'll be patient for now." "Though I will keep you under guard." "You'll be my lady, and I'll treat you as such." "You'll see how much I've changed." "Justin." "You're guilty of abducting me against my will." "People will know I'm here." "They'll find me." "Every white man at Mont Royal, including your precious Orry is away fighting for our glorious cause." "There is no one, Madeline." "Good night." "Where were you, Mr. Bent?" "I don't like to be kept waiting." "I've risked my reputation coming here without my husband's knowledge." "I must say, you do look ravishing, Mrs. Huntoon." "If you intend on flattering me, sir, you'll have to do much better than that." "May I offer you something to drink?" "Champagne will do nicely, thank you." "Well, our tastes are similar." "Surely that must mean something." "You presume too much, sir, on such an early acquaintance." "Perhaps I do presume." "I have been expecting you for days." "Money like this doesn't grow on trees, you know." "Besides I haven't decided whether I trust you." "Maybe I should tell you that when I renewed my acquaintance with your husband I had a much deeper motive." " And that was...?" " You and I." "You never laid eyes on me until four days ago." "But I've seen your image." "The one he carries in his wallet." "My wedding picture?" " The one where your brother is there..." " Orry?" "I don't wanna hear about Orry." " How do you know my brother?" " We were cadets together." "At West Point." "Why, he's talked about you since I was a little girl." ""Bent the bastard" is the term I most remember." "Your brother and his friend George Hazard were my enemies." "They conspired to have me discharged from the academy." "I wouldn't be surprised at anything those two might do." "Well, then, you know George Hazard too." "His younger brother married my sister." "I hate all the Hazards, including her." "Evidently, your hatred extends all the way to your own brother." "Orry actually ordered me off the plantation, all because I just tried to interfere with my sister's marriage to that damn Yankee." "You saw my wedding picture?" "Once." "After one of your husband's speeches." "My sister, Brett, was that drab little thing to my right." "I don't recall it all that well, except for you, of course." "And there was some other woman with dark hair." " You have another sister?" " No." "That was Madeline LaMotte, the whore." " She's living with my brother now." " Illicitly." "And openly." "He claims he's giving her sanctuary from her crazy husband." "But from what I hear they plan on being married as soon as she can get a divorce." "Better and better." " Don't tell me you know her." " I know something about her that I'll keep to myself for a while yet." "Now I would appreciate it if you gave me that bank draft." "How masterful." " A man who takes what he wants." " And he wants it all." "My, my, my, Mr. Bent." "We are greedy for all the good things in life." "After all, money is but one." "It's the one that buys all the rest." "I'm not that easily bought, sir." "You must show me profits before you deserve what you've just stolen." "You'll have your profits and you'll have more." "Much more." "I must run." "James expects me home when he returns from the treasury." "Send your card around, sir when your ship comes in." "You won't be able to leave today, Semiramis." "The blockade stopped the coastal steamers and the rail lines south are closed because fighting's expected." "Are you still going to Pennsylvania?" "No, I'll stay here with you until after the battle." "One way or the other, we'll find a way to get you home." " Excuse me, ma'am, are you Mrs. Hazard?" " I am." "This message passed through Union lines and I was hired to deliver it." " Thank you, sir." " Good day, ma'am." "Mother's very sick and Madeline's gone." "We have to find a way to get back to Mont Royal." " But you just said the fighting?" " We can pack the buggy." "Once we get past Union lines, we'll be safe in Virginia." "Miss Brett, your mama don't want you in no danger, or Mr. Billy..." "He'll understand." "He'd do the same thing." "We have to try." "There's nobody else." "Mama needs us." "Morning." "You all right?" "Beat just caught on me, lieutenant." " You in the sharpshooters?" " Yeah, I'm just reporting in." " Name's Billy Hazard." " Tom Larson." "I'm on the way to your camp too." "I wanna be a drummer." "What about your folks, Tom?" "Ain't got any." "Aren't you a little young?" "Don't matter how old you are if you're the best." "I know every last command there is." "No matter how many guns go off you'll hear me, I can promise that." " Come on." "I'll give you a ride." " Much obliged, lieutenant." "You ready?" "One, two, three." " Stack those rifles!" " Look smart!" "We're ready, sir!" "This is a regiment." "Think those men are impressive, do you?" " Best in the army, right?" " Wrong, lieutenant." "Not the best by any measure and neither are you." "Your boots are dusty." " I've been on the trail." " You wipe them off before you enter the camp." " Look, I've had..." " Your gear isn't packed properly." " I don't like the way..." " lf you're Lieutenant Hazard, you're late." "My orders didn't arrive on time." "Why am I defending myself to a sergeant?" "I am Colonel Hiram Berdan, sir, your commanding officer." "Colonel, sir!" "I'm sorry, sir." "I can't hold you to account for not recognizing me but as for the already noted derelictions, I can and do." "This regiment will become the best and damn quick." "Yes, sir." "Wait, colonel." "I wanna be a drummer." "Sorry, boy." "You need experience and you're too young." "I came all the way from Baltimore." "At least give me a chance." "Baltimore?" "Well, make it quick." "Good luck." "Assembly!" "Forward march." "Retreat." " What are you laughing at?" " You." "That was some introduction." "At least you made an impression on old ramrod." "Rally." "I guess it was pretty funny." "Rudy Bodford." "This is Jamie Powell." " Nice to meet you." " Stephen Kent." "Mess call." "William Hazard." "Friends call me Billy." "Well, I can see you're gonna keep us constantly entertained." "First you get your foot stuck in your mouth and then you try to palm off some kid as a drummer boy." "I think he can do the job." "He'll run at the sound of the first cannon." "Billy!" "Billy!" "Colonel put me on the muster roll." "I made it!" " Congratulations." " Congratulations." "Corporal!" "I'm from Wade Hampton's legion." "Real fighting about to get started." " Manassas Junction." " How many Yankees are we up against?" "McDowell's 35,000 strong to Beauregard's 30." "Should be pretty equal." "Gotta get to Richmond." "The boys at the War Department always want a report." "Good luck." "Too late for Ashton." "Better make tracks for Manassas." "Meet him there." "General Beauregard has been bringing his rebel troops to the railroad junction here at Manassas near Bull Run." "They're obviously massing for a major movement north against the capital." "I don't think so, sir." "They'll wait to see what we intend." "While we wait to see what they intend." "Isn't it possible, Mr. President, that the blockade you ordered of their ports will bring them to their senses before any more blood need be spilled?" "The Southern hotheads hoot at my blockade as loudly as they question my ancestry." "We cannot expect a blockade to bring them down." "There are certain domestic political considerations as well." "Our people believe it's high time to whip the rebels and end all this." "That traitor Davis has proclaimed their cause the Second American Revolution." "What he's talking about, Mr. Cameron, is the right to revolt." "We'll crush them with our numbers and be in Richmond by August." "Numbers alone won't be enough." "This will be a people's war." "Brother against brother." "Our greatest test." "Those boys moving south deserve the best arms and cannon we can give them." "I've just tuned in my munitions report." "Our people will work day and night to give them what they need." "Not that so-called Spencer repeating rifle." "Think of the bullets it'd waste." "Stick to the tried and true in battle." "You can't go wrong." "Noted." "Gentlemen, General McDowell had a full meal last night then polished off a whole watermelon for dessert." "If he can polish off Beauregard with as much relish we have nothing to fear." "You'd think this was some sort of picnic." "General, we've been rushed into battle by the public." "The South holds strong defensive positions on their own soil." "The rebels have already retreated to Henry House Hill." "My old classmate Tom Jackson's holding that hill." "I would expect there to be formidable Confederate opposition." "Nonsense, colonel." "Undisciplined rabble cannot stand against a great nation's army." "That's what King George said in 1776." "Gentlemen, please cease fire." "Now you can see why I insisted we come along too." "Somebody has to keep the peace." "That's an odd expression to use on a battlefield." "General, Mrs. Harper, isn't it exciting?" "Molly, I didn't think you were coming." "I made Mama change her mind." "She's setting up our picnic." "I wanted to get a good look." "I've never seen a battle before." "Don't worry, I'll keep up." "You're the last one I'm worried about, Tom." "General wants us to move closer to that Confederate battery." "Don't interrupt an artist at work." "I just dropped a Reb artillery captain!" "Why is Colonel Hazard so concerned?" "His younger brother is in the sharpshooters." "Company, prepare to advance!" "Advance while firing!" "I can't see a thing with all the smoke and the trees and the hills." "Company, halt!" " There's their destination, sir." " Henry House." "Wade Hampton's Legion?" "To the right, sir, the Hodam's branch." "Let's show them how to whistle Dixie." "Draw sabers!" "I'll send you back with a message." "Ain't leaving you or my post." "No matter what happens." "We're a team." "Yes, sir." " That's not our legion." " Doesn't matter." "It's our war now." "Company, advance!" "Beat a rally, Tom." "Loud as you can!" "Come on!" "Ready!" "Aim!" "Fire!" "We need doctors!" "Are there any doctors here?" "We need you." "Take horses and follow me." "Private, what is happening?" "With respect, sir, all hell is breaking loose." "The wounded are coming in fast." "We're trying to run for home." "Run from the damn rebels?" "We've no choice sir." "They're whipping us." " How bad is it?" " It's over." "We can't hold them." "I suggest you get the women and children out before they block the road." "You salute a superior officer before taking your leave." "Private!" "We have to go now before we jam up the road." "Corporal, quickly!" "Let's go!" "Fall back!" "Corporal!" "Come back here!" "Corporal!" "Grab the reins." " What are you doing?" " Move over!" "Oh, my God!" "My God, the whole world's gone insane, George." "Completely insane." "General McDowell is in full retreat on his way back to the capital." "His mission now is to save Washington and what's left of his army." "Losses?" "Over 3000." "And 1500 men threw down their arms and let themselves be marched off to prison." "Were we that green?" "Well, I was there, sir." "Some men hid in the woods on the way to the front." "Others threw down their arms at the first sight of blood and fighting." "But the majority of those green troops fought courageously until they were ordered to retreat." " How many cannon did we lose?" " Twenty-eight. 17 of them were rifled." "It's a disaster, sir." " Maybe I shouldn't have interfered." " Well, Mr. President..." "I reckon a captain of volunteers in the Black Hawk War is not a military man." "When I gave my first order, my men shouted back, "Go to hell."" "I finally had to offer to whip each volunteer personally to get them to do what I wanted." "But somehow those rowdy frontier yahoos and I poor excuse for a soldier to the man, got the job done." "And so will this army." "I know them, these citizen soldiers." "They will not allow the Union to die nor must we." "Will the South be allowed to take by violence what they could not win in an election?" "The issue here is not just the fate of the United States but of the whole family of man." "With these troops all headed this way, we'll have to stay on the back road." "Here." "There's no way we can fix it." "Nothing else to do but leave the wagon and take the horse and whatever else we can carry." "I'll unhitch him." "I'm gonna go and get the rest of the bags." "We'll never be able to take everything now." "Just what we can't do without." "What are you doing, honey child?" "Stealing out of somebody's wagon?" "Look what we got here, lieutenant." "Pretty little wench." "Got her hand caught in the cookie jar." "Or maybe she's a Reb spy." "Is that what you are, darky?" "Maybe a little pleasuring will loosen your tongue." "We're still bound by the Fugitive Slave Laws, so you're considered contraband." "You'll be taken to headquarters in the morning." " Put her under guard." " Yes, sir." "Don't let her get away." "Come on." "Get her!" "Come on." "Get her." "Getting wet, missy?" "Get around there." "Come on, missy." "Come on, get up." "Don't you be screaming." "No!" "Get up." "Pack her up." "All right, men, back to camp." "Move out." "Be real nice to me later on, gal and I might see if I can fix it so you can slip away before morning." " I'll be dead before I be nice to you." " You got a lot of sass, ain't you, wench?" "We gonna change your tune." "Get in there." "Everett!" "Jake!" "Guard her." " Put these on." " All right." " Corporal of the guards!" " Sir." "Detail leaving." "Guards, detail arriving!" "We can change later." "We done took so many roads, I ain't know one from the other." "The sun's still on our left." "We're heading south." "Semiramis, look." "Maybe they can help us." "Hello!" " Wait!" " Wait!" "Wait, please." "We're lost." "Wait!" "Wait, please!" "Wait!" "They say we going the right way." "Mr. President, it's Christmas in July out there." "I had no idea our victory at Manassas was so impressive." "The Yankee battle flag one of our colonels just gave me." "It was taken when Jackson stood there like a stone wall." "My cousin Charles was with Beauregard." "No doubt he covered himself in glory, lifted all of our boys." "If only our supply system could do as well." "That is our problem." "Most of our railroads run north to south, making it difficult at best to supply our western troops." "All of the gauges are different, so cars cannot be transferred from one line to another." "So we might have to use wagon trains as a link." "Unfortunately, each state claims sovereignty over any Confederate right to command rolling stock." "Those states' rights we fight for could end up plaguing us." "The frustration of trying to get the various governors to give me their state militias for our army." "I understand that after Manassas, we could've taken Washington had those militias supported our Potomac forces." "That's true." "Jackson swore that if he'd had 10,000 fresh troops, he could've smashed the last defenders and captured the Yankee capital." "If only we could've gathered our forces in time." "But our army was in as much chaos from victory as the Yankees were in defeat." "Then the rain came, and our chance of ending the war in one bold stroke was lost." "Yet this proves to the world that we are an independent nation." "Mr. President, General Main." "General Main, two days ago your sister Brett stopped by on her way back to South Carolina." "She left you this note." "She seemed upset." "Thank you." "Is there a problem, General Main?" "Sir, I must ask for leave." "There's an emergency with my family." "I'm sorry, sir." "Have a safe journey." "Thank you, sir." "A little surprise for you, Madeline, my dear." "But first, a toast." "To one Union shattered at Manassas and another restored at Resolute." "With one battle, we've won a war and our freedom." "Surely you can spare a smile for your husband for that if not for this magnificent dessert." "Durham told me an amusing comment that an English journalist made just after the victory message was sent to the telegraph office at Charleston." "He said, "The American Union was so short-lived that a man might be present at its birth and still be alive at its death."" "Excellent." "Try it." "I don't want any." "I had them make it just for you." "I want my freedom!" "You can't force me to love you!" "I have been damn good to you, Mrs. LaMotte." "I have tried to court you." "I have offered you everything but my life to gain your favor." "Defy me if you wish." "But you will do as I want." "I promise you." "Gentlemen." "Justin!" "Would you like to watch while I kill your lover?" " Madeline." " Justin!" "Madeline?" "Orry." "Orry." "It's over." "Thank you." "Mama?" "Orry." "Madeline." "Thank God!" "My prayers have been answered." "Mr. Vice President." "Mrs. Stephens." "May I congratulate you and President Davis on your victorious election." "We are so very honored to have you here at my little party." "It's our pleasure, Mrs. Huntoon." "It's times like these when men need to enjoy themselves whenever they can." "Why, that's just what I was telling James." "Although I think he enjoyed himself a little too much at President Davis' reception a few months ago." "Some of his friends thought it was funny to get him liquored up and into a discussion with the president." " Yes." "We'd heard of that." "Some men have no more sense than a June bug." "I wish you and I were running the war." "Why, it'd be over in no time at all." "Don't you think that would be difficult in your hoop skirts, ladies?" "No more so than in those hot uniforms our men have to wear." "James, darling, why don't you come over here." "Excuse me." "Why don't you offer our guests of honor some of that wonderful champagne from France." "It was the last we could get before the blockade." "I am so honored that you could join us." "We have not only the election to celebrate but also the panic in the ranks of our enemies." "Panic, sir?" "Why, those fools in Washington are so busy pointing accusing fingers at one another over their last defeat they may tear each other apart and save us the bother." "James, dear, let's not talk about the war." "Oh, yes, yes." "Let me have the honor of serving you some of that wonderful champagne myself before my colleagues from the treasury drink it all up." "This way." "Mr. Bent, sir, I wasn't at all sure you'd be here today." "I don't believe that for a moment, Mrs. Huntoon." "I presume you've made good use with my money?" "That champagne you're serving that's getting everybody inebriated came right off our ship, yours and mine." "I told Stephens that it was the last we could get before the blockade." "Man's as gullible as Jefferson Davis." "He'll believe anything he hears." "I suppose I should see to my other guests." "Ashton, when are you gonna see to me?" "Soon, Mr. Bent." "Very soon." "In fact, the minute you're ready to discuss my profits." "I don't like to be kept waiting." "I have little patience where women are concerned." "Well, Mr. Bent, maybe I shouldn't bother, then." "Because I like a man with a lot of patience." "Well, then, considering all your attributes patience may be a virtue I could make an effort to acquire." "Well, I think the effort is worth finding out, don't you, Mr. Bent?" "James, you remember Mr. Bent, don't you?" "Why, he was just telling me the most amusing story about a man who learned to be patient." "Mr. Bent, why don't you tell James the story." "I have to see to my other guests." "You have a lovely wife, sir." "Thank you, sir." "A gentleman shouldn't act as though he expected such a surprise, Mr. Bent." "I didn't know that chess was your game." "But doesn't it require more than one player?" " What's so funny?" " Your games." "Your little intrigues." "Yes." "But I know you want me." "I want you." "I want you more than any woman I've ever known." "And I want you on my own terms." "Where is it?" "Where's my surprise?" "I want my surprise." "Your surprise is right up there." "Now, you wait." "Slow down, there." "Watch your step." " Be careful, you'll trip on your dress." " Move out of my way, EI." "If you don't show a little patience, I am not gonna show you." "Now, you stop right here." "Now, I cannot trust you not to peek." " Come here." " Oh, EI, you know I'm afraid of the dark." "You used to be afraid of me, but you've gotten over that." "I've never been afraid of any man." "Now, you hush up, or I won't show you a thing." "Come on." " This is silly." "I don't like doing this." " Just you watch your step." "Give me your hand." "This is silly." "Right in here." "All right?" "I don't believe it." "I have died and gone to heaven." "The couturiers of Paris honed their skills for a lifetime expressly for your pleasure." "Oh, EI, you make me feel just like I'm royalty, which means..." "Is that I can have absolutely everything in the world that I want." "Right?" "I don't think I've ever seen you so excited before." "I am so pleased to have found somebody whose dedication to the pursuit of luxury, pleasure and power is as singular as my own." "Makes us the perfect couple, don't you think?" "Oh, yes, just perfect." "So I have decided to make you my first lady." "EI, I'm no one's first lady." "Are you just saying you want to marry me?" "What I am saying is, when the time is right, I want you to be my consort." "What I am saying is, when Jefferson Davis has shown his true cowardly colors a man more fit will take over the Confederacy." "Future voyages of our ships will provide for a small but disciplined army under my leadership." "A weak fool like Jefferson Davis can't lead the South to victory." "He has no taste for war." "I have the taste, and I have the military ability." "And I will do whatever is necessary to eliminate him and put us in his place." "Why, EI, that's treason." "When my plans have come to fruition your marriage to that buffoon will be taken care of." "And when I have consolidated my power, we will rule." "We will rule together." "We will have royal privileges and luxuries fit for an emperor and his empress." "EI, you make it sound just like Napoleon and Josephine." "Don't you laugh at me." "Don't you ever laugh at me." "Or I will kill you." "Get your hands off me!" "I do admire your spirit." "Your temperament reminds me of a horse I used to have." "Now, you hear me." "We are a pair." "We are a real pair." "And we will be exactly like Napoleon and Josephine." "Lovers and rulers of an empire." "What's wrong?" "Well, you're not having second thoughts, are you, lady?" "Oh, I'm just being foolish about who I am and how it might affect you." "Madeline, we have settled all that." " But if we have children..." " Don't say "if."" "We will have children." "When the war ends, you're gonna have to live here, in this county where your happiness and your success will depend on what people think of you." "Look at me." "Will you look at me?" "My happiness depends on only one person." "You." "Now, we are gonna be man and wife." "Oh, yes." "Miss Clarissa!" "Mr. Orry!" "Miss Clarissa!" "Mr. Orry!" "Miss Clarissa, it's Miss Brett and Semiramis." "They come home." "Brett?" "Orry." "Are you all right?" "What happened?" "We're here." "That's all that matters." " Mother!" " Dear child, you're safe!" "Are you all right?" "It sure is good to see you, Semi." "Look at your clothes." "What you been doing?" "Semiramis, we were so worried." "Mr. Orry, that was a trip I ain't never gonna forget." "I'm glad you're all right." "Thank you, sir." "I have my maid of honor." "I'd love to be." "Come on, little sister." "Let's get you in the house." "Do you take Madeline Eugenie to be your lawfully wedded wife for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer in sickness and in health, to have and to hold from this day forward?" " I do." " Do you promise to love honor and keep her, forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?" " I do." " And you, Madeline Eugenie do you take Orry Main to be your lawfully wedded husband for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer in sickness and in health, to have and to hold from this day forward?" " I do." " Do you promise to love honor and obey him forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?" "I do." "So in the sight of almighty God and by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." "Dear?" "I was just thinking, so many people aren't here who should be." "All of Orry's friends, cousin Charles and the Hazards." "I'm sure they're with us in their hearts." "I know how much you miss Billy." "But today is a happy occasion, Mother, for all of us." "It's more than that, Brett." "Your brother's marriage is an act of faith and hope that Mont Royal will go on." "We've had so little time together." "I don't want to let you go." "The Confederacy is just gonna have to manage without you." "You look so serious." "What are you thinking about?" "The best day of my life." "And when was that?" "The day I was born." "Don't." "Don't." "Don't." "Quit." "Madeline, quit!" "Now, stop teasing me." "Tell me." "The day I met you was the day I was born." "Hope said to give Papa another kiss." "She did?" "That's from both of us." "We're going to miss you, George." "The casualty list came in from our latest disaster at Valverde." "The president wept when he read it." "His good friend Colonel Meeker was among the dead." "So was Andrew Langley." "He graduated with you." "He was a good friend to both Orry and me." "One of our agents in the South reports that Orry's doing the same work for their president I am for Lincoln." "I guarantee he's just as anxious to get out of Richmond as I am of Washington." "You're not going to ask for a field command?" "Every day, I sit and hand out fat army contracts to greedy war profiteers while good men die." "I understand how you feel." "No, you don't." "I am angry, and I am frustrated, and I can't hide it anymore." "You're doing what the president wants." "Isn't that enough?" "I should be with the real army, not this regiment of paper-shufflers!" "I'm sorry." "I'm really sorry." "I do understand how you feel." "Your loyalties are being torn apart by this war, but please don't let that happen to us." "I couldn't bear it." "I wanted a word with you, general." "This is the only place in Richmond where we can escape that army of dignitaries." "It's not every day that a new nation inaugurates its first permanent president." "I only hope our new congress will be more decisive than the provisional one." "They must approve my enlistment bill." "We also need a law against importing luxury items to the exclusion of arms." "Any further word about who's behind that damnable cartel?" "I know the name of one of them, but I still have no proof." "What they're doing's not illegal." "I have to find another way to stop them." "Corruption could bring down my government." "If I could just smash this one ring, sir." "It'd be a warning to others who'd build their fortunes on our army's sacrifice." "Excuse me, sir, the dispatch from General Johnston in Tennessee." "Fort Donelson, sir?" "Grant has forced Buckner to surrender unconditionally." "Two thousand dead and wounded." "And more than 12,000 are now prisoners." "The North recovered from Manassas, sir." "We shall from this." "There'll be no more talk now of an easy victory." "George Washington's statue has always been an inspiration to me." "It's why I chose his birthday to become the first president of the Confederacy." "That great man refused to give up." "In spite of everything, he brought to birth a new nation." "So will I." "So will I." "Finish loading these supplies." "Deliver them to Fredericksburg." "You'll meet us at Bell Plain with more railcars, sir?" "No." "Apparently, there doesn't seem to be any more available." " I'm headed north on another matter." " North, sir?" "We're not far from the frontline." "An agent discovered they're running luxury goods past the Yankee blockade." "You know who's behind it, sir?" "And it is urgent that we stop him as soon as possible." "I'll meet you in Fredericksburg, lieutenant, when my business is finished." "Good luck." "Sorry about bringing you here, sir." "Last time I used this place, there weren't so many Yankee patrols around." "I was lucky none of them saw me." "What more have you learned?" "Major Bent has bank accounts in New York getting fatter by the day." "That is still no proof." "It's not going to stand up in court." "He's the cleverest swindler that ever drew breath." "And he's paying off all the right people." " Any word from France about his ships?" " They're running a steady trade." " From all accounts." " Where's he offload?" "He puts then in at small coves along the Virginia and South Carolina coasts." "It avoids the Yankee blockade and any questions from us about what he's transporting." "That may work to our advantage." "If we could find one of those coves and wait for him to anchor his ships..." "We might be able to put him out of business without troubling a court about it." "Now, we'll keep these thoughts to ourselves, won't we?" "Of course, general." "Sounds like storm's letting up." "Better make a run for it while we still can." "Best not to ride out together." "Just hope those Yankees have sense enough to stay by their fires tonight." "Good luck." "There's another one." "Stand where you are." " I beg your pardon, sir." " No harm done, lieutenant." "But it's a hell of a night to be out on patrol." "Yes, sir." "We were looking for a rebel." "Might be a spy." "Could've sworn his trail led this way." "Wish I could help, but I'm on my way back from an inspection tour." "I haven't seen anybody for hours." "I think your rebel's probably long gone by now." "Yes, sir." "I was thinking that myself." "Well, we'll get back to camp." " You're welcome to join our fire, sir." " I'm much obliged, but I've got to go." " I've got a lot of ground to cover." " Have a safe journey, sir." "You saved my life, George, again." "You damn fool." "How the hell did you happen to get this far north?" "Well, I'm not sure I should tell you, colonel." "This little truce might not be so easy." "I guess not." "But since we have it, why don't we find a dry place to talk." "Why don't we." "We're too old to bivouac in the rain like we did in Mexico." "Come on." "Tell Billy my sister isn't as fragile as he thinks." "She arrived at Mont Royal smiling like a true Main." "Well, he's worried sick about her so you just make sure she's safe." "Well, you just promise to keep your Yankee troops out of South Carolina." "What's that on your finger?" " Madeline and I were finally married." " Congratulations, man!" "Wish you were there to be my best man." "I'll make it up to you by throwing you the damnedest party you ever saw after the war." "Great." "We'll make it a West Point reunion." "I'll even invite Marcus Hasler." "Remember him?" "He was killed by a Union sharpshooter last week." "Orry, Lincoln bent over backwards to accommodate the South." "Why did he invade Virginia?" "You call Bull Run accommodating?" "Wait a minute." "I was there." "I saw it." "An entire rebel army was waiting to invade the capital." "What was Lincoln supposed to do?" "He took an oath to preserve the Union." "The South started it by firing on Sumter." "We did not start anything." " We just wanted to be left alone." " You never even gave him a chance." "You refused to compromise." "He could not extend slavery into new territories." "That is not the issue, George!" "We both agree that slavery's an outmoded institution that will only hold the South back." "Dear God, what has happened to us?" "Well, I think, under the circumstances it was best that we ended our business partnership." "You should've turned me in to your Yankee troops." "That would have been one less Reb you had to fight." "Orry, you don't mean that." "Take care of yourself, Orry." "Pardon me, ma'am." "We haven't heard from our son." "We heard that he was wounded." "Can you help us find him?" "I'm sorry, I don't work here." "Perhaps a nurse could..." "Thank you, ma'am." "Yes, ma'am, we're looking for our son." "Miss Dix." "Excuse me." "I'm Virgilia Hazard Grady." "Mrs. Grady." "Congressman Greene speaks very highly of you." "We've never had fighting like this before on this continent." "Skirmishes maim and kill more than major battles in earlier wars." "We're not prepared for such casualties." "Only yesterday 200 men were wounded on the bluffs of the Potomac." "I want to do whatever I can to help ease the suffering, Miss Dix." "Nurses are scarce, Mrs. Grady, especially good ones." "Some of them can't stand the blood and the filth and the constant shortage of medicines." "And some of them have been called home to families who have lost husbands and brothers." "I assure you, I can stand a great deal." "And as for my family..." "I understand that you are related to Colonel George Hazard." "And that your family owns the Hazard Ironworks in Pennsylvania." "Yes." "We're all helping in the war effort." "Well, Congressman Greene seems to feel that you are equal to the hardships of a war nurse." "Congressman Greene understands my deep desire to serve my country." "I read your book, Miss Dix." "And several others." "And I've always been very, very quick to learn." "You will have to learn, Mrs. Grady." "If I override Mrs. Reilly's recommendation and admit you into the Nurses' Corps." "And I'm not speaking only of medical knowledge." "You must be prepared for insults from the men and hostility from the doctors who will sometimes treat you no better than a common servant or..." "Or a slave?" "I've endured being treated like a slave before." "In my abolitionist work." "I'm not referring to parades and speeches." "I have seen horrors as bad or worse than any war." "Atrocities inflicted by Southern slaveholders on their black victims." "I've witnessed that." "I've touched them with my own hands." "Bodies burned beaten with whips wounds, scars hideous disfigurement." "You realize that many of the patients are Southern wounded." "And that a nurse's duty is to treat all victims of war with compassion." " Of course." " You must put aside personal feelings and give equal treatment to all." "I have always believed in equality for all men and women." "Then let us talk about particulars, Mrs. Grady." "Compensation." "Transportation." "And living allowance." "Thank you." "I think, gentlemen you'll find that this ward is typical of our military hospitals." "Our staff of doctors is extremely capable." "It would appear that your nursing staff is capable as well, Mr. Fielding." "These men seem to be getting the finest possible care." "Yes." "Congressman Greene, may I present Mrs. Grady, one of our nurses." "Thank you, Mr. Fielding." "I already have the pleasure of knowing Mrs. Grady." "It was my privilege to recommend her to the Nursing Corps." "We're honored to have you here, sir." "Not many men of your stature have seen fit to personally inspect our hospital." "That is inexcusable." "This work is second only to serving in the field." "It's our duty to restore soldiers, like this fine young lad, to the battlegrounds." "Congressman, there's so much you could do to help us here." "The government moves slowly in answering our requests." "That will be enough, Mrs. Grady." "Congressman, we'd better be going along." "Mr. Fielding." "I think the point of view of your staff is extremely important." "After all, they have the day-to-day task of caring for the wounded." "I for one, am very interested in what Mrs. Grady has to say about the current situation." "I'll be joining a field hospital, sir." "I've read there's a terrible shortage of morphine powder." "That's the only thing that quiets the gangrene cases when they amputate." "Virgilia, I did not make this trip to talk about morphine powder." "I came to see you." "Your committee makes appropriations, Sam." "You could see to it that we got more money for medications we need." "All right, Virgilia, I'll do what you want." "The question is what are you willing to do for me?" "Correct me if I'm wrong, Sam." "You are married and you have a family in Indiana." "You know my views." "They haven't changed." "You know I'd divorce my wife for you if only Indiana weren't such an unforgiving state." "I can't afford the scandal." "And I can't belong to you." "Not like that." "Sam, I don't want to lose you as a friend." "Please say that I haven't." "No." "You haven't." "I'll get you the medicine you need." "Thank you." "But, Virgilia the next time you need a favor from me expect to do me one in return." "That's the way it works." "Even between friends." "They may have given us a bloody nose in the West but with Jackson tearing up Shenandoah he could make a dash for Washington at any time." "That's why Lincoln took a whole corps away from McClellan, below Richmond moved it up here to protect the capital." "Still gonna be a lot of Yankees coming up that peninsula toward Richmond." "Yeah, but not as many as we thought." "I figure five of them for each one of us." "We gotta get back." "Johnston's gotta be told he'll be facing a few more Yankees than he figured on." "What's so funny?" "I seem to remember a Lieutenant Pell thought he was the best turned-out officer in the whole Confederate Army." "Until he let his captain talk him into being a scout." "You wanted to be a hero." "I thought I'd look better." "If we split up, one of us might get through." "Files left, right!" "Try again, Boz." ""A soldier of the..."" " "Legion." - "Legion lay dying in Al..." "Al..."" ""Algiers." It's a city in Africa." "Go ahead." ""There was lack of woman's nursing." "There was dearth..."?" ""Dearth of woman's tears."" "That's good." "You're reading better than I did after two years of schooling." "Much better." "Look like a soldier, Miss Augusta." "Captain Main!" "Careful." "Oh, my God." "Watch out." "He's got a bullet wound." "This was almost worth getting shot for." "You were lucky, Captain Main." "You lost a lot of blood." "But the wound shouldn't take too long to heal." "I hope not." "I have to be on my way in the morning." "You're not going anywhere, not for a few days, till that shoulder heals." "If I don't make it back with what Pell found out..." "There are other ways to get your information to headquarters." "I'll see that it gets done." "Good night, Charles." "Sleep well." "The farm is beautiful." "A man could almost forget there's a war going on." "After Tom died I still had so much to give." "It shows." "Not just in this farm." "Not many people teach their slaves to read." "Washington and Boz aren't slaves." "They worked as hard as we did, so my husband and I freed them and gave them a share of the farm." "I've never met anyone quite like you." "The way you care about people." "Maybe that's why I find you so attractive." "Miss Augusta." "Excuse me, captain." "Miss Augusta, your mare's starting to foal right now." "She's my pride and joy." "I hid her from the troops." "You'll have to excuse me." "Go ahead." "But if it's a boy, you better name him after me!" "Something I can do for you, Washington?" "No, sir." "Ain't for me." "It's for her." "You might think I'm stepping out of line, captain." "But Boz and me we're the only family Miss Augusta got left now." "So she's told me." "Go on." "Say your piece." "Well, she..." "Miss Augusta took it real hard when the baby was stillborn." "Then Mr. Tom died." "And you being a soldier and all and the war still goes on and on." "I don't know if she could live through mourning somebody else, captain." "See what I mean?" "A little wobbly in the legs, but a year from now, he'll be chasing the wind." "This calls for a celebration." "I've been saving a bottle of wine for a special occasion." "This is it." "I'd enjoy that, Augusta." "It'd be a nice way to say goodbye." "I have to leave tomorrow." "Column, halt!" "Good afternoon, ladies." "Which of you is Mrs. Main?" "I'm Mrs. Tillet Main." "Mrs. Orry Main, Mrs. William Hazard." "And whom do we have the honor of receiving?" "My apologies, ma'am." "Second Lieutenant Samuel Barstow, first quartermaster out of Charleston." " We're here to requisition supplies." " What will you be needing?" "A great deal, I'm afraid." "Three-quarters of what was left and most of the animals." "We had no choice, Brett." "It was our duty to obey the order." " Our troops need those supplies." " So do we, Mother." "I don't know how we're gonna feed everyone now." "Don't mean to interrupt, but have you heard from Miss Brett yet?" "I'll just keep trying to get letters through the lines." "You sure love her, don't you?" "I sure hope I find somebody when I grow up." "You will." "I want to get this done before we move out." "Run along." "Never seen a man could write so many letters." "What do you find to say?" ""All I think about is having you back in my arms." "You'll probably never get my letters, and you can't write from..."" "South Carolina?" "Your wife is from South Carolina?" "That's right." "Now, just give me the letter." " Well, you're a damn rebel lover." " That's his business." "Give him his letter." "Give me the letter!" "Give him back his letter, Kent." "Hazard!" "Kent!" "You have five minutes to appear in my tent." "You are supposed to be officers and gentlemen who set a proper example for your men." " I didn't start it, sir." " Did I give you permission to talk?" " No, sir." " No, sir." "We have pushed the rebels up the peninsula and we're about to knock at the gates of Richmond and I have two officers who'd rather fight each other than the enemy." "If another battle wasn't in prospect, I'd court-martial you both." "I will not tolerate feuds under my command." "Now, save your fight for the rebels." "Might not be much fighting now that they've got a new commander, sir." "When Robert E. Lee is ready, sir he'll come after us with everything he has." "And we better damn well be ready." "You're dismissed, Mr. Kent." "I had high hopes for you, Lieutenant Hazard." "In spite of our first meeting, you've proved yourself a responsible officer." "Now, what was this misunderstanding all about?" "Sir Lieutenant Kent seems to resent it that my wife is from the South." "And I haven't heard from her in months." "We're all under a lot of pressure, Billy, from the generals on down." "We can't let it affect our judgment." "The sooner we win this war the faster we'll all get back home." " Yes, sir." " You're dismissed, lieutenant." " Morning, Billy." " Colonel Hazard." " The president wanted to see me?" " Yes, he could use an ally just now." "A pack of wolves, the damn newspapers and preachers." " Blaming him for McClellan." " Where is he?" "In the Cabinet Room with Stanton, Seward, the others." " What's happened?" " You haven't heard?" "McClellan is sitting at Harrison's Landing and refuses to move." "General McClellan has been outthought and outfought." "And our one chance for an early end to this terrible rebellion gone." "What do you suggest, Mr. Secretary, that we negotiate a surrender?" " Is that what you're thinking?" " Gentlemen we must begin to see this war for what it is:" "Bloody Shiloh and the nightmare of the peninsula should prove to us that this fight will be to the death." "And now their General Lee has proven himself to be a great strategist." "If we don't do something decisive then I believe England will join France in support of the South." " That'd change the war's course." "Our European friends would never abide slavery." "Nor any longer should we." "Are you going ahead with freeing the slaves in the rebel states, sir?" "Your own people don't want the Negroes free to roam and take their jobs." "Regardless we must now put our fight on the side of human rights." "An emancipation proclamation would do just that." "If you do, sir, it could cost you the border states possibly the election and probably the war, sir." "It may anyway." "Mr. President, I approve of such a proclamation." "But it might seem like a cry of desperation." "Hold off the measure till you can give it to the country supported by a military success." "That's good poker, Mr. Seward." "Play from strength." "Gentlemen, I need time to think on this." "George, Seward is right." "And so is Stanton about McClellan." "He's mismanaged the best-equipped force in Western history." "Give me more background on our top generals including those Western fellas:" " Thomas, Grant, Sherman." " Yes, sir." "I need me a Lee, a Jackson a commander who can get me a victory." "Then I can free the slaves." "One, one, one, two, one." " When shall we pick you up, Mother?" " 3:00 should be fine." "I doubt even the volunteers' committee could dither longer than that." "I never saw such a fuss over how to roll bandages." " You'll organize them, Mother." " Thank you, Stanley." "What are you and Isabel going to do today?" "Oh, Stanley has a business meeting, and I've got some shopping to do." "As usual." "Well, goodbye then, dear." "See you at 3." "It still worries me, Isabel." "I know she wouldn't approve of us dealing with a man like Morgan, especially on military contracts." "Your mother pays very little attention to Hazard Iron these days." "She's gotten so busy with her war-effort committee." "George and your mother don't run the company now." "We do." "And it's up to us to decide what's best for it." "I don't know that this is best." "Morgan has a bad reputation." "And he has to cut corners to sell alloys at such prices." "Now, if we buy from him, who's to say our cannon won't be defective?" " Nonsense." "He quoted us a low price because he wants to undercut his competition and make some money out of this war, just like we do." "It's simply good business, Stanley." "Mr. Morgan." "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Hazard." "Well, those are our terms, Mr. Morgan." "You take them or leave them." "At that price, Britannia stand to make a pretty profit considering what you'll charge the army for your cannon." "We're all in business to make money, Mr. Morgan." "I'm sure you'll make enough, even at the price we're offering." "You're a very perceptive woman, Mrs. Hazard." "So let's drink to our contract." "What if someone should find out?" "We'll take certain precautions." "I've designed a trademark for a fictitious company." "We'll stamp it on all the cannon." "Well, you've certainly thought of everything." "So no one will find out." "And even if they do, who's to say that George isn't the one responsible?" "There's nothing to worry about." "Barkeep, set up another round!" "Hello, Elkanah." "I take it you're surprised to see me." "Who are you?" "What are you doing here?" "Why don't you tell her." "Tell her it's my place she's taking as your mistress." "Oh, yes." "I used to come here quite often until he tired of me." "I even have my own key that he gave me." "Ashton, meet Burdetta Halloran, a former business associate." "Burdetta, this is Ashton." "Oh, yes, I know all about the famous Mrs. Huntoon although somehow I rather doubt that her husband does." " But he will soon, I promise you." " I don't think you'd be that stupid." "First of all I don't think he would believe you." "Second, you'd be just making things unpleasant for everybody." "And why shouldn't I make things unpleasant for you?" "You used me." " I could kill you for that." " We used each other." "We had a business arrangement." "I never pretended it was anything." " You let me believe...!" " That was your misfortune." "Yes, I see that now." "That's one reason I came here just to prove to myself what a mistake you really were." "Hardly worth going to prison for." "Now that you've realized that I think you should be leaving." " First..." " Get your hands off me!" "I would like my house key back." "I just want you to know what I can do to you in case you decide to be indiscreet about this evening." "My best wishes, Mrs. Huntoon." "I do hope you both get what you deserve." "Same to you, Mrs. Halloran." "I thought you had better taste than that." "Taste, my dear can be acquired." "Thank you for coming, General Main." "I'm Burdetta Halloran." "I've been expecting you." "Ma'am." "I'm sorry to bring you out on such short notice but I'm leaving in the morning." "You said you have important information that could help our war effort." "Yes." " I believe you know Elkanah Bent." " All too well." "He and I used to be very special friends but I've been replaced by someone I believe you also know:" "Mrs. Huntoon." "Ashton, my sister?" "I'd be concerned too, if she were my sister." "And since I used to be partners with Mr. Bent I know rather intimately just how ruthless he can be." "But I think there's a way to stop Mr. Bent from doing any further harm to the Confederacy." "Are you interested?" "I most certainly am." "I'll give the signal before they have time to cast off." "I wish we could give them what they really deserve, the traitors." "All we can do is impound the cargo and arrest whoever's in charge." "At least Bent loses his goods, which'll put him out of business for a while." "Too bad he isn't here." "He'd never risk it." "But we'll get him." "Hey." "Careful with that." "You know what a case of French brandy-wine costs?" "I'll take it out of your pay!" "Post a guard of six, Mercer, then we'll ship out." "I arrest you in the name of the Confederate States of America." "The hell you do." "Take cover!" "All right, don't shoot!" "Don't shoot!" "There goes a fortune for Bent, up in smoke." "Damn Orry Main!" "Your fine, upstanding brother has put us right out of business." "Aren't you exaggerating?" "It is not possible to exaggerate the damage your brother has done to us!" "When Main burned our cargo, it sent up a signal fire to the Yankee blockaders." "They took both our ships." "Surely we can buy new ones." "With what, Ashton?" "Our other capital is tied up in far riskier ventures." "No, General Main has timed his strike perfectly." "That man will live to regret it." "He will live to regret it many times over." "What are you gonna do?" "Killing your brother would give me no pleasure." "Far too easy and much too quick." "I'm gonna do something much worse to him." "I'm gonna kill his nigger whore." "What are you saying?" "Orry's married to Madeline." "He's far too honorable to keep another woman." "He doesn't keep her anymore." "He married her." "Meet Madeline's mother." "I don't believe it." "She's the image of Madeline but she doesn't look like a Negro." "Thanks to her slave ancestors, she most definitely was." "She was also a very expensive prostitute." "That portrait used to hang in the finest house in New Orleans." "Madeline's mother?" "Well, that's just too perfect." "Madeline's the most precious thing on earth to Orry." "And when she is disposed of, it ought to kill him slowly." "He'll find out, Elkanah." "If you hurt Madeline, he'll kill you." "Well, he is welcome to try." "He'd never rest as long as you were alive." "But there's something we could do something that would make his life a living hell." "He'd never connect it with you or me." "What are you talking about?" "We have the perfect weapon right here:" "Proof that the daughter of a black whore married into our family by lying to us." "Why, the scandal would just ruin us all." "Orry would be thrown out of the government the family disgraced." "Madeline's such a good woman." "Well, I'm sure she'd see that right away and feel bound to leave him." "And I can make sure Orry never knows why." "Well, that is a pretty scheme, Ashton, except for one small detail." "I want Orry Main to know who ruined him and why." "That's the best part." "There's no reason why Orry can't be told eventually." "Excellent as usual, Mother." "The roast beef was done to perfection." "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it." "At least one of my boys has enough to eat." "And with the Confederate Army practically at our back door it may be the last we'll get for a while." "Mother, there's nothing to worry about." "Our army is bigger than theirs." "We'll drive the rebels right into the Potomac." "I hear their ragtag army's practically starving, anyhow which is just what they deserve." " Isabel, please." "Remember that your brother-in-law is married to a Southern girl and that she is a part of this family." " Of course, Mother." "I don't know why we're talking about the war anyway." "I wanted to discuss the ball with you." "I thought it was to be a reception, Isabel." "A dress ball would be in very poor taste during times like these." "Mother, Hazard Iron is doing better than ever before." "Money is pouring in." "Why shouldn't we entertain our friends and business associates?" "These new friends and associates of yours they are people we know nothing about except that they seem to be making a great deal of money." "Business is thriving because of the war, Mother." "Everyone knows that." "Stanley and I have done business with them some of whom are quite influential in New York and Washington." "Where money makes all the difference." "Now, it'll be a modest reception, or it will not be held at all." "Very well." "I can still wear my emeralds." "I don't mean to keep harping on this but it was very, very extravagant of Stanley to buy those for you." "It was Stanley's way of saying thank you for all the advice I have given him in business matters." "Because of me, Hazard Iron has more orders than it's ever had." "Isn't that right, my darling?" "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some committee reports to read." "The War Department is prosecuting those making excessive profits." " Lf there is an investigation..." " There will be no investigation." " We have nothing to worry about." " How can you say that?" " We sold inferior cannons to the army." " Axol Iron sold those cannons." "If the war contract with Axol is ever connected to Hazard Iron..." "Everybody knows I'm running that company." "Before the war, you had to have George's approval on every decision." "Most people will assume that's still true." "And to make sure, I took out some insurance for us." "Insurance?" "I don't understand." "I forged George's name on all the contracts to make it appear as though he signed them before he left for the army." " That makes him legally responsible." " Exactly." "So if the government investigates, which they won't they'll prosecute George instead of us." "Haven't I been right about everything else?" "Damn Yankees have learned how to fight." "Looks like our boys could use a hand, Ambrose." "Forward!" "No!" "Not here, men!" "Stop them!" "Get back in the line!" "Hold the line!" "Hold the line, you men!" "Check the line!" "Get in this line!" " Sergeant, don't be a damn fool!" " I'll do what I have to!" "Aim below the smoke!" "Fire low!" "The colonel's drummer's down." "He needs you on the ridge." " Report to him there." " Yes, sir." "Shoulder arms!" "Another quick charge!" "Double-time!" " Ready?" " Ready!" " Aim!" " Aim!" " Fire!" " Fire!" " Fire!" " Fire!" "Aim below the smoke!" "Those guns are down already!" "Let's get them!" "South Carolina, go!" "Attention!" "Company!" "Tell McClellan not to let Bobby Lee outfox them like he did Pope." "He knows how to serve in an army." " March!" " March!" " Fire at will!" " Fire at will!" " Fire!" " Fire!" "Ready!" "Fire!" "Fire!" "Charles?" " Get out, Billy, before I have to kill you!" " Before I have to kill you!" "Fire!" " Fire!" " Fire!" " Come on!" " Fire!" "Charge!" "Turn the gun!" "Put fire on the hill!" " Ready to fire!" " Fire!" "Charge!" "Fall back, men!" "I came to say goodbye, Ambrose." "This wasn't a day for heroes, pal." "The bloodiest day of the war." "Nearly 25,000 killed, wounded, or missing at Antietam Creek and more than half of them ours." "I wouldn't have thought it possible, Mr. President." "That we could slaughter each other on such a scale?" "Dear God..." "The poor families of the dead." "McClellan calls it a masterpiece." "At least Lee has pulled out and is retreating back to Virginia." "I promised myself that as soon as we drove them out of Maryland, I'd call it a victory and issue the proclamation." " To free the slaves in the South?" "It's always been the right thing to do." "But, George I still need a hell-for-leather general." "We can't go on this way savaging each other to make more widows and orphans." "Your report makes Ulysses Grant sound likely." "Yes, sir." "I know him well." "He was two years ahead of me at West Point." "He told Buckner at Fort Donelson that he'd accept no terms but unconditional surrender." "When I heard that I knew I'd found a man I could talk to." "There will be opposition to him if you choose him, sir." " Because he drinks?" " I don't believe it but he was rumored to have been drunk at Shiloh." "Yet he carried the day." "George, I'm going to watch him." "Grant may be the commander I need:" "A man who can exploit the Confederacy's weaknesses and force them to the wall." "There's a whole way of life at stake here." "If it's God's will that we prevail we won't just win a war we'll secure freedom for all our people." "General Grant." "They tell me you're from Washington, colonel." "I'm tired of them hounding me." "If I see fit to keep my soldiers warm by issuing two pairs of long johns that is nobody's business but mine or theirs." "Yes, sir." "I'm not from the inspector general's office." "President Lincoln asked that I speak to you privately, sir." " The president sent you?" " Yes, sir." " What's your name?" " Hazard." "George Hazard." " Sit down." " Thank you, sir." "Don't I know you, colonel?" "Yes, sir." "From West Point." "I was in my second year when you graduated." "Of course." "I remember now." "You had a darn fine record at the Point." "A lot of fine officers came out of that class." "It's a shame we're fighting each other now." "Not all of us will live to see the end of it, either." "That's why I'm here, sir." "The president thinks you're the man to end the war sooner by winning it." "Needs an admiral, not a general." "Only our control of the Mississippi will shorten this war by cutting them off from the west." "He doesn't want an admiral, sir." "He wants a general like Robert E. Lee." "I don't blame him." "Lee's the best soldier on either side." "I often wonder if he remembers me from Mexico." "I'm sure he knows your name now, sir." "Excuse me, colonel." "I forgot to offer you some of this." "Go ahead." "Thank you, sir." "Apple cider, sir?" "You know, I'm not near the drinker some people would like to believe." "Maybe you should know those rumors have reached the ear of the president." "He replied he'd like to know what kind of whiskey you drank so he could buy some for his other generals." " He said that, did he?" " Yes, sir." "Tell the president..." "You tell him that if he so chooses I'll fight Lee for him." "Can't promise him an easy victory, but I'll fight him." "He'll be glad to hear that, sir." "General Grant if you take over, I've been wanting a field command for a long time, sir." "I would be honored to serve under you." "Well, I'd be honored to have you, colonel." "Thank you, sir." ""That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward and forever free  and the executive government of the United States  including the military and Naval authorities thereof  will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons." "And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free  to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defense  and I recommend to them that in all cases when allowed  they labor faithfully for reasonable wages." "And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice warranted by the Constitution upon military necessity I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of almighty God."" "Morning, Miss Brett." "Been a long while." "But you might be needing your old overseer in these troubled times." "Congratulations, Mrs. Main." "I understand you married the general." "What have you done?" "Dear God..." "It's Jim!" " You killed him." " Well, I run him to earth." "He tried to grab my gun when I was bringing him back." " I had to shoot him." " How could you?" "He was just a boy." "Bullet's got a mind of its own." "Maybe what happened is for the best." "You're not welcome here!" "My son Orry wanted no part of you." "Nor do we." "You may change your tune when you realize how much you'll be needing me." "A few slaves around Charleston run away when the grapevine told them about that devil Lincoln's proclamation." "Let them see what we still do to fugitives in the South." "Now, all I ask is a small interest in this plantation." "You won't have to worry about runaways, I can promise you." "I'll get more out of these slaves..." "Apparently, you didn't hear my mother." " Get off our land." " Oh, my God." "Jim!" "You murderer!" " You murderer!" " No!" " Let me go!" " No!" "I won't let you get killed." "You get out before I take my own gun to you." "You'd side with an uppity wench?" "Another year of war and you Mains may not be so high and mighty." "Lots of changes gonna be made around here." "Jim was like Semiramis' younger brother." "She cared about him so much." "The other slave owners have nothing but scorn for Mr. Lincoln's proclamation." "They say he has no authority here." "But if another Jim wants his freedom we can't stop him." "We have to keep this plantation going." "It's all we have." "I don't want to see such a dreadful thing ever happen again." "If they decide to leave the only hope we have to protect them is to give them passes and let them go." " That poor boy." "I can't believe what's happening." "Mama." "I think Madeline and I should pay our respects to Jim's family." "Help them make it through this time." "Miss Brett, Miss Madeline, y'all come in, please." "We wanted to pay our respect to James' family." "We are deeply sorry, Liza." "We know what a comfort and joy he was to you." "If there's anything we can do..." "Pray for him." "We will." "And we thought you ought to know we want you to stay with us, because we need you." "But if anyone wants to leave us please, come to us, tell us and we can give you papers that might stop another Salem Jones from doing what he did to our James." "That's all we wanted to say." "You think what I think?" "If those black psalm singers in there had blood half as hot as mine we could march right on up to that old house and make it our own." "But they ain't." "They gonna go right on:" ""Yes, master, no, master."" "Till the day they's laid out on that table like that damn fool boy in there!" "He wasn't no fool!" " He had a dream." " He was a fool." "A fool that learned a few words in the Bible and thought he could go to freedom armed with the Lord's might." "This is the only might that the white man understands." "Cold steel." "You ready to go with me, gal?" "We take a little midnight walk." "Join our kind over at the Union base at Hilton Head." "I ain't gonna walk with you..." "Don't you hear a word I'm saying to you, gal?" "I'm offering you freedom if you come with me..." " I ain't gonna..." " Cuffey!" "You don't know when you ain't wanted!" "Why don't you just march out of here?" "!" " Don't go, Ezra!" " You want something, boy?" "No!" "Ain't there been enough killing?" "!" "Cuffey, I wouldn't walk with you if heaven was over the next hill." "You stay, then." "Keep waiting for your white rooster Charles who's off fighting to keep me and you slaves." "Maybe he'll let you sleep in his bed." "Ain't nothing left here for me except maybe pay for all the pain sweat and blood these folks done took from me." "I's glad you come out, Ezra." "I see him follow you." "I don't know how I'm gonna go back in that house tonight." " Maybe I just ought to light out." " Been thinking about that myself." "Only trouble is, I wanna share that new life with someone." " Ezra..." " You was so close to freedom when you was in Washington." "Why you come back?" " I got the note about Miss Clarissa." " Or is it what Cuffey say?" "Way you feel about Mr. Charles." "I just come back because I come back, that's all." "And I'm gonna stay a now." "That it, ain't it?" "Mr. Charles." "I wouldn't have thought you'd be able to think of a white man after Salem Jones." "Don't ever say that man name to me again!" "Now I just wanna be alone." "I sorry, Semi." "I just..." "I don't want you to hurt no more." "That all." "General Lee has a lot of hungry soldiers to feed." "And those Shenandoah farmers sure do their part." "I can see why they call this "The Breadbasket of the Confederacy."" "Major Dupree you're to be commended on the way you kept your supply trains on schedule." "Well, it's all your blueprint, general." "All we had to do was carry it out." "I'd best get in the saddle if I'm to make it to Tennessee by late tomorrow." " Thank you for your dedication." " Thank you, sir." "We all appreciate what you're doing for the army, General Main." "Have a safe journey, now." "Gentlemen." "Federals!" "Take line formation!" "Fall back!" "Fall back!" "Retreat!" "Retreat!" "Retreat!" "Sergeant, see to the wounded!" " Take it those are Hooker's men?" " Yes, sir." "They've been laying low for us all over this part of Virginia." "Sure glad you came back, general." "We'll be losing the light in about an hour." "Why don't you and your aids stay the night with us." "Thank you, major." "We might just do that." "You a married man, general?" "Yes." "Recently, as a matter of fact." "Well, congratulations." "Thank you." " Where's your wife?" " South Carolina, with my family." "Well, my Brenda is in Tennessee." "It's a little town near Shelbyville." "I haven't seen her in about two years now." "I got a little girl that I ain't ever seen, general." "Sometimes I wonder if I ever will." "You will, Josh." "We all will." "Well, I guess that depends on General Lee, now, doesn't it?" "You really think he's gonna be able to march into Pennsylvania?" "He wants to drive east and try to cut off Washington." "We need a major victory in the North, and Lee knows it." "The trouble is Hooker's army has him shadowed into Maryland." "Now Hooker's been replaced by Meade, and Meade's a much better soldier." "Looks like Lee's got his work cut out for him." "We all have, major." "Sir you say you're gonna be traveling through Tennessee?" "Might you drop off some letters to my Brenda?" "I..." "I wrote five of them." "You know how hard it is to get the mail through." "Sure." "It'd be my pleasure." "Thank you, general." "Sleep well, sir." "You too." " Good night." " Good night." "Caleb!" "What is this?" "Where are you going?" "Miss Brett said we could go if we want to." "We're leaving, Mr. Orry." "But this is your home." "No, sir." "This was never our home." "I feel poorly, Miss Clarissa, ma'am about leaving like this and all." "But leastwise you won't have all these mouths to feed." "What will you do in Charleston?" "Oh, there should be some work there now, ma'am." "All the men gone soldiering and all." "I should be able to find something." "Well, until you do you'll need this to buy food for the children." "Miss Clarissa, you don't have to do this, ma'am." "You hardly have enough as it is." " We'll be fine." " Thank you, ma'am." "God be with you, Joseph." "I'll never forget Mont Royal, ma'am." "Goodbye." "Take care of yourself." "Gonna miss y'all." " Goodbye, sir." " Joseph." "Orry." "Orry, oh, my love." " Mama." " Orry." "I know what you're feeling, Orry." "But why?" "We couldn't keep them against their will, with so many of them running off." "I just can't believe it, even Joseph." "There's a chill in the air tonight." "A few days ago, I dropped off some letters for this major's family." "He hadn't seen nor heard from them in over a year." "This war isn't what we expected." "It's just too much sacrifice." "It's changing us all." "I do know what a hurtful day you've had." "I have been blind, Madeline expecting everything to stay the same." "You've all had to face so much more than I ever imagined." "You and Brett out in the fields..." "And Mama..." "Underneath that Southern gentility your mother is a very strong woman." "Her world has fallen apart almost overnight." "And that that look in her eye..." "Orry she does have a right to a little sadness." "I wish it would stop." "You are the gentlest man I've ever known." "And the strongest." "Our family will survive because of the strength we give one another." "Don't let go." "Don't let go." "That's my dearest memory of you, Mama." "Your smile." "Orry, I was just thinking about you." "What a rascal you were when you were little." "Forever in the swamps hunting snakes with Joseph until your father made you understand that a son who was going to inherit the finest plantation in these parts must behave like a gentleman." "Mont Royal the way I remember." "It's beautiful." "That's what you used to do to put me to sleep." "You were always there with that smile that said:" ""Orry Main you're destined to be my pride and joy, and if I'm wrong and you turn out to be a no-account, I'll love you anyway."" "Mama you're the best that ever was." "We gotta hold Lee here at Round Top." "Take positions behind those boulders and slow their skirmishes when the rebels come up that hill." "Attention, company!" "At ease, men." "Any more coffee, lieutenant?" " Yes, sir!" " George?" "My God!" "What are you doing here?" " Oh, damn, I'm glad to see you." " Good to see you, little brother." "Come on up to my campfire." "How are your boys holding out?" "Heard the Rebs gave us quite a licking today." "My troops are doing all right." " How's the family?" " Oh, they're fine." "Our little daughter, Hope, just celebrated another birthday." "I heard about your promotion to general staff at 3rd Corps." "Yes." "Well, the president finally interceded so I can let somebody else worry about the lobbyists and profiteers for a change." "After you've been out here a while, you might decide Washington isn't so bad." "It's been so frustrating watching our boys be pushed around the map for so long." "I'd like to think I'm a bigger help to Sam Grant by being here in the field." "Oh, we have missed you." "Have you heard from Brett?" "Billy it's hard enough getting mail through from the North much less the South." " When Constance and I are separated..." " I haven't seen Brett in two years." "Nobody thought the war would last this long, Billy." "I know it'll work out." "Just hold on and do the best you can." "Prepare to advance!" "Charge!" " Here they come!" " "For I am now ready to be offered." "The time of my departure is at hand." "I have fought a good fight." "I have finished my course." "I have kept the faith." "My forebears laid up to me a crown of righteousness."" "March!" "Infantry!" "Fire at will!" " Fire number one!" " Fire, one!" " Fire number two!" " Fire, two!" "Fire!" "Forward!" "Drive them!" "I don't know how to say goodbye, Billy." "I will be back." "Lee's whipped." "All General Meade has to do is stop him from crossing the Potomac." "Lee will find a way to keep this damn war going." "He'll lick his wounds and be back at us in a couple of months." "Rudy, I can't stand the thought that I might never see Brett again." "Before anything happens to me, I've got to make sure she's all right." " You're not thinking..." " I'm not thinking!" "I've decided." "Billy, it's desertion." "Absence without leave." "Before there's another battle, I'll be back." "Make sure and tell Tom that." "Good luck." "My God!" "Lee has gotten away again!" "General Meade felt his troops were exhausted, sir." "He had reinforcements the next day." "Lee had none." "The torrential rain made it difficult for the general." "And impossible for Lee." "He had his back to the Potomac." "He was trapped." "He was unable to get his army back to Virginia." "Again, we had them in our grasp." "We had only to reach out our hands, and they were ours." "But nothing, nothing I could say or do would make General Meade move!" "That, by God is all I want to hear today about the army of the Potomac." "The victory at Gettysburg seems so hollow now." "God knows I never wanted this conflict." "But I have sounded the trumpet and I can never call retreat." "We must endure this fiery trial." "We must go on." "Freeze!" "Right where you are, son." "I'd hate to have to blow your brains out." "Now slide that gun over here now." "Do it, boy!" "Or you're a dead man!" "Mighty far south for a Yankee, aren't you?" "Maybe, maybe you just got tired of the army like I did?" "Sure is a piece of luck for me, though, running into you." "I told the Lord I could sure use a horse and some new boots." "And look here how he's provided." "Now you be a good boy and you take off them boots nice and slow and I might not kill you." "Go ahead." "Near brand-new, ain't they?" ""Private Raymond." "23rd South Carolina infantry."" " You sure that's not too heavy?" " No." "It's fine." "Glass of water." "Oh, Mother, you don't have to do that." "Why don't you just work on your needlepoint?" "Mother what's wrong?" "If you're gonna work in the fields least I can do is to keep this house." "As time goes on, Madeline will need this smock in her condition." "I know, but I think you're trying to do more than you should." "I am not an old woman!" " I can do my share." " Mother, nobody..." "You don't have to say." "I can tell by the way you all look at me." " Mother, if it's the other day..." " It's every day." "You treat me like china to protect me from the war." "This county has suffered terrible losses at Gettysburg." "Some of those boys were family, friends." " And you never told me." " We would have." " We just didn't want to upset you." " I have a right to know!" "If anything ever happens to Orry, Charles or Billy, I need to know." "And I want you girls to come to me with your problems like you used to." "Because I do needlepoint doesn't mean that's all I care about, is the past." "Mother I'm sorry." "Those were wonderful years, child, your growing up." "I wish with all my heart it could be that way again but I know now those times are gone forever." "They can steal our food." "The army can strip our barn." "Our people can all leave." "And you girls can go and live lives of your own but nobody nobody's going to take away my memories." "Worked all morning to get these." "It ain't hardly enough for dinner." "Well, you can't make it rain." "Maybe we can put in another crop near the river." "No." "The season might last long enough to make it worthwhile..." "If we plant close to the riverbank, maybe we can get enough water to get to the seeds and make them strong until they can stand the sun." "It's a wonderful idea." "We should try it." "Now we have to go to the cotton field." "No." "You've done enough for one day." "Miss Madeline shouldn't go back out there no more." "I'm fine." "The baby isn't due for months." "I can still work hard." "I agree with Semiramis." "Why, in my day, ladies rested most of the time waited on hand and foot." " Mother, I can do..." " Oh, I know." "My day is over." "But that won't stop my feeling of joy at a new generation being born at Mont Royal." "I didn't think people could afford carriages like that anymore." " Hello, Mother." " Ashton." "I just missed you so much that I had to come and lift your spirits." " Hello, Brett, I heard you'd come home." " Ashton." " Hello, Madeline, dear." " Hello, Ashton." "Mother, I've brought gifts for everyone." "Some real coffee for you and the biggest ham you ever saw." "And, Brett, I brought you material for a new dress." "Looks like you could use it." "In fact, the whole place looks pretty run-down." " We'll be in the fields until sundown." " Fields?" "Well, what are you talking about?" "We were able to plant two acres of cotton this year." "Somebody has to weed it." "Of course they do." "And that's why we have slaves." "No, we don't." "They heard about Lincoln's proclamation and they left." "We do the work now." "Mother, I want you to see my new dress." "Can you believe Abe Lincoln put darkies in the army?" "James says it would be a disgrace to be wounded, let alone killed, by one." "How would James know?" "He's not fighting." "Semiramis, would you like some of my delectable ham?" "No, thank you, ma'am." "Isn't there any pleasant news from Richmond?" "Afraid not, Mother." "All everybody talks about is getting revenge for Gettysburg and retaking Vicksburg." "Why, they say we'll kill 10 Yankees for every one of ours." "Mother, if everyone's finished, I'll clear the table." "Thank you, Brett, dear." "I'm a little tired." "I'll rest for a while." "See you all in the parlor later." "Let me help you with these glasses, Semiramis." "I can do it myself, Miss Ashton." "You work much too hard." "I do what has to be done." "I know that we've had our differences but we do have one thing in common:" "We both care a great deal about this family." " What do you mean?" " Well, you like Miss Madeline, don't you?" "She a kind person." "Then you can help her." "Maybe you can answer some questions for me." " Who is it?" " Madeline." "Ashton, I need to talk to you." "Why, I couldn't sleep because I needed to talk to you too." "How could you have done that to Semiramis?" "Oh, I've been as sweet as sugar to that darky." "She came to me." "She is so upset about your persistent snooping." "All I wanted to ask about was what the slaves talked about before they left." "And I understand that their grapevine has already picked up rumors and gossip that started from quality white people." "What are you trying to say?" "It came to me like a bolt out of the blue, from a man in Richmond." "Naturally, I wanted to see if the story had reached Charleston yet." "What story?" "I have some rather distressing news, Madeline." "Your mother was part Negro." "I know that you probably told Orry, and no doubt he said our family..." "What is between Orry and me is none of your business, Ashton." "But I'm sure he doesn't know the whole truth." "Maybe even you don't know the whole truth." "Your mother sold herself to men for money." "You're lying." "This awful man had a portrait that looked exactly like you so there's no doubt about it." "It hung in a house of ill repute in New Orleans." "Well, your mother, she..." "Well, you know what I mean." " But that was before your dad..." " I don't want to hear anymore." "I don't blame you." "It must be upsetting to know what your mother was." "Yes, it is, Ashton." "Now what worries me is Mother." "I think a family scandal would just..." "Ashton!" "I love your mother." "I love this family." " Lf I thought one..." " There's still time, Madeline." "Now, it's bound to come out sooner or later." "I know you and Orry wanted a baby but you never thought of how that would affect our family if that baby turned out to be..." "Well, let's just say, different." "Now if you were no longer Orry Main's wife then you couldn't ruin your baby's future or disgrace our family, now, could you, Madeline?" "You must hate me very much, Ashton." "Yes, I do hate you very much, Madeline." "Elkanah Bent was right." "Hatred is like wine." "It improves with age." "My love  the easiest thing I ever did was to love you  and the hardest, to say goodbye." "We can no longer be together." "Please forgive me, my dearest Orry." "I love you." "Madeline." "You used me." "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, child." "Because of you, Miss Madeline left." "If I were you, I wouldn't repeat such a serious accusation or you're liable to find yourself in big trouble." "Oh, Madeline left this for Orry." "Will you make sure that he gets it, please?" "You opened it?" "I thought maybe she'd leave a clue to where she's gone." "After all, I do care about her." "You don't care about nobody but yourself." "Since I was a little girl, I watched the way you treat people." "Like they wasn't even human property to serve your every need." "Mr. Lincoln can sign all the proclamations he wants." "But as far as I'm concerned, you will always be a slave so I would watch my tongue if I were you, missy." "Black or white, I despise your kind especially the way you treat your family." "You're gonna pay for what you've done." "Someday, you're gonna know what it is to be alone." "Leave." "It works, Ezra!" "Come see, Semi." "You've done it, Ezra." "You've done it!" "Wait till Miss Brett sees." "Wheel scoop up the water dump it in that deep sluice, then the water come down." "I can see how smart it is." "Now, all we got to do is plow that meadow and get it ready for planting." "And the seeds, they're gonna live now and we're gonna beat that sun because of you." "You're gonna make a good farmer." "You know how to do so many things." "We gonna lose the light soon." "I'm gonna go tell them about your water wheel." "Semi." "I just wanna say I know how much Salem Jones hurt you." "I told you not to ever say that man name to me again." "You got a devil in your soul." "It's hurting real bad, Semi." "You gotta let him out." "Stop running." "Stop it, Semi." "Talk to me." "Sometimes I wake at night and I think he be there." "What he did to me..." " I can't..." " It all right." "Just made me afraid to really love somebody." "Semi." "Ezra, you the kindest man I know but I ain't sure that I'll ever be able to love." "I'm sorry." " Semi." " Ezra." "Over by that tree." "That Mr. Billy." " Mr. Billy." " Ezra." "Good to see you." "When you change side?" "I'm just using the uniform to stay alive." " Billy." " Been a long time, Semiramis." "Miss Brett gonna be so happy to see you." "But you best be careful." "Miss Ashton's up at the house and there's a Confederate camp down the road." "She's real friendly with the colonel." "I won't endanger the family." "But I'm not about to let Miss Ashton keep me from seeing my wife." " Not after the hell I've been through." " Come on." "We're gonna hide you." "It just doesn't make any sense." "Something must have happened." "But why didn't Madeline come to us, no matter what it was?" "She knows how we care about her." "If she really cared about you, Mother she wouldn't have left." " Ashton." "They were so happy together." "So many have lost loved ones." "Preston Wayne killed his best friend." "Now they're both gone." "Pres' son was just lost at..." "Where was it, Brett?" "Vicksburg, Mama." "With all these terrible battles, I've forgotten." "This is ridiculous." "You shouldn't have to live under such dismal circumstances constantly being reminded of things that are gone." "James and I would love it if you came to live with us." " That's sweet of you, but..." " You belong with people who can look after you properly." "We have a lovely townhouse and you'll be comfortable there until after the war." " But I just couldn't." " Tell her, Brett." "Surely you can see how much better it would be for her." "Ashton's right, Mama." "You deserve better after all you've been through." "We can pack you a trunk and be off by the end of the week." "I'm not so old that my daughters have to tell me where I should live." " Mother, please!" " I know you mean well, my dear." "But this is my home." "This is where your father brought me as a young bride." "You children were born in that room upstairs." "It's not just memories." "I could never leave." "This house is my life." "Pardon me, ma'am, for busting in like this." "But I thought you'd all wanna know right away." "What is it, Semiramis?" "Ezra water wheel." "It work!" "It work." "That's wonderful." "That's wonderful!" "Brett, we can start on that new patch at first light." " All right." " I need you to show me the seed corn." "I'll only be a moment, Mother." "Seed corn?" "Oh, Mother, I do wish you'd reconsider." "Billy?" "Billy?" "It's so peaceful here." "It's hard to believe the war is so close." "You know, when I was a little girl, I used to come out here." "I used to play on this dock." "It's so beautiful." "But as much as I loved Mont Royal, there was always something missing." "Billy, don't go back." "Tom would get me by the scruff of the neck if I didn't." "He's our drummer boy." "He's just a kid." "Got more guts than a sergeant." "There's something about him." "He's really a good kid." "You're gonna make a wonderful father someday." "Billy?" "It doesn't make sense anymore." "It's supposed to be all honor and glory." "But in battle, I was in the middle of hell." "Before I knew it there was Charles, on his horse." "It was like a dream." "Before I knew it, he was gone." "Was I supposed to kill him?" "Who is the enemy?" "It's a question I can't answer anymore." "I love you, Billy." "I don't wanna go back, Brett but I have to." "After all the killing at Gettysburg, both armies will be licking their wounds." "It's time for me to get back before the next engagement." "You're not leaving, Billy Hazard without something better than army hardtack for the trail." "Why, Lieutenant Hazard." "Have I the dishonor of addressing a Union deserter?" "Or is it a Confederate?" "Either way, you'll be dead soon." "Isn't that the customary way of disposing of military trash?" " Ashton..." " Perhaps each side will execute you." "Now, wouldn't that be amusing!" "Don't you think it's time we made our peace?" "There's a Confederate camp down the road." "I'm sure Colonel Randolph and his militia will take pleasure in punishing a deserter." " Ashton!" " Get off the horse." "Get out of my way, Brett!" "Get off the horse!" "Get over there." "You gotta leave now." "I love you, Brett Hazard." "Never forget that." "Brett, what are you doing?" "Get that thing out of my face." "You're a miserable, frustrated woman, Ashton." "And I know you tried to have Billy killed because you couldn't have him." "Brett, don't be ridicu..." "I won't let you do anything more to hurt my husband." "Now, you're gonna stay right here until Billy is long gone." "I do hope you have a safe trip, Ashton." "Maybe you can stop at that Confederate camp and charm the colonel into giving you an escort." "And if I never see you again, little sister it will be too soon." "These men have been in this wagon all night." "Doctor!" "They're not supposed to be left here unattended." "No, don't take him into the surgical tent." "Amputees have priority." "Take him into one of the other tents." "There's too much vinegar." "The proportions are important if it's to have any medicinal effect." "Next time, I want you to make that like I told you." "You get back here!" "Mrs. Grady." "I want that man discharged." "This isn't the first time he's defied me." "Maybe it's the way you treat him." "We have to make do with less desirable sorts but I'll give him a warning." "He'd give the men slop if he could get away with it." "I want you to get rid of him." "Need I remind you that I'm the administrator and such decisions are my province?" "I just want the best possible treatment for our wounded." "Including the Southern soldiers?" "What do you mean?" "I appreciate your dedication, Mrs. Grady but sometimes it seems one-sided." " Mrs. Neal..." " But I didn't come to talk to you about that." "It's Dr. Crawford." "He feels you don't show proper respect when you address him." "I would show him proper respect if he would do the same for his patients." "But he treats them like slaughtered animals." "He drinks the whiskey that's intended for them when we run out of morphine." "We are desperately short of surgeons, and under these conditions..." "And he kills more than he saves." "I don't want your insubordination reported to Miss Dix." "You're too good a nurse, Mrs. Grady." "You put the patients first, and that's admirable." "But you must watch your manner." "Our position here is difficult enough." "I only say this for your own good." "I appreciate your advice." "However, you being an administrator can't always know what's right in an emergency." "You didn't even hear what I said." "You will do as I suggest." "Please tend to the new arrivals." "And don't give morphine again unless a doctor expressly orders it." "Mrs. Neal." "Don't worry about running short of morphine." "A new shipment arrived this morning through the generosity of my friend, Congressman Greene." "It's been far too long, Madeline but you're as lovely as ever." "Thank you, Mr. Colbert." "You..." "You used to call me Uncle Miles when you were a little girl." "There, now, that's the smile I remember." "I heard you'd got married again." "I'm sorry I couldn't be at the wedding." "I've left my husband." "Well, I'm very sorry to hear that." "I'm staying at a small boarding house near St. Michael's." "But your house on the Battery hasn't been opened since your father's death." " You could live there." " No." "For personal reasons I don't want anyone to know where I am." "I see." "I need to talk to you about Papa's estate." "I know he wasn't a wealthy man when he died." "A run of poor investments, I'm afraid." "But then, of course, there's your late husband's money." "I don't want anything that belonged to Justin." "Well, your father's estate alone will be enough to provide you with a small income." "I'll make the arrangements." "Thank you, Uncle Miles." "But there's one other thing." "When enough time has gone by, my husband can divorce me for desertion." "That is his right." "I want you to give me your word that until that time, you won't tell anyone I'm here in Charleston." "Promise me." "You're my client, Madeline." "You're my client, and any information is privileged but I do wish you'd reconsider." " You know, if there was real love..." " It's impossible." "I could never go back to my husband." "Ever." "Clear sailing ahead, general." "We ought to reach the junction long before dark." "While you're taking on fuel and water, I'll wire General Grant we'll be on our way." "Ambush!" "Back it up!" "Rebels up ahead!" "Come on, boys!" "Get down there!" "Get out of there!" "Get the prisoners on the train!" "Private!" "A Union general deserves a more respectful welcome than that." "Let him up." " Colonel John Mosby at your service." " General George Hazard." "You'll have to forgive my men." "They're mostly farmers." "But at night, they become Rangers." "They're more than just a little upset at your General Custer calling them common bushwhackers." " The passions of war, colonel." " Indeed." "He said he would hang my men in retaliation for all the Yankee food and equipment we've confiscated." "It's fortunate for you, sir he has not carried out his threat, or you might find yourself at the end of a rope, instead of on your way to Libby Prison." "Good day, general." " Let's get those guns unloaded!" " Put your back into it!" "Unload them!" "Get to it!" "Sergeant, make sure these get to their families." "What the hell is she doing here?" "Doctor, I'm sorry." "This is the best I could do." "Morphine and Dover's powder have become quite scarce." "Captain." "Mrs. Barclay, what the hell are you doing here?" "The Yankees could come back anytime." "This is dangerous." "I told you I could take care of myself." "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do." "Doctor, whatever you don't use should be sent on to the field hospital as soon as possible." "Unless General Lee captures Washington, it'll be a while before we get some more." "Well, I never thought I'd find you here." "Go home." "Is that all you can say to me, "go home"?" "I was expecting a warmer welcome." "Look around you, Augusta." "How do you expect anything in the midst of this?" "I at least thought we could be friends." "Is this what you want?" "Augusta!" "No!" "Sorry!" "I'm sorry." "Fire!" " It's all right." "It's all right, I'm here." " The gun." "It blew up." " It's over now." " It's not over, Gus." "It never will be." "It'll go on and on until we're all dead, like Pell, like all the men I've killed." "No, don't do that to yourself." " I should have let you go." " I want to be with you." "I may never see you again." "You're a part of me now." "I love you." "Fall in!" " Sir!" "All present and accounted for." " I see dusty boots, lieutenant." "I'll tolerate that at the end of a march, but never at the start." "I'll see to it, sir!" "Damn Rebels." "They've sent out snipers again." "Take a squad, wipe them out." "Yes, sir, sergeant." "Form your squad and follow me." "They're behind us!" "Damn Yankees!" "Let's move out!" "Get out of there." "Come on!" "He's dead." "Come on." "Come on." "Move it, move it, move it." "Cover me." " Billy!" " Get down!" " Three snipers." " Cover the other flank!" "Might've known you'd bring back the whole army with you." "I'm out of cartridges." "What, you planning on throwing acorns at them?" " You out too?" " I made enough widows in Gettysburg to last me a lifetime." "One less isn't gonna matter." "You'll wish you were getting plugged after the colonel gets done with you." " Why did you ever come back, Billy?" " I said I would." "That's no excuse." "The old man's fuming because we're stuck in our tents for so long, instead of pitching into the Rebs." " That'll come soon enough." " Well..." "Lincoln's fixing to bring that old bulldog Grant from the West and sic him on Lee." "That's the kind of man we've needed all along." "No." "He'll turn tail at Lee's first growl and hightail it north like all the others." "Don't you think?" " Well, don't you think, Billy?" " I don't know." " Welcome back, lieutenant." " Reporting for duty, sir." "Lieutenant Hazard." "You left here a deserter, and you've come back a fool." "Leave was due me..." "Lt. Hazard chased off those snipers, colonel." "Don't defend him, Bodford." "I know all about men who hunger after their wives, Hazard but if every officer did what you did Jeff Davis would be on a rocking chair on the back porch of the White House." " I know I was wrong, sir..." " Wrong is not the word, lieutenant." "Stupid, foolhardy, irresponsible." "None of them do you justice." "I can't change what I did." "But I was a good officer before and I will be again." "Just give me a chance." "I ought to send you back in irons." "But now I'm in desperate need of officers." " I'm ready to fight, sir." " You're damn right you'll fight." "I'll put you in command of the forward skirmishers." "Sergeant Carter will have orders to shoot you if you run again." "Now rejoin your company, lieutenant." "And when this is over you'll face a court-martial." " Yes, sir." " You all right?" " Fine, lieutenant." "Johnny catches us in the woods, it'll be like blind man's buff." "We'll be on the road to Richmond before Lee even realizes we've moved south." "What do you think is going on?" " Lf there were Johnnies, we'd hear guns." " Look, there's General Grant." "So that's the hero of Vicksburg." " He's not much, is he?" " Who asked you, Kent?" "Even from here you can see he could butt his head through a stone wall." "Well, if he's spoiling for a fight, Lee will give it to him." "Which is exactly what Grant wants." "Since our Tommy can't wait to be a real soldier I've got something for him." "This army got its hind end kicked just a year ago in these same woods." "Look what got left behind when they were hightailing it north." "That's what happens to little drummer boys when they get too close to those fire-breathing Rebs." " Kent!" "I can't waste any more time with you laggards." "Colonel wants me to post skirmishers further out on the flanks." "Guess who's gonna make captain first, Lieutenant Hazard." " Forget him, Tom." " Throw it in the woods, Tom." "No, sir." "I'll give this a proper burial." "He was a brave soldier." "I just know." "By nightfall, we'll have the entire army across that damnable river." "Didn't we make a deal a few months back?" "You wouldn't touch a drop if I'd stopped cussing." "Who would be the first to jump all over me if I fell off the wagon?" " I would." " Enough said." "But savor this moment, general." "You've taken a winter-stale tentbound, half-dead army and brought it back to life." "Excuse me, general." "I'm Crawford, New York Tribune." "Mr. Crawford." "This is where Hooker almost lost the whole war last year." "Why not march west around Lee's other flank?" "We move fast enough, we may not have to fight in these woods." "The talk in Washington, General Grant, is that Lee is waiting to give you the same kind of thrashing he gave McClellan, Burnside, Hooker." "Am I leaving anyone out?" "You'd like to add me to that list, wouldn't you?" "No disrespect, general, but the mothers of the North are sick of sending their sons to die in Georgia and Virginia just to keep the Rebels from having a country..." "Mr. Crawford." "Nobody is more sick of this war than I am." "That's why we're moving south, to end it as quickly as possible." "Lincoln said at Gettysburg we must preserve this nation so a government of the people won't perish." "You newspaper boys never paid much attention to that, did you?" "If you'll excuse me." "If Lee wants to stop us before Richmond he'll have to do it in open country." "If he catches us in the wilderness, we'll have to fight him." "That's right." "It's not just Richmond I want." "It's the destruction of Lee's army." "I'll fight him anywhere." "Regardless of season or weather?" "Sherman goes after Johnson in Georgia." "I hammer Lee in Virginia." "Confederacy's never been attacked on all fronts at once." "We don't confine our attacks to the battlefield." "We go after cities, towns, fields, factories." "You're gonna raid behind the lines?" "I plan to give Phil Sheridan the cavalry and turn him loose." "I guess anything short of total victory would amount to defeat for us." "That reporter's right." "People are tired of war." "If we don't destroy Lee's army, Lincoln could be defeated in November and the Union gone forever." "Only unconditional surrender will give us a lasting peace." "Kill everybody!" "Kill everybody!" "Fall back!" "Lieutenant!" "Kent!" "Kill." " Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" " Kent!" "Kent!" "Kill everybody!" "Kill you too!" "Come on, we're pulling back before the Rebels hit us again." "Come on." " Volunteers to man a stretcher." " Me!" "Take him out of here." " We need a man, Tommy." " I can do it." "All right." "You'll have to carry him a fair piece." "If you ever tell anybody about what happened..." " Kent." " I mean it, Hazard." "Not a damn word." "I'm gonna get that promotion." "Do you hear me?" "Do you hear?" "What I hear is a man coming apart inside." "Now pull yourself together." "Billy, let's get out of here." "There's a whole Reb division coming at us." "Get the wounded to safety and re-form on the other side of Plank Road." "Grant'll have to retreat or lose his army." "I never thought he'd let this happen." "Sir, General Hazard's been captured to the west by Mosby's guerrillas." "General Hays has been killed defending the Plank Road." "Our situation on the right is desperate." "Sedgwick's been flanked and routed." "They've got that whole wing in a trap." "General Rawlins, we've been whipped as badly as Hooker at Chancellorsville." "You'll have to disengage tonight." "Nonsense, colonel." "We've sent reinforcements to Sedgwick." "That's too little and too late, sir." "Bobby Lee has surprised us, fooled us, chopped on us for two bloody years." "I know that man's ways." "He'll throw his entire force between us and the rapid and cut us off." "He could bag the damn Northern army." "Gentlemen!" "You know I can't abide cuss words, but this time I'm gonna use one because I'm damn tired of hearing what General Lee is gonna do to us." "Start thinking about what we're gonna do to him." "Tell me you think he's about to turn a double somersault and land in our rear and both flanks all at once." " Sir, the situation is desperate." "I've never been in a fight where it wasn't desperate at one point, colonel." "The darkest of times may hide an opportunity." "We just have to find it." "Well, we may still be able to cross the river and head north before Lee hits." "We will save this army, gentlemen by pulling the men out and putting them on the road for another march." "Not north but south." "We have taken our last backward step." "Slide left, head for Spotsylvania Court House, and try again to get between Lee and Richmond." " Can a defeated army possibly...?" "If we don't admit defeat we're not defeated." "General Rawlins will give you orders." "John, I hope I'm right." "Right or wrong, sir, it could be the turning point of the war." "Mrs. Grady." "Mrs. Grady, ma'am." "I know you've been up for two nights straight but Mrs. Neal wanted me to wake you as soon as the wounded came in." "I'm sorry, ma'am." "The worst ones go over there near the surgeon's tent." "Careful, now." "Ease him down." "Ma'am, this Reb looks in a pretty bad way." " I don't think he's gonna make it." " It hurts so bad." "We don't have a bed." "Put him on the floor." "Maybe we could move one of them that ain't hurt so bad." "I said, put him on the floor, Mr. Shain." "Yes, ma'am." "Put him down." "Water." "Please give me water." "Oh, God, it hurts so bad." "Oh, water." "Mrs. Grady!" "Make a bed available for this man immediately." "But first, you'll give him water and administer morphine." "Mrs. Neal, you don't have the right." "You'll do as you're told." "Report to me when these new men have been attended to." "Is that clear?" "I realize you're working a double shift, but that's of your own choosing." "For some time now, Mrs. Grady I've noticed you give inferior care to Southern wounded." " That is not true." " I've seen it myself." "More than once." "Enemy soldiers are always the last to get your attention." "Are you accusing me of negligence?" "I have no real proof except your attitude." "But let me warn you, if that doesn't change then, in spite of our shortage of nurses I will bring charges of negligence." "For what?" "For not having enough beds?" "For being slow in bringing water to one man because you're busy bringing it to 20?" "That doesn't seem like negligence to me." "It seems like war." "You swore to give equal care to all." "If I see any further evidence of your attitude toward Southerners I'll do my best to have you dismissed from the Nursing Corps." "This report says Grant has torn up another hundred miles of our track." "Send word to Johnson that I'll meet him in three days to plan to get reinforcements to his army." "Well, maybe you better leave tonight, sir." "Vicksburg seems like more of a disaster every day." "By surrendering there, we lost Mississippi and we saw our nation cut in two." "General Lee has enough problems already." "Trying to replace his losses at Gettysburg." "Sir, you all right?" " Is this General Main's office?" " You must wait outside, sir." "I'm Enos Haller." "The general sent for me." " It's all right." "Come in, Mr. Haller." " Sir." " I appreciate your coming." " You said it was urgent, sir." "I just received this letter from my wife." "Mr. Haller, there's no way I can search for her at this time." "So you must do it for me." "I wish I could, but..." "I understand that you were Pinkerton's best investigator." "I don't care how much it costs, sir, you must help me." "I realize the position that you're in, general." "Perhaps I can offer you my services." "Thank you." "I'll give you all the information I can but I suggest you start in Charleston." " I'll do the best I can, sir." " I know you will." "I'm going to be leaving you now, missis." "But me sister will be right downstairs, and, oh, she's a wonderful nurse, she is." "And she'll do for you and your young one real nice like." "Thank you, Mrs. Nix." "Oh, sure." "If he isn't the most beautiful baby I ever delivered." "What's his name, missis?" "Orry." "Orry Nicholas." " Junior." " Oh, you're naming him after his father?" "That's right." "After his father." "Stretcher-bearers!" "Wounded!" "Well, what do you know?" "We're honored to have us a real live Confederate general." "Careful, now." "Take it easy, now." "Don't bounce him." "We wanna make sure we save this one." "He's for questioning." "There's a cot in the back." "I'll examine him first." "Yes, ma'am." "Madeline?" "Mr. Shain, this man needs to go to surgery right away." "Yes, ma'am." "He has a high fever and the infection must be cut out before it spreads." "No, general, you mustn't try to get up." "It'll be days before you're strong enough to stand on your own." "I don't have to take your temperature to see that you're burning up." "Don't waste your energy talking." "You've had quite an ordeal." "Last time we were together, you wanted to see me hung." "I want you to drink plenty of water." "I want you to stay in this cot until I say you're strong enough to get up." "Or I'll hang you myself." "Yes, ma'am." "Virgilia." "Thank you." "All wounded in this hospital receive the same care." "I was just doing as I was ordered, General Main." "You can't stop me from being grateful, Virgilia." "You hear me, boy?" "You better move, you hear me?" "Or I'm gonna kick you all the way down to Front Street." "Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy." "Please, sir, I can't afford to leave my family." " They ain't got nobody else." " Shut up and move." "Let that boy go." " Beg your pardon, ma'am?" " Let him go." "You have no right to force him." "Well, I have the right to conscript slaves anytime I want." "And I need some men to dig rifle pits outside the city." "Well, he is just a boy." "Well, I reckon that's Mr. Lincoln's fault, ain't it, ma'am?" "His army's freeing all these darkies so they can roam all over creation." "Taking food and work from white folk." "I refuse to argue with you, sergeant." "You are not taking him." "My father was an important man in Charleston and I know a lot of influential people." "I could make life very difficult for you if you insist on conscripting a child." "Hell, he's too sick anyway." "Go on, take him." "Probably wouldn't even make it to the lines, would you, boy?" "I tell you something, ma'am." "I wouldn't be interfering with any official government business if I was you." "Because I guarantee you'll regret it." "What are you looking at?" "Come on, move." "Thank you, ma'am." " What's your name?" " Michael." "Michael, where do you live?" "I'll take you home." "Oh, no, ma'am." "That wouldn't be a good idea." "It's outside town and not very safe." "But it's raining and you've got a bad cough, haven't you?" "Michael." "I was worried." "The soldiers almost took me, but this lady made them let me go." " How you feeling, Mama?" " A little better, son." "You've traveled a long way, haven't you?" "Yes, ma'am." "All the way from Tennessee." "They burned our master's house down, the whole quarter." "Then they told us we was free." "Then we had to go." "We tried to find food and medicine, but there's not enough for us." "I couldn't find anything again today, Mama." "No work anybody'd pay me for." "Michael, come with me." "We'll find food and medicine somehow." "But, ma'am, we can't ever pay you back." "I don't want anything." "I just wanna help." "You see, I lost my home too." "Why are you looking at me like that, Michael?" "I just don't understand, Miss Madeline." "Why you wanna spend your money helping folks like us?" "Sometimes the best way to forget someone you lost is to help somebody else." "You mean your husband, ma'am?" " Did he get killed in the war?" " No." "I just can't be with him." "That's a true shame, ma'am." "Especially for a lady as nice as you." "Hey, hold up." "Well, now, mighty fine carriage for this neighborhood." "Lookie here." "Looks like we stumbled across paradise, boys." "There's enough food here for a month." "Let me go, let go." " That food is for people who need it." " I got some bad needs myself, honey." "You probably know about those, though." " You leave her alone." " Let him alone." "You want me to wring your neck, boy?" "Now let the lady go." "Now disappear." "If I ever see either of you again, I'll kill you." "You understand me?" " You all right, son?" " Yeah." " Did they hurt you, ma'am?" " No, I'm all right." "He was right, you shouldn't be out in this area." "Camp down the road is a target for every piece of trash around." "Men get liquored up and come looking for women." "Is that so?" "What were you doing out here?" "A man of my wayward inclinations might be found anywhere." "My name's Raphael Beaudeen, my friends call me Rafe." " You're Miss..." " Mrs." "Mrs. Picard." "Enchanted." "Mrs. Picard, may I see you back to Charleston?" "I was on my way to the refugee camp." "And I still intend to go there." "I'll see you there and then escort you back to town when you're ready." "I appreciate your helping, Mr. Beaudeen but that won't be necessary." "I can assure you, ma'am, it would be my pleasure." "Before the war, this boarding house was known for the number of wealthy men's mistresses it housed." "You're assuming I'm a...?" "One of those women?" "Well, if you are, I'd never hold it against you." "You're much too beautiful." "Well, you're wrong." "I'm no one's mistress." "I live here because it was the cheapest place I could find." "Thank you, Mr. Beaudeen." "May I see you upstairs?" "I think you know better than to ask that." "Goodbye, sir." "Goodbye, Mrs. Picard." "I hope to see you again very soon." "Wherever did you meet that man?" "Mr. Beaudeen?" "He did me a service today." "One simply doesn't associate with him if one is quality." " Well, why not?" "Isn't he received?" " Oh, it's much worse than that." "He comes from a fine Virginia family." "Second cousins to my cousins." "That's on my mama's side." "He left the army, my dear." "Rafe Beaudeen was a major decorated for gallantry at first Manassas." "And then he left the army under very mysterious circumstances." " Well, I'm sure he had his reasons." " But it wasn't because he was wounded." "And he didn't go back to his family, even though his own brother had been killed." "There was a rumor that Rafe was asked to resign his commission." "Though nobody knows why." "Then it's best that people don't speculate." "Well!" "Help me, help me, help me." "Take it easy." "This man needs help." "Orderly." "Orderly!" " This man needs help." " Help me." " Easy, easy." " Stretcher-bearers." " Yes, ma'am." " Hurry." "Tell Dr. Crawford this man is to be examined." "Doctor?" "Doctor, we have another one." "All right, I'll get him." "You're very good at what you do." "You know, while I was on the battle lines, captain told me they had a truce so they could swap Virginia tobacco and Yankee sugar and coffee." "What do you say?" "I've been here for weeks." "Don't you think it's time we had our own truce, Virgilia?" "What do you mean?" "How about exchanging news of our families?" "Back to bed, before Mrs. Neal thinks I'm abusing a Confederate general." " I'm too busy." " You can imagine how much Brett would want to hear anything at all about Billy." "The truth is, I have no contact with my family." "Virgilia." "Please." "I saw Billy once towards the beginning of the war and he was fine." "I haven't seen his name on any of the casualty lists." "Thank God." " What about George?" " I don't know." "Mrs. Grady?" "Can I speak to you for a moment?" "Excuse me." "The wagon captain's just sent orders." "The Reb general's gotta be taken to prison camp for questioning." "That man is not to be moved until the surgeon examines him first." "Yes, ma'am." "It looks like you're not going to be with us much longer, General Main." "I expected as much." "Well, I guess we won't have any more time to talk, so I..." "I'd just like to say something to you." "You should be very proud of the work you're doing here." "And I wish you well, Virgilia." "I wish you well too, Orry." "Where you going, general?" "Guard, guard!" "Prisoner escaping over that south bridge, making a break." "Your Reb general has just hightailed it." "You can never, ever trust a Johnny." "Come on, hurry up!" "All right, get them blue bellies inside." " All right, let's move along." " Off the wagon." " Hurry up." " Keep moving, scum." " My God, what's that stink?" " Smells like burning tar." "To cover up the smell of you damn Yankees." "Now hush your face." "I don't wanna hear no talking amongst you prisoners." "Welcome." "I'm Captain Turner." "You will call me "sir."" "This is Corporal Strock, he's my right-hand man." "Your stinking carcasses are gonna be searched for any weapons or money that you boys might've smuggled in." "So y'all got to strip down." "Now." "I see I'm gonna have to learn you boys that I mean what I say." "You touch him, you're a dead man." "I'll crack your skull like an egg." "I believe I told you boys to strip." "Then I take you up to your new quarters." "Next." "Open your mouth." "I could do it with this but you wouldn't have no teeth left." "Wider, wider." "Spit it out." "Spit it out." "My, my, my." "Look here." "Ten Yankee dollars." "See, you boys can't hide nothing no place we ain't gonna find it." "Even if we have to turn you inside out." "If you know what I mean." "Well, now that we are done with the material things I think it's time we did some work on the spiritual." "You boys got to learn what you are now." "You ain't officers and gentlemen no more." "No, sir." "What you are is nothing." "You hear me?" "You are lower than scum." "And you are lower than dirt." "So why don't you boys get down on your knees in the dirt and show me what you are now." "Do it now." "Detachment, attention!" "Who the hell do you think you are?" "I'm General George Hazard." "We are Union officers and we should be treated that way." " I told you to call me sir." " You're nothing but trash." "All right, who's next?" "Get down on your knees, and do it now." "Stand up." "My, my." "That is so much better." "You boys might make live prisoners after all." "Are you deaf, general?" "I told you to get down on your knees." "We should be treated according to certain rules of warfare." "Who's your superior officer?" "Look around, scum." "Look around, you see anybody else?" "I'm the superior." "There ain't no rules that I don't make." "Now, get down on your knees." "You keep disobeying me, general I'm gonna blow your guts out." "That goes for every damn one of you." "Like I told you, general I'm the superior." "Mr. President, the Yankees used to call us fire-eaters because of our passionate belief that Secession was the only course if our Southern way of life was to survive." "No one was more determined than I that we be independent of the North." "You must understand, sir, I need to speak out when we see an internal threat to our way of life." "By all means, Mr. Huntoon, speak out." "Many of us feel, sir, that you, in the name of war effort trample upon the rights of the individual Southern states." " Go on." " We know you're overworked because you gather so much power and responsibility to yourself." "I do what I have to do." "We urge you then to delegate some of that responsibility to those around you and to the individual states themselves." "Which would be consistent with a philosophy that demanded Secession." " That states' rights are supreme." " What good are states' rights if we have no nation to secure them?" "You think that man in Washington will hand us our freedom on a silver platter?" " Mr. President..." " Keep your philosophy, sir." "We must first win this bloody war as one nation." "Then we can worry about the rights of individual states." "At the moment I have other, more urgent concerns." "General Lee is in ill health and discouraged." "I hope he doesn't consider resigning." "The Confederacy is doomed without Lee." "He must stay on." "I'm sorry, Ashton." "You're always sorry." "Well, sorry doesn't butter any biscuits if you know what I mean." "It's just that..." "That look in your eye like I'm not even there." " It makes me feel..." " Don't go blaming me for all your failures." "I'm sorry, Ashton." "It's just that all my life, I've had this dream of a glorious Confederacy and to see it turning into a nightmare..." "Now don't go feeling sorry for yourself again, James." "It's just that nobody will listen to me." "I come up with ideas and Jeff Davis' cronies, they ignore them." "It's frustrating, Ashton." "Not half as frustrating as you are to me, James." "Ashton?" "Where are you going?" "Out for a ride." "I'm restless." "But it's late." "I need some fresh air, James." "Huntoon is more of a clown than I thought." "Stop it, EI." "I care about James." "I just don't see why I have to stay married to him." "You will remain married to him because it is imperative to our future success." "I'm so tired of this." "I don't see why we need James." "First of all, he's a good source of information about the Treasury." "If our coup is to succeed, we need to know all we can about what goes on inside his government." "Your husband may be useful to us in yet another capacity." "I've been thinking about this since your brother put a stop to our blockade run." "Huntoon could make up some of the shortfall if he decides to accept my offer." " What is that?" " To be after we have arranged for the demise of Mr. Davis vice president of my new government." " That's perfect." " He will finance our plans." "He'll be the scapegoat if anything goes wrong." "And if he should decide to interfere that man will never live to see our empire." "You're so exciting, EI." "You're absolutely right about that." "It's silly to take your money out of the bank." "Just remember to leave mine in there." "I'm being prudent, Ashton." "Lee has too few troops to hold Meade back forever." "They'll soon be advancing on Richmond." "And we'll need funds if we retreat." "Nonsense." "Elkanah Bent says that won't happen." "Bent?" "When did you see him?" "At one of those infernal receptions." "You remember, don't you?" "Frankly, I've been avoiding him." "He says he wants to talk to me." "I'm not sure he can be trusted." "You're much too cautious, James." "He may be important to your future." "You seem to know a lot about him." "From what I'm told, he has influence." "Much more than those clerks that you drag home from the Treasury." "Those men are my friends." "They're more supportive of me than Jeff Davis." "Maybe if you stopped arguing with the man." "James, why do you think I give those parties?" "They're for you." "So you can move up in the government." "And if that doesn't work, then someone like Elkanah Bent might help." "You do understand, don't you, James?" "You must seize every opportunity in life." "Your brandy, James." "And your future." " It is superb, sir." " It's Napoleon." "Only the best for men like ourselves, wouldn't you agree?" "Men like ourselves?" "Men with vision and courage, sir." "Men with the will and capacity to change the world, like Napoleon." "I've never thought of myself that way." "Of course you have." "I've heard your speeches." "You're too modest a man, James." "Others think you a man of fire." "They realize how little the Davis government values your great talents." "To what people do you refer?" "They are men of action." "Men who just don't deplore the government but intend to do something about it." "And they have chosen me to lead them." "You are talking about overthrowing the government." "That's treason." "Is it treason to save the nation, sir?" "I'm told Davis leans towards peace if the war goes any worse for us." "You want to be under the iron hand of the Union again?" "Of course not." "Then help us." "Become one of us." " I don't know if I can..." " I assure you there will be no unnecessary violence." "When we put Davis out to pasture and lead the Confederacy back to strength you will be at the very seat of power as my new vice president." "You make it sound..." "You make it sound almost patriotic." "It's more than that, James." "It's your destiny." "All right, we'll go inside now." "Hold him still." " That's it." " We need a tourniquet over there." " Pray for us sinners now..." "I've tagged the dead." "Move them out to make room for the incoming wounded." "This is almost as bad as the wilderness." "Grant's been pushing Lee back, but at what cost?" "Put him there." "Gently now." "Right over there." "Make sure..." "That's right." "Easy." "Quickly, ma'am." "Doc says his leg's got to be clamped fast to stop the bleeding." "A Reb colonel." "Still, I hope he makes it." "I hope he makes it too." "I hope we all do, Mr. Shain." "You all right, ma'am?" "I never want to see another clamp." "Or surgeon's saw." "Or hospital wagon as long as I live." "Stretcher-bearer." "Stretcher-bearer!" "There's too many arriving." "Take the hopeless out." "I've already tagged them too." "Yes, ma'am." "Mrs. Grady if you don't get some sleep soon, you're gonna drop." "Stretcher-bearers!" "Stretcher-bearers!" " This man is dead." " Yes, ma'am." "He bled to death." " Who attended him?" " Mrs. Grady, ma'am." "Do you know anything about this?" "No, ma'am." "Mrs. Grady sent me to clear out the dying." "I'm afraid I didn't see her finish off the clamping." "Stretcher-bearers!" "I don't know what you're saying." "The clamp wasn't fastened." "It was hanging loose." "Who else but you could've been responsible?" "The colonel himself." "Have you thought of that?" "There's no way he could have done it in his condition." "One of the orderlies said you acted strangely the moment you saw him." "He's lying!" "I was just tired." "You can ask Mr. Shain." "I would never murder anyone." "I don't believe that, Mrs. Grady." "I think you are capable of anything, even the murder of a Southerner." "You should never have been admitted to the Nursing Corps." "You are relieved of your duties as of now." "You can't do that!" "You do not have the authority to do that!" "I intend to have you charged with murder." "The cold-blooded murder of that Confederate colonel." "But I didn't kill him." "I am sick of it!" "This is all I have." "And if you take this away from me..." "I lost Grady, and now I'm..." "No, you can't." "Damn you!" "I won't let you!" "I won't let you!" " Sir." " Thank you." "Did you have a pleasant evening, sir?" "David, you know those Congressional receptions." "Rumor, gossip, and boring old dowagers." "Thank God for small consolations." "Have you drawn my bath yet?" "Yes, sir." "Steaming hot, as you like it." "Thank you." "You may retire." " You have a good night, sir." " Thanks." "Sam." "Virgilia, what the devil are you doing here?" "I bribed one of your maids to let me in." "It's the only way I could see you alone." " You know better than to come here." " I didn't have anyplace else to turn." "Sam, I am in terrible trouble." "I was unjustly accused, and I attacked Mrs. Neal." "And I think I killed her." "No." "She's still alive, but she has filed murder charges against you." "I didn't kill that colonel." "Mrs. Neal has wanted to get rid of me from the beginning." "Now she's found a way." "Lower your voice." "One maid knows you're here." "There's no need for anyone else to know." "You're carrying a weapon with you." "Doesn't exactly confirm your innocence." "I need it for protection." "I found it in the saddlebag on the horse I took." "Sam, please help me." "Virgilia, be sensible." "I can't involve myself in a murder charge." "It would be political suicide." "But you have friends." "Nobody has to know that it was you who stopped the investigation." "Virgilia, when last I helped you I told you that the next time wouldn't be... free." "Yes, I remember." "And you agree?" "I wouldn't have come here if I didn't." "Splendid." "The bath's already been drawn." "Sam, why don't you stay?" "I'll just undress here in front of the fire." "There..." "There..." "There's three of them." "They got Miss Augusta inside." "We're lucky, boys." "This here's a mighty pretty one." "You're gonna be mighty sorry you did that." "Really sorry." "I'm gonna take some of that sass out of you." "We're gonna teach you some respect." "Sarge!" "Boz." "It's all right." "It's all right." "It's all right." "It's all right." "Look at me." "Look at me." "It's all right." "No arguments." "Drink it." "After what you've been through, you could use something strong." "I'm not used to whiskey." "Are you sure Boz and Washington are all right?" "A few bruises, but they'll heal." "I was afraid those Yankees were gonna kill them." "We buried those animals so deep, no one will ever find them." "I was so afraid." "All I could think of was that I might not ever see you again." "God, I love you." "I have from the first moment I saw you." "Not a fit day for man nor beast, nor even ducks." "Certainly not for our poor fellows on the march." "No, sir." "Secretaries Stanton, Chase, and Seward are in the cabinet room." "And General Hazard's wife is here." "Mrs. Hazard." "Please come in." "Tell the gentlemen to be patient now." "I'll be along." "Mr. President, an honor, sir." "It's my honor and my pleasure, ma'am, to meet the wife of such a valued officer." "Although I do wish the circumstances could be happier." "Please sit down." "I suppose you know why I'm here." "I am deeply distressed by George's imprisonment." "Sir, I know General Grant has refused any further prisoner exchanges." "Not just General Grant, but the voice of this government." "This war has got to end just as soon as possible." "I realize that, sir." "But I was hoping you might listen to a wife who wants to save her husband." "Sir, Libby Prison is a hellhole." "The conditions are terrible." "Mr. President, I'm begging you." "I'm desperate." "Please get him out of there." "I can't." "If I had only George Hazard to think about I would gladly offer myself for his release." "But I am the president, and I must hold fast." "Ma'am, I don't run this war." "It runs me." "Every night, I think of the 100,000 dead and wounded." "But Jeff Davis still breathes fire down there in Richmond." "He's turned down my offers of amnesty and reconciliation so we can no longer afford to replenish Southern ranks by returning their officers and men." "It's a hard war, ma'am." "I understand what you must be going through." "Really, I do." "But, sir, I am a wife." "There must be something more we can do." "Well, I..." "I can't promise anything, ma'am, but I'll try." "Thank you." "I can only ask your prayers for George." "You have them, ma'am." "And my deepest gratitude for your family's sacrifice." "I told you, Constance." "The president wouldn't be able to do anything." "He has a country to run and a war to fight." "Maybe George is better off where he is." "He won't be maimed or killed in battle." "No." "Constance is right." "Prisoners die every day in that horrible place." "We must do something more." "Stanley you know many top Northern manufacturers." "Is there any way that perhaps one of them has a contact in Richmond?" "I'll ask around." "That might take time." "Time is something your brother may have very little of." "You know, I've been thinking." "It'll probably take considerable money but if we could get a message to Orry." "He's a high-ranking officer." "Perhaps there's something he can do to help George." "Do you realize sending information in and out of enemy territory is a crime?" "I don't care what it is, Isabel, or what it costs." "All that matters is George." "We must do everything possible." " Mother!" " That's enough, Isabel." "Oh, Constance." "Orry." "That's a wonderful idea." "And I know someone who is sympathetic to the South who just might get a courier for us." "Oh, Mother." "We're gonna show you what happens to turncoats, ain't we, boys?" "Come on, we didn't mean nothing." "Hey, honest." "Didn't mean nothing." "Well, now what's all this?" "We tried to help this boy here." "He had him backed up against the wall." "You know what he was fixing to do." "Right, boys?" "Right, boy?" "I said, right, boy?" "Who was it?" "It was him." "My, my, general." "That ain't no way to behave." "Even dirt like you ought to know better than that." "Guess we gonna have to learn you a lesson." "Buck and gag him and throw him outside." "We'll see just how long it takes Mr. General Hazard to break his back." "Sir!" "General Lander, he's gonna be returning next week." "I don't think you'd want to have to explain to him some dead Union general." "You know how he feels about brutality to the prisoners." "Corporal Strock, don't you ever question my authority." "Well, lookie here, you're only half-dead." "You can still work." "Get up, Hazard." "You gotta quit being so shiftless and lazy." "Get up!" "Come on!" "My, my." "Lookie here." "Our general done dug himself a hole." "Just like a rat." "Do you think you're gonna escape like those others?" "Well, think again, scum!" "You're going down in a hole, all right, but it's gonna be six-feet deep." " Chain him up." " Come on." "Till I decide how we gonna stop him from digging rat holes." "I got kegs of gunpowder hidden underneath this floor." "The very next man who tries to escape I'm gonna blow you all to hell." "Merry Christmas." "It's a little early, but what the hell?" "Charles." "Had a three-day leave, heard you were in Richmond." "So where are we having dinner tonight?" "We got a lot to catch up on." "Sit." "Sure is great to see you alive." "I didn't wanna believe it when I saw you listed as missing." "I landed in a field hospital." "I was lucky." "Your friend George wasn't so lucky." " What do you mean?" " Mosby." "Rode into camp the other day to report on his guerrilla activities." "I heard him tell Hampton he'd captured a Yankee general on one of his raids." "Turns out it was George." " Where is he?" " Libby Prison." "He could die there." "That place is a disgrace." "There's nothing you can do." "No more prisoner exchanges, so you can't go to Davis." " Besides, he's the enemy." " What?" "Charles that man was my best friend." "What's wrong with you?" " Nothing." " What do you mean, nothing?" "I am gonna get him out of there, and you're gonna help me." " I don't feel too kindly about Yankees." " None of us do, but I owe him." "Up to you, general." "Thank you." "Well, you can't see General Winter." "He's gone on leave." "You'll address me as "sir" and tell me who's in charge in the general's absence." " Yes, sir." "Captain Turner's in charge right now, sir." "But he's..." " He ain't here right now neither." " Lf he's derelict in his duty he will suffer the consequences." "In the meantime you're to deliver to me a prisoner by the name of General George Hazard." "But it's the middle of the night, sir." "And Captain Turner, he wouldn't like it." "I don't give a damn what Captain Turner wouldn't like." "I've got orders to take this prisoner for interrogation." "That's what I mean to do." "You have him brought here to me now." "Yes, sir." "This man's condition is an outrage." "Get his chains off of him." "Now!" "I intend to report this entire detachment for gross neglect of duty." " What the hell's going on here?" " They got orders to take him." "Over my dead body." "Whose orders?" "I would suggest you read this and snap to, captain before I have you relieved of command." "I never heard of no General Canby." "I want this confirmed before I hand over the prisoner." "You don't have the authority, so out of our way, we're leaving." "I already told you, it's over my dead body." "Stop those men!" "Grab them!" "They killed Major Turner!" "George, you all right?" " Relax." " God!" "I couldn't have lasted much longer in there, Orry." "You saved my life." "Thank you." "Both of you." "Don't get yourself shot on the way home." " Careful." " You got food a blanket, some of my old clothes." "Follow the current as far as you can then head north." "You're bound to run into some Union troops." " Will you do me another favor?" " What's that?" "Tell Jeff Davis that if he stops the war I'll buy the champagne." "You best make that offer to Mr. Lincoln." "It'll be light soon." "Let's go." "I'm not sure we lost the guards." " He's gonna be all right." " We kill Yankees by the hundreds and save one man." "It doesn't make any sense." "Compassion still makes sense." " Oh, Mommy, I love the way you sing." " Well, I love you." "And you know what?" "You've been so good I think you can open another present before you go to bed." "Well, why don't you sit here..." "Stanley!" "They're beautiful!" "What a surprise." "Mother." "Aren't they magnificent?" "They're lovely, Isabel." "Constance." "Very pretty." "I shall wear these in Philadelphia on New Year's Eve." "Thank you, my darling." "I should've waited and given it to you in private." "Nonsense." "I'm not going to let their moods ruin this special evening." "We have every right to enjoy our good fortune." " Mother, are you all right?" " Oh, I'm fine." "It's lovely to see Hope enjoying herself." "I just keep thinking of Billy and George." "It doesn't seem like Christmas without them." "No, it doesn't." "You know, sometimes I wonder if I can survive another day without George." "Oh, but, Mother, think how difficult it must be for those families whose loved ones will never be coming home." "I can't believe Clarissa is in the midst of that fighting." "Every night I pray for the Mains just as I pray for our family." "How can we sing about peace on Earth, good will toward men after four years of war?" "Dear God, how much longer must this go on?" "If General Grant takes Petersburg, it might be over before we know it." "I know." "I know." "Merry Christmas, Edward." "Oh, George!" "Oh, it's really you." "Constance." "Hello, Brett." "It's Mrs. Hazard to you." "Heard about your troubles so I thought I'd come over and see if I could help." "Things seem to be a little lean around here." "We're doing just fine." "That's no way to talk to the man who could be your salvation." "I got food." "We have enough." "I figured you for the sensible." "Surely you know what a dangerous situation you all are in." "Three women alone." "If we can come to some arrangements, I can make sure nobody bothers you not even Yankees, who I figure will be harder on South Carolina seeing as we started the war." "You're nothing but trash, like those squatters." "We're not leaving, no matter what you do or say." "Shake the tree, and all the fruit you want will fall right in your lap." "Time's on my side, missy." "You get on out of here, Salem Jones or this other barrel's gonna blow your head off." "You wouldn't do that, Semiramis." "Wouldn't I?" "I've hated you ever since I was a little girl." "Now get on out of here!" "Leave the horse." "They could head straight for Richmond or turn and attack Lee's flank." "Even if Fitz Lee could concentrate all three of his brigades I'm not sure he could stop them." "We can jump a couple of scouts, find out where they're heading." "Charlie, I haven't been on my feet two hours the last three days." "This old nag is wind-broke as I am." "How the heck are we gonna stop them?" "That's too bad." "Who said the Lord isn't a Rebel?" "Now, don't get carried away, we need at least one alive." "Aim for the legs." "Sorry, captain." "Reckon my aim was high." "Sheridan's cavalry, right?" "You don't have much of a choice." "We got miles to reach your point." "I estimate two divisions, maybe three." "Which is it?" "Three." "Bound where?" "It's bad enough you Yankees burned Beaver Dam stakes and our supply warehouse." "Don't try my patience." "Bound where?" "Where?" "Richmond." "Much obliged." "He was just reaching over because he was thirsty." "If he had been pulling a gun, better my mistake than me dead." "Charlie!" "You really are something." "Cool as a block in an icehouse." "You're some kind of killing machine." "The absolute sure-fire best." "We gotta find Fitz Lee." "You take the turnpike, I'll go across country." "One of us is sure to get through." "Top of the morning." "Merry Christmas." "And to you, Mr. Beaudeen." "I don't suppose it's quite so merry in Savannah with Sherman." "He'll be marching into Charleston next." "Some of the women are leaving town." "Well, what brings you out this way so early?" "Just my usual desire to look at your pretty face." "And to bring you this." "That's very kind." "Now, you can take it." "Feel no obligation." "It's really not for you." "It's for them." " It's gold." " Earned with the sweat of my brow." "I'd just waste it." "I figured you could use it for whatever..." "Miss Madeline!" "The soldiers picked up Michael and some of the other boys!" " Where did they take them?" " I don't know." "They said they was needed." "Too many soldiers getting killed." " We have to find them." "They're children." " How long ago?" "About two hours." "Miss Madeline, I'm so scared." "Don't worry about it." "We'll do our best to get them back." " Yes, sir." "We'll get that right away." " Yes, sir." " I found out where they been taken." " Where?" "Don't worry about it right now." "Go home and wait for me there." " Rafe." "I would like to help." " You can't." "Just do like I tell you." "It may already be too late." "Come on, look alive, look alive!" "Boy, I bet you wish you was back on that plantation, don't you?" "Come on, deeper." "Come on." "Move that dirt, darkies." "Come on!" "Look alive, there!" "Don't dig that tree out." "You better look sharp there, boy." "Gonna throw your carcass to Sherman." "It may be your carcass, sergeant." "Just who are you, huh?" "These are orders from your captain to take these boys back to my plantation." "Your plantation?" "Food is the lifeline of the Confederacy, sergeant." "We've got to feed Johnston's troops if we expect them to stop Sherman." "Just who's gonna finish digging these rifle pits?" "Neither you nor your men look helpless to me, sergeant." "That ain't work for white men." "You read your orders and do your duty." "My duty is to get my share." "I know all about your Captain Farley and his little payoffs..." "You see this here order, it ain't worth the paper it's written on." "You get the boys in the wagon, and I'll see that you're taken care of." "All right, let's go!" "All you boys, get in this here blasted wagon." "Be quick about it!" "Come on, move it!" "I only pay once." "They're safe now." "I left Michael with his mother about an hour ago." "Oh, thank God." "How did you find out where they were?" "Captain Farley wanted cold, hard cash, and a lot of it, I'm afraid." "You bribed an officer?" "Well, I had no choice." "If you had been arrested, we'd all have been in jeopardy." "What should I have done?" "Something more honorable?" "You've got to wake up, Madeline." "Honor's dead." "It's been killed in the war." "From now on, there are only transactions." "Perhaps." "For you, that's the way you live." "That's right, ma'am to survive." "Well, some things are more important than survival." "Like what, Madeline?" "I left the army rather than go on killing innocent human beings in a cause already doomed from the start by the stupidity of too many of its leaders." "I don't want to hear that." "I refuse to be a fool." "I found a better way of attacking a Yankee position and when I returned, I was accused by my commander of insubordination." "If that makes me some kind of a scoundrel, so be it." "I didn't mean to..." "You saved Michael's life and I thank you for that." "Madeline, there's so much I want to tell you." "It's late." "I am..." "I am grateful." "Please believe me." "Your servant, ma'am." "I thought you told me you'd never touch any of Justin's money." "Now, if you're prepared to do that, at least make life more comfortable for you and your child." "Don't keep..." " lf the money is mine then I'm entitled to spend it as I see fit." "Uncle Miles Justin never did one good thing for anyone in his entire life." "So let's just call this poetic justice." "When his money's gone, then I'll sell the house." "I'm not even sure I could find a buyer right now." "Let alone get a good price." "Even if I have to sell the house at a loss there should still be enough to help a great many people." "Now, I understand your wanting to help these people that have been displaced by the war, but you can't bankrupt yourself to do it." "And what about your son, Madeline?" "That house should be his someday." "Thousands have been driven from their homes." "Slaves, freed Negroes, poor whites." "They have no food, no money." "They have no hope." "I can't just stand by and watch women and children die." "I hope my son will understand that one day when he's old enough." "You're giving away everything you have." "I would give more if I had it." "Uncle Miles, you can't imagine the suffering." "All right, my dear." "It's obvious you're going to do this whether I agree or not." "If Justin's money isn't sufficient, I'll find a way to sell the house." "Thank you, Uncle Miles." "Thank you." "I knew you'd understand." " I have a surprise for you." " What?" " Oh." "I love surprises." " I know you do." "Open it up." "Well, this looks familiar." "I had the tailor repair it." "I want my husband going back on duty looking like the general he is." "Oh, thank you." "That's very sweet." "And as it just so happens I have a little gift for you too." " You do?" " Oh, George, it's beautiful." " Do you like it?" " I love it." " I had Stanley pick it up for me in Philadelphia on his last trip there." "Oh, thank you." "You know, it's been so wonderful having you home these past weeks." "I hate to think of you leaving again so soon." "I don't think that Grant will let this deadlock drag on much longer." "It's got to end soon." "But I am afraid that Lee will fight on to the bitter end along with all his men." "I know." "You're worried about Orry again, aren't you?" "Yes." "Our little reunion while out on patrol a couple of years ago wasn't as pleasant as I might have led you to believe." "What do you mean?" "Well, at first, it was like nothing had changed." "It was just so good to see him again." "But it became obvious to me that the war had done something to that sense of understanding that we always seemed to share." "By the time we said goodbye, we were acting just like enemies." "Oh, George." "And when he broke me out of prison it was more like he was repaying an old debt instead of an act of friendship." "Darling I love Orry as much as you do." "And I know the kind of man he is." "He would never turn his back on you or your friendship." " Captain Bradley." " Yes, ma'am." "I'm Constance Hazard." "The maid told me you're here to see my husband." "I'm on General Hazard's staff, ma'am." "I have some rather urgent business with him." "I see." "Well, why don't you wait in the library and I'll get him for you." "This isn't an official visit, general, but I wanted to warn you ahead of time." "I'd rather discuss this in private, sir." "Unless it involves military secrets, captain I have nothing I wanna hide from my wife." "Sir from what I've been able to find out the war department has had complaints for almost two years about defective weapons made by Axol Iron Works." "Do you know anything about such a company?" "No, I've never heard of them." "A formal investigation wasn't started until recently." "They found that Axol Iron is a front for another arms manufacturer:" "Hazard Iron." "That's ridiculous." "George would never have anything to do with that." "They verified that these cannons were made from cheap metals which caused some of them to explode after prolonged use." "I'm afraid some soldiers on the gun crews have been killed as a result." " Oh, my God." " But everybody knows that while George was away, Stanley ran the company." "The general's signature appears on several incriminating documents which connect the two companies." " Then someone forged his signature." " It had to be somebody from the inside." "Unfortunately, you're going to have to prove that, sir." "I don't believe this." "My husband risked his life and endured great hardship in prison." "How can his own government accuse him of such a crime?" "Ma'am, I feel the same way, or I wouldn't be here." "But I'm afraid all the evidence seems to be against you, general." "Captain you said this was an unofficial visit." "How much time do I have to prove my innocence?" "I'm afraid they'll be swearing out a warrant for your arrest within hours." "Well, can't you delay it?" " I wish I could." "I just found out." " What else can you tell us, captain?" "There seems to be a man named Morgan." "Although there's no solid evidence against him they suspect he's involved in selling cheap metals to more than one foundry." " You know where I can find him?" "He does most of his business out of a tavern outside Philadelphia called Dillards." "By next Tuesday." "No, I can't..." " that I had ever seen." "When we first..." "I'm gonna use them again." " Now, I'm gonna use them again." " When we..." " He's got a good..." " Full wagon." "Boy, that's one way." "Which one's Morgan?" "Morgan?" "Who are you?" " Why don't you..." " That's what I told him." "Never you mind." "Just point him out to me." "You Morgan?" " Lf I am?" " I'd like some straight answers." " Do you have business with Hazard Iron?" " I don't know what you're talking about." "You've been selling inferior metals through a dummy company." " You can't prove anything." " I wanna know who your contact is." "Who the hell are you?" "My name is George Hazard, you miserable scum." "A lot of good men have died because of you." "You're coming with me, you're gonna tell them everything and you're gonna spend your life in prison." "Along with you and your brother, General Hazard!" "He's broke his neck." "He's dead." "Stanley!" "I just talked to Morgan." "He connected you with Axol Iron." " I don't wanna believe this, Stanley." " George..." "Just tell me it isn't true." "You're my brother." "I have trusted you with everything." "How could you do this?" " Stanley, don't tell him anything!" " Don't you realize what you've done?" "There's been an investigation." "They're going to arrest George." " Whatever trouble he's in, it's his doing." " Enough!" "I have always given you everything you've wanted." "Now, I will not sacrifice my brother." "George I had no idea this would happen with those cannons and when I found out, it was too late." "Our whole business was at stake, our future..." "What about our future, Stanley?" "!" "You have not only befouled this family's reputation you have probably destroyed Hazard Iron." "Which is nothing compared to the senseless killing of who knows how many Union soldiers!" " George..." " You miserable traitor!" "Please forgive me." "You must take full responsibility, as will this company to the families of those dead soldiers." "Undoubtedly, that means long prison terms for both you and Isabel." "I've done nothing illegal." "My signature was not on those documents." "Apparently you haven't heard your husband, dear." "It's over, Isabel." "If you can find the courage to own up to your actions you might find some self-respect." "I'll cooperate." "When are we gonna get rid of Jeff Davis already?" "You're unusually impatient today, Ashton." "I told you those things take time and they take money." "We have a definite lack of the latter." "Well, I've already given you all of mine." "There is someone who has just promised an enormous contribution but I'm afraid he wants something more in return other than mere participation in our new government." " What does he want?" " Thomas Drummond." "Has always had his eye on you." "That old fool?" "Every time he sees me, he looks down my dress and drools." "Exactly." "You can't mean he...?" "Why, that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!" "What's so ridiculous?" "All you have to do is spend one night with him and $ 15,000 in gold is ours." " You can't mean that." " Of course I do." " He knows that you and I are friends." " Friends?" " We love each..." " I don't recall mentioning love." "Love would be the worst thing for us." "We're equals, we are partners." "Love would just get in the way of everything we want." "But as I was saying before I was interrupted we love each other's strength and power." "So then you'll do it?" "Why wouldn't I?" "After all, it only makes us that much closer to what we want." "I knew I could count on you." "I had no idea you thought me attractive, Mr. Drummond." "Otherwise, I would have come here long before this." "You do me an honor, Miss Ashton." "On the contrary, sir you do me and our cause the honor." "Your donation, sir, was so generous that I felt that I had to repay you in the only way I know how." "Ashton?" "Yes, James?" "It's all right, Ashton." "You're right, James." "You must be joking." "You don't really expect to celebrate here, do you?" "Couldn't think of a more appropriate place." "But everybody says it's unsafe to leave the city." "Now, where is your spirit of adventure, Ashton?" "Come on." "Get down." "I'm tired of playing games." "What is it you wanna show me?" "Now you just be patient." "Why, the army would just be furious if they knew anything about this." "How'd you get so many guns?" "Along with my military expertise, I have developed quite a flair for raising money." "This was all bought with cash donated by supporters of our cause." "Like Drummond?" "Exactly." "Men whose ambition exceeds their intelligence." "I still need another shipment, so I have arranged for this with a profiteer down in South Carolina." "He gets his guns from a man in Barbados." "I will be leaving for Charleston tomorrow." "How long will you be gone?" "You won't have too long to pine for me." "We have to move against Mr. Davis in two weeks or so otherwise it'll be too late." "I just want to make sure that we kill Mr. Davis and every one of his loyal followers." "Including my brother?" "Especially your brother." "I haven't forgotten the injuries to which I owe Mr. Main." " We're gonna have a little time for us." " Not here." "Yeah, here." "Right now." "Line never ends, does it, Miss Madeline?" "There seems to be three times the amount of people we started with." "How you gonna keep this up?" "You can't feed everybody in the whole South." " I'll do what I can for as long as I can." "Food costing the way it does, I don't see how we gonna keep this up." "Excuse me, ma'am." "Look, I know that you must nearly be out of cash by now." "You've been feeding these people for months." "You've also got a little baby to think of." "Now, I have a little money and some good connections in town." "I could help you get food and medicines, maybe some men to drive you." "In exchange for what?" "Well, that's entirely up to you." "Well, I appreciate your help, Mr. Beaudeen." "I really do." "But that's as far as it goes." "If you can find food or medicine, please bring it to the camp." "Yes, ma'am." "Why don't you eat now, darling?" "I must confess, I never expected to find a buyer for your house so soon." "They certainly offered a fair price." "Under the circumstances, more than generous." "However, there was one term the buyer insists upon that I couldn't accept without your consent." " My consent?" " Well, he insists the sale be anonymous." " Well, is there anything wrong with that?" " No, not at all." "Then sell it." "I need the money." "Then you may consider the sale closed, my dear." "The war has certainly taken its toll." "The supplies we received only yesterday have almost gone." "Goodbye." "Beaudeen, the..." "Good Lord, man, I told you to stay away from here today." "I've been avoiding danger too long to be caught by an unsuspecting woman." " Did she accept?" " Of course." "She's all obsessed with this refugee work of hers." "Now she'll have means to continue it." "Until it ruins her, I'm afraid." "A woman like her can never be ruined." "And in the end, I'll see to it she gets her house back." "I really don't want the damn thing." "Well, why didn't you just give her the money?" "Because she'd never take it." "Even though it does come out of the pockets of some of Charleston's most respected families." "Well, now, wait a minute." "You..." "Surely not stolen?" "Oh, no." "It's earned quite honestly right down at the Stars and Bars Inn." "If she knew the money came from gambling..." "But she never will." "You'll have the money tomorrow." "So congratulate yourself, Mr. Colbert." "It's not every day that a lawyer helps a scoundrel help a lady." "I realize, Mr. Bent, that you and your mercenaries need these guns but that price I quoted last month was before the misfortunes of our Confederacy caused the further downward plunge in the value of paper money." " You cannot just double the price." " A deal, sir, is a deal!" " I suggest you keep your voice down, sir." "Some patriotic fools are so upset about the Yankee occupation that they might be inclined to stretch our necks if they knew what nefarious business we were about to conclude." "Now, you're just gonna have to accept my offer as is because that's all I brought." "You're fortunate, Mr. Bent, that my contact in the Barbados is willing to accept 10 percent in gold." "I would suggest that you close this deal before the price of a loaf of bread goes to $ 100 and rifles to 1000 each." "I would say you have 24 hours before the price goes up again." "How am I supposed to raise that kind of cash here with all the Yankees snooping around?" "A clever man such as yourself should be able to think of something." "You have a way with the ladies." "Why don't you charm our local heiress, Mrs. Picard?" " Heiress?" " Someone must have left her a fortune." "She's been feeding every white trash, refugee and ex-slave for miles around." "They call her "The Angel Lady."" "Well, then perhaps this angel might be persuaded to be generous to my cause as well." "I have heard she's desperate for food for her camp." "Where might I find this paragon of generosity?" "Apparently, she lives in a seedy boarding house near here something consistent with her eccentricities." "There's barely a handful of cornmeal left for each child, and no milk at all." "You've done everything you can, Madeline." "You can't create food if there isn't any." "I have money left from the sale, but there's nothing to buy." "I've tried." "Since Sherman is already marching north, trying to trap Johnston and Lee between himself and Grant, it should all be over very soon now." "Will it, Rafe?" "Or will things just be worse when the war is over?" "I don't know." "I just know that I can't stand to see you like this." " Madeline, I love you." " Rafe." "I've never said that to anyone before in my life, but it's true." " Please, don't." " Why?" "I know you at least care for me." "I do." "But I can't let it be anything more than that." "You can't or you won't?" "You almost guessed the truth once before." "I'm not a widow." "My husband is still living." "Do you still love him?" "Oh, please, don't ask me any more questions." "Just believe me, I can never be what you want." "We should be together." "You feel the same." "No!" "A part of me would always belong to him." "You'd come to hate me for it." " Madeline, I..." " I'd only end up hurting you." "I couldn't live with myself if I did." "I'm sorry, Rafe." "Please take me home." "Well, Mr. Beaudeen, how nice to see you again." " Miss Shoup." " Mrs. Picard, another gentleman called while you were away." "He left his card." "Said he'd be at the Mills house." "Do you know the man?" "What?" "No." "Someone I once knew did." "He seemed like a real gentleman." "He said he could call whenever it was convenient." ""The sooner the better" were his exact words." " Lf you'd like for me to send a...?" " I appreciate your interest but I'll take care of it." "Thank you again, Mrs. Shoup." "Would you like me to find out what this gentleman wants?" "No, that won't be necessary." "Thank you for escorting me home." "And for your kindness." "Good day, sir." "It will be a good day, ma'am, when you change your mind about us." "I won't give up." "Miss Sinclair?" "Well, that was my stage name." "It's Mrs. Wescott now." "I need to speak to you." "It's very important." "Come in." "I saw you play Cordelia in King Lear." "I was 17, but I've never forgotten it." "You couldn't have been more than 17 yourself." "I wasn't." "I'm surprised that you remembered me." "Thank you." "It's been a very long time since anyone's mentioned my acting." "I gave it up years ago when I married." "Is that your husband?" "Yes." "Robert was killed at Gettysburg." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "What was it you want to talk to me about, Mrs. Picard?" "I would like to hire you as an actress." "Who'd want to mount a theatrical production now with Charleston occupied?" " Well, it's not a play, exactly." "Your services would only be required for one evening and I will pay you what I can afford." "Do you want me to break the law in some way?" "Oh, no." "No." "I need to find out why someone wants to see me." "But I must warn you there is a risk involved." "I will provide you with all the protection I can." "But if you're the actress I believe you are you won't need it." "You intrigue me, Mrs. Picard." "And I haven't been intrigued by anything since my husband died." "What part do you want me to play?" "Me." "Wait here." " You're to wait in here, sir." " Thank you." " Mr. Bent?" " Mrs. Picard." " Please, sit down." " Thank you." "I've always been fascinated by women who wear veils especially when the face behind the veil is as beautiful as yours is." "You flatter me, sir." "A woman in my position needs to be careful about revealing herself." "Great wealth must be handled with great care." "I understand that you need more food for your refugees." " That is correct." " I think I can help you in that regard." "But that is just one of the reasons I wanted to meet you." "A woman such as yourself, doing so much to help the poor of Charleston is demonstrating a rare kind of patriotism." " Thank you for the compliment, but..." " You could help even more." "A very small part of your fortune could ensure the well-being and safety of every refugee in the South." "How is that, Mr. Bent?" "Help me put the government into the hands of one who can win the war." "Go on." "If the South is destroyed, all your efforts to help the poor would be crushed as well." "Now, a woman of your obvious intelligence must see that the disastrous policies of Jefferson Davis have put the Confederacy in the perilous position it is in today." "The Yankees in Charleston and the Yankees at the gates of Richmond." "It is tragic." "Lf, on the other hand, we were led by a man of political and military brilliance who also had an iron will we could still force the Union to its knees." "I never thought of it like that." "But of course." "You're right." "Mrs. Picard you could be a great inspiration for a great revolution that I'm more than ready to lead." "I'd like to think about what you've told me for a day or two." "It's all so overwhelming." "I have a large company of dedicated men waiting in the wings." "We are short of supplies." "Time is of the essence." "I don't think I can wait that long for an answer." "Tomorrow morning at the latest?" "I'll see that you get one." "Quickly." "Thank you." "I have the feeling we have met somewhere before." "Impossible, sir." "I'd certainly remember a man like you." "Well, then I'll call on you again tomorrow morning." "For your answer." "Appalling man." "I wasn't sure he'd actually leave." "I'm sorry you had to go through that." "I was afraid he might recognize me." "I have reason to believe he knows what I look like." "He almost seemed to recognize me." "What if he's seen me on the stage?" "It's too dangerous." "You can't see him again." "The way he talked, he intends on overthrowing President Davis." "And he wants you to finance it." "Orry was right." "Elkanah Bent has to be stopped." "I'm going to try to hire a rider to take a message to Richmond." "Your fee." "Use the money for your children." "Think of it as a benefit performance." "Thank you." "Your Robert would have been very proud of you tonight." "Why did you hire that actress?" "She was a lovely Juliet once, but I didn't believe her in the role of Mrs. Picard." "You, however, fit the role perfectly..." "Mrs. Picard!" "I'm not gonna let you go till I've seen your face." "I know why you've been trying to hide it from me." "Now, let's see what's under your veil." "Rafe!" "Firearm!" "Get some help!" "He's got a gun!" " Somebody get the man with the gun!" " Rafe!" "Get a doctor!" "Yes, ma'am!" "I do love you." "I know." "I know." "Tell me you love me." "I love you." "Come on, let's tear it down!" "Hey, boy!" "Get it out of here!" "Get over here!" "Did the bleeding stop?" "These herbs are gonna heal it." "Ezra." " Drink this." "It's gonna help." " Thank you, Miss Brett." "Sorry about what happened." "Tomorrow I start on a new wheel." "Don't you worry about that." "You need another pair of hands?" "I could use them, Semi." "Well, seems like you're gonna be all right, Ezra." "I thought he was the handsomest man that ever lived." "Still do." "This was the gown I wore when we met." "It was an April cotillion." ""May I have the pleasure of the next dance, Miss Clarissa?"" "I didn't hesitate a bit." "And before I knew it, I was in his arms." "Oh, Mama." "After we danced, he bowed to me and said I looked as young and lovely as a spring morning." "Your father wasn't always that sentimental." "But the way he said it came right from his heart." "Oh, Tilley." "What happened to all our dreams?" "You made us all feel so safe." " Oh, Brett." " Mama." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." " Where you going, Jimmy?" " Home, major." " It's over." " No, it's not!" "You're deserting!" "We're beat, Charlie." "Can't you see that?" "Grant's got us bottled up in Petersburg and he's gonna stomp us until there's more blood in the trenches than rain water." "You know Richmond can't hold out much longer." "There's no more need in dying!" "I'm sick of it!" "I can't take no more." "I've slept in the mud for four years." "I've eaten slop day after day." "I don't know if my wife and children are alive or dead." "So I'm going home, major." "You can shoot me if you want to!" "I'd rather die than keep on this way." "You've changed, Charlie." "If I was you I'd take a real hard look at myself before I started in on the rest of us." "Been so long." "How are you, Washington?" "I've been better, Captain Charles." "Where's Boz?" "A few weeks ago I was visiting neighbors who had a sick child." "While I was gone, a party of Union soldiers came by." "Boz wouldn't let them have my mare and colt, so they shot him." "I was down by the river when I heard the shot." "When I got back, they were riding away." "My boy was..." "My boy was..." "Damn it!" " Are you all right?" " It's my fault, Miss Augusta." "I startled him." "I'm fine." "I'm fine." "Sorry, sir." "Hope I didn't burn you none." " I'm sorry, Washington." " Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." "Last thing I wanted to do was hurt his feelings." "I'm not fit to be around decent people." " It's not you." "It's the war." "I don't know when I can see you again." "Don't." "Why did you come back here?" "I don't know." "Nothing makes any sense anymore." "Let me help you." "It's too late." "I appreciate what you've done, Mr. Huntoon, especially on your own." "We've had our differences, but we're both loyal to the same cause." " Oh, Orry, so good to see you again." " Mr. President." "I believe you know Mr. Huntoon." "He's brought me some extraordinary information about illegal guns." "I felt you would know best how to deal with it." "What the hell are you doing here?" "You are interfering with a meeting of crucial significance to our future." " I have to talk to you." " I do not care if you have to talk to me." "You're acting with blatant disregard to our plans." "Listen to me, EI!" "It's too dangerous." "We could lose everything." "Why don't we sell this to a profiteer and get out before it's too late." "You're starting to sound just like your husband." " It is not too late." " Everybody knows the Confederacy is dead!" "The Confederacy will flourish under my presidency after we have destroyed the enemy." "All my enemies!" " Elkanah!" " You get out of here right now." " I have every right to be here." " Don't you dare disobey me." "And don't you dare talk to me like I'm one of your lackeys!" "Now you can't leave." "I'll hide in the back." "You stay there." "Keep your mouth shut." " Had a devil of a time finding the place." " So would somebody else, I hope." "I'm sure you can understand the absolute necessity for secrecy." "Dear God." "Where did you get all this?" "I do have a number of prominent backers, sir." "You got enough weapons here for a regiment." "James..." "It's time for us to make history together." "Now, we're gonna chop the head of the snake right off and we are gonna make sure the cut is clean." "Now, in order to do that, we need more guns." "We need more ammunition." "We need your help, sir." "You'd said there'd be no violence." "Now, you listen to me." "In order to assure the absolute security of our new government we have got to kill Jefferson Davis." "You'd really do that?" "Any and every officer who refuses to pledge allegiance to me or to you will be executed starting with Brigadier General Orry Main." "You're the one that's gonna die, Bent." "Main." "You set me up, didn't you?" "I may be a fool, Bent, but I am not a killer nor a traitor!" "Someone had to stop you." "You stop me?" "You couldn't even stop your wife from sleeping with me." "Ashton!" "You fool!" "You've ruined everything!" "Ashton, you and Bent!" "You didn't have the courage to leave me!" "You had to make a fool of me!" "I've waited half my life for this, Main, ever since West Point." "Every time you meddled in my affairs!" "Every time you injured me!" "Always knew I'd have this moment, when you'd be at my mercy!" " It's over, Ashton!" "It's over!" " Damn you!" "No!" "No!" "No." "No." "EI, don't go in there!" "There's nothing you can do anymore." "My empire." "I'm gonna save my empire." "God!" "It was like Judgment Day." "Like it says in the Bible:" "All sinners shall burn in everlasting fire." "I'm a sinner too." "I'm gonna burn in hell with you, Elkanah." "Stop it, Ashton." "Nothing happened to you!" "But it will." "I've done terrible things." "I tried to have Billy killed and I got rid of a baby before I got married." " Madeline." " Madeline?" "What did you do to her?" "What did you do to her?" "Ashton." "Tell me." "You tell me, or I will kill you now." "I didn't hurt her, I..." "I made her go away from Mont Royal." "Made her go away?" "How?" "How?" "Elkanah he had a picture of her mother." "She was a black whore in New Orleans!" "And when I told her I told her that Mother would die if anyone found out." "Damn you, Ashton!" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "!" "I don't know." "I swear, I don't know." "Get away from me." "Get out of my sight." "Get her out of my sight!" "I don't ever want to see her again." "Get away from me!" "Forgive me, James." "It's too late, Ashton." "It's too late." "Get away from me!" "It doesn't seem to matter now." "All those weapons destroyed." "Oh, good Lord." "How we could've used those guns." "Forgive me." "I haven't been sleeping well lately." "I understand." "Sherman is exacting a terrible price from South Carolina for leading the way into Secession." "You must be worried about your family there." "Yes, there's been no communication with Charleston since the rail lines were cut, and that was weeks ago." "We have one small chance, Orry." "Lee is facing almost double his number of troops." "Johnston has an even worse situation in North Carolina." "Yes, I know." "But if Lee can slip away from Grant's army and join up with Johnston over the Carolina border both armies combined might be able to defeat Sherman." "Then it could head north and meet Grant on something like equal terms." "That'll take a lot of luck, sir." "And all the skill Lee can muster." "It's an outside chance at best, I know, but the only one we have." "Lee is set on trying it as soon as the roads are dry enough for him to move." "He's gonna need every good man that we've got left." "Yes, sir." "May you serve him as well as you've served me and this government." "Goodbye, Mr. President." "God go with you, Orry." "Come in, general." "I assume you read my final report." "It's only final when you find my wife." "Sir, you have received a dozen detailed reports." "Your wife has simply disappeared." "You have to keep trying." "You missed something." "Sir, I can't make a career out of one case." "I have other clients." "I don't give a damn about your other clients." "I just want you to find my wife." "General, I know how you feel, especially with the war and all." "I'm sorry." "I just can't give up." "Please." "I'll do what I can." "Hold up." "Can I help you, ma'am?" " I've come to see General Sherman." " I'm sorry, ma'am the general never talks to civilians unless he sends for them." " Hold it." " Ma'am, hold the carriage." "Ma'am!" "Attention." "I'm General Cates, General Sherman's chief of staff." " Something I can help you with?" " I must speak to the general personally." "That's impossible." "The general sees no one without an appointment." " His appointments are made through me." " I'd like you to make one for me, now." "General Sherman is the commanding officer of the entire army, madam." " Exactly." "That is why I must see him." " Even if you were a relative, madam..." "Cates!" "Let her pass." "I'll be damned." "Bill Sherman, ma'am." "At your service." "Madeline Main, general." "I wonder if I might have a moment of private conversation with you." "Of course." "Gentlemen, as you were." "I traveled a long way to see you, general." "You showed good spirit back there." "I had to." "I understand the city of Charleston was spared..." "because of its beauty?" "We didn't spare Charleston because of its beauty." " We needed it for military use." " What of its people, general?" "Do you find them beautiful also?" "The victims of war?" "The innocent who have suffered?" "I have come here to ask for help for those people." " What would you have me do?" " Thousands of refugees have fled to Charleston." "The poor, the weak the orphaned." "Those who've had no choice in the war." "Those who have perhaps suffered the most." "I had no choice either." "I've tried very hard to understand that, sir." "I run a camp for refugees." "Mainly mothers and their children who have nowhere else to go." "Your armies have won a victory." "Can you find it in your heart to help the conquered?" "What kind of help, madam?" "Where is this place?" "How many are there?" "It's on the outskirts of Charleston." "There are hundreds, I'm afraid, and more every day." "What we need most is food." "I'll ask Cates to take you to the quartermaster." "You shall have provisions from us for your camp." "I knew if I spoke to you..." "You are a woman of great courage." "And courage nearly always wins." "So you been sniffing around my wood, Mr. Jones?" "Cuffey." "Lord, am I glad to see you." "Yes, sir." "It's your Cuffey all right." "The nigger boy you used to cuss and beat and work half to death." "I'm boss now!" "No!" "Please, don't!" "Respect, Mr. Jones." "Respect for the boss of these woods." "When all the white owners lickety-split north and Sherman's Yankees come through here like the biggest firestorm you ever did see we're gonna be boss of this whole river." "What's left of these here plantations is gonna be mine." "Take a bite, Mr. Jones." "Or are you still too high and mighty to eat with a black donkey?" "No." " No!" " Bite it now." "Wouldn't want you complaining about my hospitality." "Heard you joined the Yankees." " How come...?" " They ain't no different." "At Hilton Head they called me "Private Cuffey."" "And still put a shovel in my hand." "When war's over, you'll have to deal with the same white men." "You gonna need somebody who knows laws and squatters' rights." "How to run a plantation." "I got me a bunch of boys." "Swamp rats know how to slit a throat better than your meanest buck." "We're the same kind now, my friend." "We need each other." "Right?" "Untie him." "Let's talk, Salem." " Here you are, sir." " Thank you, David." "Excuse me, sir." " May I help you, sir?" " I'd like to see Congressman Greene." "The congressman is busy." " Who is it, David?" " It's a gentleman to see you, sir." "Yes, sir." "I'm officer Hughes." "If I could have a few moments of your time in private." "It's important." " David." " Yes, sir." "Take your hat, sir?" "That'll be all, David." " Please." " Thank you." "I understand that you know a woman named Virgilia Hazard Grady." "Yes, as a matter of fact I do." "Some years ago I helped her secure a position with Miss Dix's Nursing Corps." "Please sit." "I was deeply distressed to hear a warrant was issued for her arrest." "Have you had any contacts with her?" "Not for some time." "Sir, it's important that we talk with Mrs. Grady." "Perhaps you could help me find her." " That's exactly what I told him." " I think that was right." "Here we are." "Hello." "Good evening, Mr. Collins." "So nice of you to join us." "Please come in." "Thank you." " Good evening." " A pleasure to see you." "We haven't met." "Congressman Sam Greene." "I believe you know the junior senator." " My dear." " Please excuse me." "I haven't had a chance to speak to Sam all evening." "The fair sex." "A man can never leave them alone for too long." "Would you excuse us, please." "Yes?" "Sam, the police are everywhere." "They're asking questions about a woman with my description." " What if my landlady...?" " Your landlady won't say anything." "I paid her very good money for this house and for her silence." "But you said you'd take care of Mrs. Neal." "And you'd get the murder charge dropped." "That was months ago." " I'm doing all that can be done." " I'm not complaining, Sam." "I just thought that a man as important as you would be able to do it sooner." "After all, I am innocent." "I had nothing to do with that man dying." "I told you." "These things take time." "Sam." "Do you want to go into the study?" "I thought about this all day about being alone with you." "Tell me more, Virgilia." "What else have you thought about all day?" "About what a wonderful lover you are." "Am I...?" "Am I as good as Grady?" "There's no one like you, Sam." "No one." "Company halt!" "Corporal, take your men around back to the outbuilding." "Sergeant, post the torches." "First squad, forward." " What do you want here?" " Major Fisk, ma'am." "Kilpatrick's Cavalry Corps." "I wish we could spare your house, but we can't." "Have everybody clear out, please." "Please, sir." "My husband is an officer in your army." "This is his house too." "You can't burn it." "This war is hard on everybody, ma'am." "L..." "There are only women here." "We didn't start this war." "We're just trying to survive it." "That's all any of us are trying to do, ma'am." "I'm sorry, but all of this has got to go." " We're not leaving." " You heard my daughter, major." " Mother!" " We're not leaving." "Sergeant carry them off the veranda." "You'll have to burn this house down around me." "No!" "Sergeant, I think this house is close enough to Charleston that it would make an excellent headquarters for our senior staff." "Move the men out." "Good night, ladies." "Both sides read the same Bible and pray to the same God." "And each invokes his aid against the other." "The prayers of both cannot be answered." "The Almighty has his own purposes." "Seventeen states have ratified the amendment abolishing slavery." "Yesterday I heard that the Confederate Congress in Richmond voted entire regiments of slaves into their army." "Well, the issue is all but finished now." "We began this war to end it, and now we cannot seem to end the war." "Honor detail, color guard, present arms." "Shoulder arms." "Left wing, march." " For the general's staff, sir." " Thank you, lieutenant." "Sheridan's cleaned out the last pockets of resistance in the Shenandoah Valley." "He's got 12,000 cavalry here, near Dinwiddie Court House." "If he can make it to this junction, Five Forks, he'll be well beyond Lee's lines." "He'll need help." "I promised Sheridan an infantry corps." "More if he needs." "Mr. President, I want Phil to take and hold Five Forks." "He'll cut Lee's only railway south." "I can get my troops between Lee and Johnston." "If we can break through Lee's line here at Petersburg we can force the city's evacuation." " And then Richmond." " The Confederacy would capitulate." "I believe we must give some thought to what happens then." " You mean our terms for peace?" " Yes." "We can't dictate harsh terms." "Both sides share the blame for this war, as both have shared its terrible cost." "Now both must share in the victory." "You mean, let them off easy?" "Yes, that's the way we put it when I was a boy." "Sir, are you saying we should just dismiss the Confederate armies?" "I'd like to see all these men back to work on their farms and in their shops." "I want civil governments re-established in the Secessionist states quickly." "Will you deal with the state governments as they exist?" "If we have to, yes." "Until Congress can organize elections or establish some other permanent arrangement." "I'm afraid you won't be very popular in some quarters, Mr. President." "I've never been very popular in some quarters, Sam." "Some people want the South to bleed for what's it's done, sir." "The South has bled enough, general." "So have we." "Billy, they'll fire the signal to advance from Fort Fisher." " How will we hear it in all this?" " Damned if I know." "Company, fall in!" "Move, move." "Let's go." "What are your orders, general?" "Sir?" "General, what are your orders?" "The troops are ready." "It's time, sir." "George!" "Fire!" "Sound the advance." "Shoulder arms!" "Right face!" "Forward march!" "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." "Battalion shoulder arms!" "Forward march!" "Close the lines!" "Forward march!" "Fire!" "Company, charge!" " Charge!" " Charge!" "Here they come!" "Return fire!" "Tom?" "Tom!" "Tom!" "Stretcher-bearer!" "Stretcher-bearer!" "Stretcher-bearer!" "Come on, men, over the hill!" "Orry, they've got the guns!" "Get to Wilcox." "We've got to get out!" "Get your men out of here!" "Doctor said you're gonna make it, Tom." "It's gonna take longer than you might have figured." "I'm gonna stay with you a couple of days." "Then I'll come back for you when you can travel." "I know Brett's looking forward to meeting you." "So you hurry up and get well." "You just remember you're my friend and I love you." "I knew you'd be concerned about your brother." " Field sergeant says he'll be all right." " Thank you." "I couldn't find anything in the casualty reports about General Main." "A few of their officers were killed, among them a Lee favorite, A.P. Hill." "But not all the Confederate dead and wounded have been identified." "I appreciate anything you can do to help." " George, I want you in on this." " Yes, sir." "Gentlemen, I realize our army's exhausted but Lee's men must be even more so." "We cannot let them escape to North Carolina." "If he and Johnston get their men to the hill, they can go on fighting for years." "That would finally destroy our nation." "Sir, you give me Generals Hazard, Ord and Griffin we'll ride without food or sleep to put an end to it." "Phil, I don't want a series of bloody attacks on his rear." "Don't just chase him get on his flank so he can't turn south, then head him off." "If we get in his front, we'll bag the entire army." "When Mr. Lincoln heard about our recent victories he asked if his four-year nightmare was finally over." "Let's make sure it ends at Lynchburg." "Keep it straight!" "Keep it straight!" "Keep those lines straight!" "Hold your fire." " No truce flag!" " We don't want no truce flag!" "No!" "No!" "Dear God, it's over." "It's really over." "I believe neither of us wanted  or expected such a terrible conflict." "Both sides read the same Bible  pray to the same God  and each has invoked his aid against the other." "But the Almighty has his own purposes." "And if he now wills the removal of a great wrong that is slavery  and wills also that we of the North as you of the South should pay fairly  for our complicity in that wrong  impartial history will find therein  new cause to attest and revere  the justice and goodness of God." "There he is!" "There's Grant!" "Sergeant Tucker, bring those horses around." "Mother!" "Mother!" "It's true!" "They stopped fighting!" "The war's over!" "Can you believe it?" "Orry will be home." "And Billy too." "You must believe that, dear." "I do, Mama." "I have to." "Augusta!" "Washington!" "Augusta!" "Hey, fella." "Augusta!" "Augusta!" "Washington!" "Hello?" "Washington?" "Where's Augusta?" "The house wouldn't be like this if she were here." "That's right, sir." "If Miss Augusta see it this way, she'd be in a state." "She left, didn't she?" "Just like I asked her to." "She went to see her people in Charleston." "No, sir." "She ain't in Charleston." "Miss Augusta's dead." "She died when the baby come." "The baby?" "I made it myself when Boz was born." "Miss Augusta's baby come early." "Not supposed to get born for another month." "There ain't no more doctors around here so I fetched Mama Sarah, the midwife." "She couldn't save Miss Augusta." "I buried her like she wanted to." "What about the baby?" "Miss Augusta's uncle and his missus knew about the baby." "And after she was gone he come up from Charleston and took the boy away." "That boy he's my son." " Yes, sir." "Why didn't she tell me, Washington?" "She had to have known the last time I was here." "She didn't want to worry you none." "Didn't want to worry me." "Oh, my God." "She wanted me to tell you, sir." "She knew you loved her and she loved you very much." "Can I help you, major?" "I'm Charles Main." "I somehow knew you'd find your way here." "I know this must be very difficult for you, Mrs. Barclay but I've come to take my son home." "He has your strength." "Take care of him, sir." "He's a fine boy." "I'll never let him forget his mother." "Or you." "Thank you for all you've done." "Brett." "Thank God cousin Charles came home." "It's really lifted Mama's spirits." "It's Billy!" "It's Billy!" "Mama!" "It's Billy, Mama!" "It's Billy!" "Billy!" "Billy!" "Ezra?" " What are you doing?" " Fixing to leave." "War over." "I free." "There ain't nothing left here for me now." "It's time I find that new life." "Not without me." "The day Orry was born your father gave me this letter." "I kept it in my Bible all these years." "In it, he tried to say what he had a hard time saying." "That he loved me and his new son and would love and cherish all our children." "Then he talked about this land and what it meant to him." "There's just this one little part I want to read to you." ""Mont Royal isn't just bricks, and mortar, and polished wood." "The people who live here give it its real character." "I've made mistakes in my life done things I'm sorry for but I've tried to live by a tradition of family unity, service to others honor and fair dealing." "And it is my prayer that our children and their children and generations to come will carry on that tradition."" "There are two others here who've become so much a part of Mont Royal." "And they've decided to join their lives just as Tilley and I did so many years ago." "Ezra, Semiramis we all want you to have that corner section by the river to start a new life together." "I still haven't seen anything in the papers." "When will you get the murder charges dropped?" "I am sick of you harping on that, Virgilia." "Like I'm sick of servicing you?" "Oh, my God!" "I didn't mean that, Sam." "I didn't." "Believe me, Sam, you're the only friend I've got." "Please forgive me, Sam." "Please?" "I forgive you." "Will I see you tomorrow, Sam?" "Are you asking when I'll be back with money?" "You know I'm not asking that." "I enjoy being with you, Sam." "Virgilia, the fact is I won't be back tomorrow or any other day." "You can't mean that." "The party feels I will be the most effective candidate for the Senate." "That means that knowing you is something of a risk." "Someday somebody's gonna find out about us." "But you care about me, Sam." "I mean something to you, don't I?" "Do you really think I'd risk being ruined politically?" "No." "My dear, you were a challenge." "Like many of life's challenges, once it's met, one moves on." "Sam, is this because of what I said earlier?" "No." "I made up my mind long before tonight." "I let you use me like one of your whores!" "There's no need to be crude, Virgilia." "There is a brighter side." "Yes, I'll be free, but, then again, so will you." "What do you mean?" "You need no longer worry about the murder indictment against you." "A policeman told me, some time ago that a witness had come forward, a stretcher-bearer." "And he absolved you from responsibility for that officer's death." "So the only thing you have to worry about is the assault charge against you by Mrs. Neal." "That should be a minor inconvenience at best." "You knew all this and you just let me go on believing my life was in danger?" "Just collecting on past favors, my dear." "You don't have to worry about moving immediately." "The rent's paid till the end of the month." "Excuse me." "Virgilia take care." " Goodbye, my dear." " Goodbye?" "No, not like this, Sam." "You're not leaving." "Virgilia, you're upset." "And you don't know what you're doing." "I know exactly what I'm doing." "Poor, poor Sam." "I did everything I can, Virgilia." "I'm sorry, there's no chance for a reprieve." "It's just as well." "I told them I wanted it over with as quickly as possible." "Do you believe in fate, George?" "If Grady lived, tomorrow would be our anniversary." "And it's the day I hang." "It's ironic, don't you think?" "I know Mother really wanted to see you." "No, I'm glad you agreed with me." "I think that it would've been too much for her." "I can't believe I lost everything." "I lost my pride, George." "I sold it." "This is my wedding ring." "I was thinking that maybe you could give it to Hope someday." "You could tell her it's from her crazy aunt." "She'll be proud to wear it." "When we were little I remember a boy who made fun of an answer you gave in class." "And without mussing a hair, you knocked him down on the playground and made him admit that you were right." "I admired you then." "For having the courage of your convictions." "And I still do." "I wish we could always have been close." "I love you." "Mother will need us now more than ever." "I know." "Thank you for coming." "I'm sure you've been a comfort to my mother." "And she is much comfort to me." "Your mother is a very strong woman, General Hazard." "I'm sure she's just going to be fine." "Thank you." " I'll see you out." " Thank you." "Good day to you." "She's at peace now." "No matter what she did, I loved her." "I always loved her." "I know, Mother." "So did I." "I'm so sorry for all that you've had to go through, Mother." "What's important is that I have the two of you." "And that one day we will be a family again." "Was it all a terrible waste a needless violence that tore our country apart?" "It was a price that had to be paid." "I'm afraid it'll be harder to silence the hatred and blame than it was to win the war." "The South has lost so much." "So many lives to rebuild." "The Mains will need us very much." "I pray that Orry is alive." "He's the best friend I've ever had, Constance." "I've got to find out what happened to him." "Or the war will never be over for me." "Sorry to have kept you waiting." "I know how busy you are." "I realize the location of a particular body is not a priority for you." "We were flooded with dead and wounded after Petersburg." "Some of them were never identified." "Surely somebody noted General Main's rank or description." "I understand he was your best friend." "We were together at West Point." " You've been looking through records." " I've been through effects of the dead but I find no identification of his body nor record of his burial." " He may have been taken to a field hospital and died there." "Or the records might've been misplaced." "How can I find out?" "All I can do is authorize you to visit the hospitals and be given their cooperation." "I would very much appreciate that." " I'll tell my aide to draft a letter." " Thank you." " Know anything of a General Main?" " No." "Good luck to you." "At ease." "Know anything of a Confederate General Main?" "The last time we spoke, I told you to take care of yourself." "You obviously weren't listening to me." "Nobody was listening in those days." "I was worried about you." "I didn't know if you'd made it." "You either." "Charles?" "Heard he's fine." "I don't remember anything." "They said I was unconscious for days." "What about Billy?" "Oh, he's probably halfway to Mont Royal by now." "Help me get out of here, George." "This rank ought to be good for something." "I've gotta find Madeline." "I'll bet she's home waiting for you." "You don't understand." " I haven't seen her in almost two years." " What?" "She just disappeared." "I've hired detectives." "I've been able to find out that she sold her father's house through some Charleston lawyer." " I'm sorry, Orry, I..." "Sergeant, what's all the commotion?" "We've just received word." "President Lincoln's been shot." "He's not expected to live." "God help us." "Oh, please God." "George." "I could really use your help right now." "One, one, one, two, one." "Sir, I know that my wife sold her house through you." "You have to know where she is." "I'd like to help you, but I've never in my entire life violated my word to anyone." "Madeline and I love each other, Mr. Colbert." "Hasn't this war caused enough pain?" "Please, sir." "I could tell how much your wife cared for you and that troubled me all the time I was holding my silence." "There has been enough pain." "Then you can tell me where she is?" "I can no longer keep two people apart who should be together." "Thank you, sir." "You look so like your father sometimes." "You do." "You really are here." "I was afraid you wouldn't be." "You must hate me for leaving you the way I did." "I know why." "Ashton told me." "Then you know why I had to leave." " She said terrible things would happen." " Maybe that was true once but you don't have to be afraid anymore." "No one will ever hurt us again." "You mean you'd take me back?" "You'd still want me?" "I never wanted you to go." "I love you and I always will." "I love you too." "Please believe me." "I love you too." "I do." "But I have to tell you." "There's another man in my life now." "Orry Nicholas Main." "Your son." "I love you." "Ezra, that's a big section of land you got there." "I reckon you're gonna need a family to help you work it." "We've been thinking about that." "Well, you gotta do more than thinking." "Now." "Burn it." "I'll get the guns." "You stay here." "I'm gonna get Billy's shotgun." " I'll cover the front." " I'll take the other side." "No." "Cuffey!" "Semiramis, get the hell out." "The fire's out of control." "Mont Royal." "Stay here with Madeline and the baby." "George." "I gotta go for help." "If I can make it across the river to the Harpers' I can get some men and attack them from the back." " No, Ezra." " I got to." "They're gonna overrun us." "Take this rifle." "You protect yourself." "Ezra." "Ezra!" "Come on get up, get up." "No!" "No." "Billy!" "Mama?" "Mama?" " Where are the others?" " Billy and Brett are out back." "Mama?" "I'll get her." "I'll get you out of here, Mama." "Hold on." "Hold on." "Let's get out of here." "Hold on, Mama." "Please, Mama." "Hold on, Mama." "Mama?" "We can't save it, Mama." "We can't save it, Mama." "Mama?" "Mama?" "Mama?" "Madeline had a baby, Mama." "You're a grandmother, Ma." "Mama." "Oh, please don't die." "No!" "And he said unto her:" ""I am the resurrection and the life." "He that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live." "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."" "My mother lived to see her way of life disappear from the face of this earth." "Yet she blamed no one and she hated no one for it." "Clarissa Main was a loving and compassionate woman." "I think she would have agreed with Mr. Lincoln." ""With malice toward none and charity for all, let us strive to bind up the nation's wounds." "To care for him who has borne the battle, and for his widow and orphan." "To do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and all nations."" "I'm glad my father didn't live to see this." "I got married here, George." "It was the happiest day of my life." "We can't fool ourselves by thinking it'll be easy to rebuild this country." "It won't be." "We've all suffered too much." "But in a way, our families have been blessed." "And our friendship's endured." "Maybe it's up to us, in our own way to start healing the wounds of this nation." "I..." "I want to reinvest in our textile mill." "I want you to use the profits to rebuild Mont Royal." "You're the best friend a man could ever have, George." "We're family, Orry." "You remember that."