Jeff Daniels' performance in this movie is his masterwork. His portrayal of this authentic American hero is flawless. If you're not familiar with the action portrayed in these scenes, get a good history of the battle and read up on it, you won't be sorry. The Southern troops' galantry in attacking this position (and attacking and attacking ...) may be equaled in history but never excelled. Have no doubt, those boys were veterans and knew what they were up against.
I was in Gettysburg around a month ago and as I was walking towards the 20th Maine memorial a man mentioned to me that if you walked down a small trail off the right of the memorial (if you were facing it) about 100 yds you'd find the small wall erected by B Co of the 20th Maine who were out guarding their extreme flank, there is a small memorial there mentioning their holding of that position, it's a curious spot that 99% of Gettysburg tourists will never see or know about, but now YOU do!
I will never forget standing behind those little rock walls, and hearing the story of Chamberlain and the troops from Maine. They saved the entire army, and with it, the United States.
Col Chamberlain took a Sabbatical from Bowdoin College because the Board wouldn't allow him to take leave to enlist. He eventually rose to the rank of Major General in the Union army and was present at Appomattox Court house. When Gen Lee arrived to formally surrender, Gen. Chamberlain ordered his troops to come to attention in honor of Gen. Lee, a very noble gesture.
I believe Grant gave Chamberlain the honor of receiving the confederate arms that they had to surrender at Appomattox. One thing you learn from so much reading of the Civil War and other wars is that the people who fight hope there will never be any other wars. Sadly mankind never learns from history to come up with a different way to resolve conflict.
Hold to the last! Last show Last man standing, last Bullets, Last breath! We are the last of the Union we are the flanks! Colonel Joshua Chamberlain k!
Chamberlain had both of his brothers with him that afternoon. Tom was serving as his brother's aid de camp and another brother, John rode with the men as a representative of the sanitary commission.
Chamberlain was but a mild mannered teacher but changed the course of the civil war in this battle of the hill! American Civil war is absolutely fascinating and thought provoking..how sons of the same soil wanted their own visions triumph.. Land of the free Home of the Brave alright!.
My distant relative, 1st Lt Charles E Hazlett is briefly mentioned around this scene. He was killed at Devil's Den I believe. I am British but if I ever go to the States again, I would like to trace his grave in Zanesville, Ohio. I visited Gettysburg back in 1999
The thing i love about most civil war movies such as that they don't glorify just one side it show both sides because the civil war has two stories not one.
Strong Vincent was another one of those lesser known heroes of the battle whose decision-making at crucial times helped save the Union position. When Warren sent a courrier looking for Gen. Sykes (V Corp head) to ask him for assistance, Vincent intercepted the man. "What are your orders?" He asked. Then he took it upon his own authority to send his brigade up the hill...saving precious time otherwise lost in following proper chain of command. Too bad he was killed on that same hill that day.
the colonel at the begining who directs Chamberlain is Col.Strong Vincent who is every bit the hero of the day as Chamberlain was, he died inspiring the troops that would hold the 20th Main's right flank.
I always feel bad for poor Tom when he's sent to the back to "watch for stragglers" it's almost as if that look is saying "but Lawrence, I wanna say with you!" Also, it always amazes me how Jeff Daniels can go so long without even blinking as Col. Vincent is reiterating they're the end of the line. lol.
I remember visiting Little Round Top. When I saw how steep, rocky and uneven the ground was, I immediately felt sorry for anyone trying to charge up it when getting shot at.
I scaled it once. Let me tell you that hill is no joke! Now imagine heavy woolen uniforms, musket and cannon fire, all coming for you. It's a bloody miracle anyone made it even part way up.
Big credits to Maj General Sickles for recognizing the importance of Little Round Top and how it needed to be defended. Without this, There would be no Colonel vincent and Chamberlain Big Kudos to all these brave men!
Sickles was useless as an officer. He was in Devil's den and both Gouvner Warren and Strong Vincent wondered what he was doing there in the open with the advancing enemy so close. Warren remarked to Vincent, "I don't know, but he's going to find out in about five minutes."
What a same that Col. Strong Vincent was killed shortly after he gave Chamberlain his famous order. Strong Vincent from Erie County, PA. They have a High School named after him.
@@lewdecker1442define Woke. We'll wait. In the meantime no patriotic Americans going to remove the name of a Union hero. BTW Trump is going to prison 🇺🇲
"Hey fellas? Notice how that reb artillery always overshoots?" -shot lands right in front of them- Once again I am provided ample evidence that I don't have what it takes to be any kind of soldier in any time, ancient, victorian, recent, or modern. If that kind of shit was coming down so close to me I'd want to just run and never look back, even with everything on the line. Always mad respect.
Chamberlain was but a mild mannered teacher but changed the course of the civil war in this battle of the hill! American Civil war is absolutely fascinating and thought provoking..how sons of the same soil wanted their own visions of a free country to triumph.. Land of the free Home of the Brave alright!.
There's never been enough written about the bravery and courage of j c when you stand on the boulders at little round top you can almost hear him shout bayonets charge
2:50, my favorite part in the enitre movie, I love it when Sam's men overrun the union line, i cant believe that the union was positioned in front of that wall instead of behind it.
I love the movie and have studied the battle ghettysburgh battle .,what's always amazed me is the fact of the actors who portrayed the men how similar they all looked so much like the real men ..never been there maybe one day I'll get to visit .
When asked why his attack on July 3 failed, George Pickett had this to say: "I think the Union army had something to do with it." Even AP Hill, the king of bravado flourish, admitted to Fremantle at the end of July 1 that the Yankees fought well. Davis was only a dictator to the three million enslaved people whom the government he headed kept in chains. Other than that he was a great guy.
First off, it's DONELSON! Second, approxiamately 4,000 troops escaped with then Lt. Col. Bedford. Third, the fall of Vicksburg, although significant, as it cut off the Mississippi River, was unimportant casualty wise. 32,000 troops were captured, but nearly all were paroled because the Union didn't have room for 32,000 soldiers in POW camps. These 32,000 later appeared in the Atlanta Campaign and were a pain in Sherman's buttocks.
If you wish to discuss an army on the verge of crumbling, then we can talk about the center of Lee's line at Antietam. It was broken by the spirited union assaults (especially those led by Richardson). It was so desperate that DH Hill led a small counter charge with rifle n hand, Longstreet minded his staff's horses so they could serve an artillery piece whose gunners were dead. EP Alexander wrote: "Lee's army was ruined and the end of the Confederacy was in sight." They were saved by McClellan.
That line take some fine cheese spring and dust blowing.Mr.Lincoln promised he would not disturb slavery where it already existed-and pointed out that the decision for or against war lay with th south. The south fired on union troops in a union fortification. Lincoln was bound by his oath of office to enforce the laws equally throughout the union. He called for northern volunteers to do that.The Sesesh brought down the iron rain on their heads.
Gettysburg, Franklin, Atlanta, March to the Sea, Nashville, Lookout Mountain, Siege of Petersburg, Five Forks, Sailor or Sayler's Creek, , and ultimately Appomattox. I will give you McCellean, Pope, McDowell, Burnside, Siclkes, Slocum, Howard. Offensive warfare is more costly then defensive war. It's been fun. Thanks for the debate!
In the early part of the war, the South did outfight the North. Jefferson Davis was without a doubt one of the reasons we lost the war. Jonathan Engel is correct in what he posted.The average Southern had no use for slavery it was only the large plantation owners and business men who wanted it to continue. Had the South abolished slavery Great Britain would have recognized us and there would be the U.S.A and the C.S.A. Today. God bless the South and Genl. Bobby Lee.
Not sure England would have recognized the South on any terms. "Slavery" was a convenient excuse... And I don't think England would have tried to take on the Northern blockades of Southern ports. The North was an industrial power, a power far from being totally accessed. The war should have been over in 2 years. It lasted as long as it did because of bad Union generalship in the Army of the Potomac. Everywhere else, it was winning from the beginning.
I was there last week. If you could see how steep the approach was to the right of his position. He was correct in his assessment. I don’t know how anyone could climb that hill to the right. But the left wasn’t easy but they did it.
Stonewall was interesting, but narrow minded. I remember reading somewhere that he ordered pikes for his men, and in general wasn't an ideal leader. What he could do was move fast and decisively, something the Union leaders definitely lacked. So yes, the war would have been different. At Gettysburg, his successor Early declined to attack, including once when the battle could have been carried. I don't know how many men would have died, but you can bet Stonewall would have charged then and there.
Civil War reenactor here. Meanwhile, the regiment that I reenact, the 4th US Infantry [along with the rest of Sykes' Regulars], were buying the 20th ME the 20 minutes they needed to get to the top of LRT with their lives in a muddy piece of almost-swamp at the base of the Round Tops called Plum Run. Maj. Gen. Romeyn Ayres had command of the Regulars Division [2nd of 5th Corps] at Gettysburg and he was asked if any 'old regulars' have reunions like the volunteer regiments did in the years after the War. He is quoted as saying: "I had a division of Regulars during the War. I buried half of them at Gettysburg and half of them in the Wilderness. There are not any 'old regulars' any more."
It was close to an even match on Little Round top. There were about 3,000 Union troops and about 12,000 more to the rear in reserve that would have eventually been engaged if Chamberlain didn't halt the 4,000 Confederates that were attacking. The Confederates troops were in the open and exposed to constant sharpshooter fire from the 2nd regiment Sharpshooters. They were also exhausted from crossing nearly a mile of open ground. War is a terrible thing.
John Tortorella that is related to the battleformation of that time and the fact of deadly improvement of the rifles. Tight formations+asskicking rifles= massacre. You`ll hit something by just aiming into the direction of the formation- almost no chance not to hit. in 1866 the prussians fought vs. austrian the battle of königgrätz with breech-loading rifles and making smaller unitformations. This combo led to a impressive victory- considering that prussians had lower number of soldiers. Imagine if WW1 would have been fought with line infantry.
True, but many of those wounded probably died later from gangrene, or had to live the rest of their lives with missing arms or legs. Pretty shitty way to go.
+John Tortorella Gettysburg was certainly a bloody affair but that is an 'urban legend' Total campaign 'casualties' on both sides were about 53,000 of which just over 7,000 were KIA Vietnam was 58,000 KIA, many more WIA However in proportionate terms (numbers killed per day) Gettysburg was certainly worse However as battles go, it is worth noting some 19,000 Britons died on the FIRST DAY of the Battle of the Somme in WW1
I often speculate had the Confederates committed themselves to guerrilla warfare more they could have brought the North to Terms. Sadly, they lined their men up and allowed them to get mowed down by better ammo and rifles, more men and more industrial power coming at them.
No, they didn't have to. If the south had stayed on the defensive, there would be no possible way that the Union could have won. The Confederate troops didn't take the war to the North to "make them feel it", they did it to gain the support of Great Britain and France, which never happened after the battle of Antietam and Gettysburg.
Ifyou notice, Tom doesn't have a sidearm, other than his sword, at the beginning of this clip. But during the battle, he has a revolver and a holster. Where did he get it?
i find it unlikely that they would have been firing explosive shells. Most of the time it would have been round shells that bounce and can take out tons and tons of men. I know why they didn't depict that though, kind of hard to do and there are laws against firing real artillery.
Fused concussion shells were common. They would explode overhead and throw a lot of shrapnel below. What the movie gets wrong are these random burst explosions that seem to happen just anywhere. Not likely in a wooded area.
I had a friend who was a Civil War buff from NJ and joined a local "regiment" in the state. He quit soon after. The reason: a lot of these buffoons (not you) acted as if this was a real unit with real ranks and, basically, acted is if the war was still going on. They seemed to blur the line between a hobby and reality. Many grew the long beards (which are the silliest of styles and quite filthy wore becasue shaving in the field was tough) and just seemed lost in the modern world.
that officer was in the 124th NY, in the triangular field by Devil's Den. Col Augustus van Horne Ellis, not in the Wheatfield. My family fought with the 110th PA (one died there, one lived) in the Rose Farm/Wheatfield area. While the Wheatfield is not far away, fighting in the Wheatfield is not even part of this movie.
No I did not mean that the Brits would have agreed to a mutual assistance pact. Had Britain recognized the C.S.A. as a legitimate government other countries would have followed suit. Please remember that Lincoln had a very strong Naval blockade, very little vital war materials managed to get thru. And Britain was the south's largest cotton customers. When the Brits became convinced that war was coming they started to stock pile cotton. Thank you for your polite response.
To each his own. It just seems pretty odd behavior to me. I am as much a lover of the Civil War as a subject as anyone--I even lectured on it college. But when I see these re-enactments, as much as I appreciate the sincere guy who wants to do it as an homage to those who were there, I just shake my head and know that they can never capture a real battle. A CW battlefield was a gruesome horrible and tragic arena filled with pain and suffering and the stench of death. Nothing like what you do.
'You are the end of the line. Is that understood?' Understood. 'You will notice that there is nobody to your left. You are the extreme end of the entire union army. Is that understood?' Yes sir, understood. 'Josh...Can I call you Josh? I'm not crapping your britches here Josh, from this spot to the Atlantic Ocean, we've got nobody. NOBODY, Josh. Is that understood Josh?!?' Understood yes sir. 'No pressure buddy good luck.'
The story can be presented as interesting, but let's face it: History is written by the victors. The South won almost every engagement in the Eastern theather of the war. General Longstreet is universally ignored despite being possibly the best strategist of his day. The Western part of the war is ignored by even certified historians as if Mosby and Custer never existed. And all students learn is that there were some people that tried to split off because of slavery. Which is ridiculous.
Lee won defending positions. McClellan, et al. failed in moving Lee from those positions. But each battle had high casualties, and The Army of Northern Virginia was hemorrhaging troops. It went into Union territory in 1863 knowing it had one, and only one shot to win a decisive battle. So Lee went on offense at Gettysburg, and Meade on defense. With the usual results. The same is happening now in Ukraine.
Well I AM glad you guys do what you do. Don't get me wrong. Just try to remember that only the men who were there can even begin to comprehend it. Some of your fellow actors (not you) seem to forget that, Keep it up. It is a fascinating subject. (Hard to tell I come from a military family eh. Guys who were REALLY shot in combat and still carry the wounds.)
Furthermore though the confederate did win battles,they had neither supplies nor manpower the north could produce, general grant especially took advantage of this and threw soldiers at the confederates at most if not all battles with grant in charge
What was the population in the North during the time of the Civil War? 21 million people. What was the population of the South? 9 million. More than 3.5 million of which were slaves. In addition to the North's factories and resources, do you really think that a Southern campaign in the North would have succeeded? Attrition or no attrition, either way it would end in failure. Defense and leadership were the only two advantages the South had, and both were needed in order to win the war.
See, I cannot stand when re-enactors get so into it they start talking about "our unit" and act as if whatever bond they have formed which is from a common HOBBY can in any way shape or form even be in the same universe as the bond of real soldiers forged by being in combat along side one another. I DO appreciate that you try to keep knowledge of the war alive. But be honest, you really do it because deep down you wish you were there. Well only a man who's never seen war can want to be in one.
This from an Australian, -me. Bloody Armchair Experts. (AE) Usually, the Éxpert' has little, if any military service, if so, it's short, and frequently, less than the best service by that individual.but, by Christ, they know all the facts. The best AE's march with Real Vets, the AE's wearing their AWARDED Service Medals, but frequently with added falsely awarded medals and insignia. That shits me. Unlike the USA, Australia is too lenient to those that do this. Really shits me. ,
I read an interesting piece recently about how the union did not win the war because the confederacy lost it. I don't want to get into a debate, but the South lost territory from 1862 onward. "The Union turned Washington D.C. into the most fortified city in the world, while the south couldn't get a flag together"
Furthermore the Union troops were out-numbered. West of town Heth and Pender had 4 brigades each, while three I Corps divisions only had 2 brigades each, 4:3 advantage. Rodes' and Earley's divisions to the north had 5 and 4 brigades while XI Coprs fielded three divisions of 2 brigades each out in the open. And with Von Steinwehr brigade in reserve the rebs had a 9:4 advantage. I Corps lost 5600 that day, XI Corps 3000. The rebs lost 6,300 as they outnumbers and outflanked their opponents.
To be fair...every union unit got whipped at Fredricksburg. But the 20th ME whipped two AL regiments at Little round top. Yes they had the high ground but the unit held during a crucial time in the battle.
Not at all in a few months! Manpower and supplies only majorly affected the South after Gettysburg. But if they had the men and supplies the North had, it wouldn't have been such a crushing defeat, and they would have kept beating the North until they came to terms or Europe intervened or the North surrendered.
You honestly think that the british would have landed troops on american soil, the main populace of britain was more in favor of the north anyway, remember that the brits never just gave away free munitions to the south, they traded with them on a limited basis and while a private shipyard built two warships for the south, and britain never depended on the south for cotton, grain which came from the north was more vital
First off, it's Donelson, so that proves to me right there you know little on the subject. Second, at Ft. Donelson, he captured 15,000 soldier (the rest escaped). That hardly constitutes an army. The Battle of Shiloh - The Union had no picket lines out and was utterly surprised by the Confederate's attack. The Confederacy had far more casualties than the Union.
@elvishskills not much water to shave. " When it comes to slaughter you'll do your work on water and lick the bloomin' boots that got it", Rudyard Kipling.
@zacher456 He was in the 20Maine regiment,and noo he didnt go hellp at Pickets charge. He took part in Chamberlain's bayonet charge and got himselff some confederartes.He stayed their after the battle and then folowed his regiment..So he didnt go aid the 2nd corps.
Not to belabor the point but you may be suffering from the same conceit that was Lee's own undoing in Pennsylvania (and almost Maryland the previous summer.) He confused facing poor union generals with facing inferior union troops. He seemed blinded by: a) the horrific casualties the yankees inflicted on his own men--even at Chancellorsville which was a bloodbath for him; b) his men were fighting on their own soil which often added some desperation confused for 'bravery.'
Lee knew he was losing the war. The campaign into northern territory in 1863 was his only option - to win a battle on northern soil and hope for a truce.
The South lost for many many reasons of course. I think the main one being that an agrarian nation of 6 million (whites) with very little industry/infrastaructure fought a modern war against an industrialized nation of 22 million. Plus I think the very notion of a loose confederation of semi-autonomous states was incompatible with waging a protracted war...after all, some very bright men 75 years before scrapped just such an arrangement, the Articles of Confederation, for its flaws.
Defensive war didn't work for the Confederacy which was the subject. Bruce Catton's The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword and Never Call Retreat will point out why the south lost and why the rebellion was doomed from the first cannon shot.
Bursides' troops at Fredericksburg had no more say in whether or not they could opt out of their suicidal charge than did Lee's men at Gettysburg on July 3. In both cases the order was indeed stupid, but the execution was heroism defined.
He died from heart problems in 1870. Next, what's wrong with a defensive war? It worked for the Germans in WW1 until they were overwhelmed by numbers (Americans). You can absolutely win a defensive war. Just provoke the enemy into a war, sit back defensively, let them slaughter themselves against your fortifications, counterattack, and win. And do you mean "status quo anti" or "status quo ante"?
huh? Sickles almost cost the Union the battle of Gettysburg by moving all his men forward and leaving part of the fishhook defense vulnerable. I hope we aren't talking about the same Dan Sickles. Besides, he took one to the foot after he moved his men forward..I doubt he was the one to recognize Little Round Top needed to be defended.
+RckinRoll In reality, the phrase "Gott Mit Uns" has its origin with the Prussian Army pre German Unification, It was used by the Imperial Army in WW1 before the advent of the Nazi Party. Given a free hand, I doubt if Hitler would have selected this phrase to appear on Wehrmacht uniforms.
+kasegi Yabu Anyone can claim to be a Christian, but Jesus said that you know the kind of tree it is by the fruit it produces. Hitler wasn't a Christian in Jesus' definition of one.
Failed? Well they not only had to form a completely new government, they had to fight a war while doing it. The Confederacy outfought the Union the whole war.
