The moment between Longstreet and Harrison in Gettysburg is very touching

It’s a moment few people bring up in cinema but I’m on a Civil War kick and this scene sticks out.

I would also deny there are any spoilers to this movie

quote:

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It’s a moment few people bring up in cinema but I’m on a Civil War kick and this scene sticks out.

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The movie is literally stuffed with moments like that - Elliot's Buford, "I've lived a soldier's life..." speech. Sheen's Lee reiterating and raising his voice slightly, "There is no time!" to Stuart. The great Morgan Sheppard's Trimble asking for another assignment from General Lee, all but directly accusing Ewell of cowardice or incompetence. Almost every scene with Daniels' Chamberlain.

But my favorite is Lo Armistead's (Richard Jordan, RIP) conversation with Freemantle just before the charge -

"Freemantle : I'm told you're descended from an illustrious military family.

Armistead : [scoffs] Who told you that? Kemper?

Freemantle : He tells me it was your uncle who defended Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, and that he was therefore the guardian of the original "Star-Spangled Banner." I must say, I do appreciate the irony of it all.

Armistead : Colonel Freemantle... it does not begin or end with my uncle... or myself. We're all sons of Virginia here.

[he motions with his eyes; Freemantle follows his gaze]

Armistead : That major out there, commanding the cannon... that's James Dearing. First in his class at West Point, before Virgina seceded. And the boy over there with the color guard...

[he nods in the boy's direction]

Armistead : ... that's Private Robert Tyler Jones. His grandfather was President of the United States. The colonel behind me... that's Colonel William Aylett. Now, his great-grandfather was the Virginian, Patrick Henry. It was Patrick Henry who said to your King George III, "Give me liberty, or give me death." There are boys here from Norfolk... Portsmouth... small hamlets along the James River. From Charlottesville and Fredericksburg... and the Shenondoah Valley. Mostly, they're all veteran soldiers now; the cowards and shirkers are long gone. Every man here knows his duty. They would make this charge, even without an officer to lead them. They know the gravity of the situation, and the mettle of their foe. They know that this day's work will be desperate and deadly. They know, that for many of them, this will be their last charge. But not one of them needs to be told what is expected of him. They're all willing to make the supreme sacrifice... to achieve victory, here... the crowning victory... and the end of this war. We are all here, Colonel. You may tell them, when you return to your country... that all Virginia was here on this day."


As deadly as the battle was, all the men mentioned by name (Dearing, Aylett and Jones) survived the battle (all were wounded - every field grade officer in Pickett's division was wounded or killed that day, and of course Armistead himself was mortally wounded during the charge), although Dearing would die during the Appomattox campaign almost 2 years later.

IRL Harrison was a uniformed soldier.



The actor, Cooper Huckabee, also was in another Civil War mini-series called The Blue and The Gray that came out in the early 80's





Though there are many fictitious moments in Gettsyburg and some fictitious characters (Buster Kilrain was not a real person), Gettysburg remains one of the GOAT Civil War movies, no doubt about it. Action, Humor, drama and an absolutely fantastic musical score.