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Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
[Chamberlain is addressing his junior officers before the Confederate assault on Little Round Top]
Gentlemen... the 83rd Pennsylvania, 44th New York, and 16th Michigan will be moving in to our right. But if you look to our left, you will see that there is no one there. It's because we're the end of the line. The Union army stops here. We are the flank. Do you understand, gentlemen? We cannot retreat. We cannot withdraw. We are going to have to be stubborn today. So, you put the boys in position, you tell them to stay down. Pile the rocks up high; get the best protection you can. I want the reserve pulled up about 20 yards. This is sloping ground, it's good ground. If you have any breakthroughs, if you have men wounded, if you have a hole in the line, you plug it with the reserve. How are we fixed for ammunition? Capt. Ellis Spear:
Sir, I think about 60 rounds per man. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
That's good. 60 rounds. I think - I... yes, that's adequate. Any questions? Young 20th Maine Officer:
Colonel... seems to me the fighting's on that side of the hill. Older 20th Maine Officer:
Yep. Seems to me that we're the back door. Everything's goin' on at the front door. [all but Chamberlain laugh] Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
Well, gentlemen, that hill is steep. It's rocky. It's bare. To come straight up it is impossible. No. The Reb army is going to swing around. It's gonna come up through that notch right over there. It'll move under the cover of trees, try to get 'round the flank. And Gentlemen... *we* are the flank. Gentlemen. [he salutes, and all the others return it] Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
God go with you
[Chamberlain is addressing his junior officers before the Confederate assault on Little Round Top]
Gentlemen... the 83rd Pennsylvania, 44th New York, and 16th Michigan will be moving in to our right. But if you look to our left, you will see that there is no one there. It's because we're the end of the line. The Union army stops here. We are the flank. Do you understand, gentlemen? We cannot retreat. We cannot withdraw. We are going to have to be stubborn today. So, you put the boys in position, you tell them to stay down. Pile the rocks up high; get the best protection you can. I want the reserve pulled up about 20 yards. This is sloping ground, it's good ground. If you have any breakthroughs, if you have men wounded, if you have a hole in the line, you plug it with the reserve. How are we fixed for ammunition? Capt. Ellis Spear:
Sir, I think about 60 rounds per man. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
That's good. 60 rounds. I think - I... yes, that's adequate. Any questions? Young 20th Maine Officer:
Colonel... seems to me the fighting's on that side of the hill. Older 20th Maine Officer:
Yep. Seems to me that we're the back door. Everything's goin' on at the front door. [all but Chamberlain laugh] Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
Well, gentlemen, that hill is steep. It's rocky. It's bare. To come straight up it is impossible. No. The Reb army is going to swing around. It's gonna come up through that notch right over there. It'll move under the cover of trees, try to get 'round the flank. And Gentlemen... *we* are the flank. Gentlemen. [he salutes, and all the others return it] Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
God go with you
Full Transcript
00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.187
The 83rd Pennsylvania 44th New York and 16th Michigan
00:00:04.044 --> 00:00:08.042
will be moving in to our right But if you look left you will see
00:00:08.125 --> 00:00:09.961
that there is no one there
00:00:10.244 --> 00:00:13.061
Beause we're the end of the line The Union army stops here
00:00:13.686 --> 00:00:14.965
We are the flank
00:00:16.118 --> 00:00:17.849
Do you understand gentlemen
00:00:17.926 --> 00:00:20.983
We cannot retreat We cannot withdraw
00:00:21.228 --> 00:00:24.179
We are going to have to be stubborn today
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Movie Summary
In 1863, the Northern and Southern forces fight at Gettysburg in the decisive battle of the American Civil War.
