I haven't known that many freedmen, but those I knew in Bangor, Portland, you look in the eye, there was a man. There was a 'divine spark', as my mother used to call it. That is all there is to it. Races are men: "What a piece of work is man. How infinite in faculties, in form and moving. How express and admirable. In action, how like an angel." ~ Joshua Chamberlain
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Colonel? Colonel, darlin'. Rise up, me bucko. [Chamberlain groans.] Oh, I'm sorry, darlin', but we've got a bit of a problem here, Colonel, would ye like to hear about it? Would ye wake up, sir? We got a whole company comin', sir. This way. I'll give ye time to wake up, but we've got quite a problem. Altogether, 120 men are comin'. We're to be havin' them as guests.
[still half asleep]
What?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Yeah. Should be here any minute.
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Mutineers. Mutineers, Colonel, me lad. 120 men from the old 2nd Maine which has been disbanded.
120 mutineers? [gestures for Kilrain to keep talking.]
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Yes, sir. Ye see, what happened was the enlistment papers on the old 2nd Maine run out. So they were sent home. All except these 120 fellows who'd foolishly signed 3-year papers. 3 years, that is. So these poor fellows, they got one more year to serve, only, you see, they thought they was signin' to fight only with the 2nd Maine and the 2nd Maine only. So, they, uh, quit. They resigned, ye see. 120 men! [Chamberlain puts his head down.] Colonel? Are ye all right?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Well, the point is, sir, these Maine fellows; they won't fight no more. And nobody can send them home and nobody knows what to do with them. Til they thought of us. Being as we are the only other Maine regiment in the Fifth Corps. So they've been assigned to us. Yes, sir. I've a message here from the new commanding general. George Meade, sir, that's right! Our very own general of our very own corps has been promoted to command of the whole army. The latest, if ye keep track of them as they go by. [pulls out message, reads] The message says, uh, they'll be arrivin' this mornin', and they're to join us, oh, and if they refuse to follow orders, please feel free to shoot 'em.
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Yes, sir.
Pvt. Buster Kilrain [nods]
Mm-hm.
[takes the note, reads]
"You are hereby authorized to shoot any man who refuses to do his duty." Buster, are these all Maine men?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Yes, sir, and fine big fellows they are, too.
[sighs]
Mutiny. I thought that was a word for the navy.
PJ Pvt. Joseph Bucklin
I don't feel too kindly, Colonel.
Yes, well, I'm not usually this informal. I just, uh, just took command of this regiment a few days ago, so somebody ought to welcome you to my, uh-- to our outfit. They, uh, they tell me that, uh, they're holding you fellas because you signed 3-year papers-- I'm sorry, would you like some coffee? [Bucklin shakes his head] You sure? Go ahead, sit down, Mister...
PJ Pvt. Joseph Bucklin
Bucklin.
PJ Pvt. Joseph Bucklin
Joseph Bucklin. Listen, Colonel, I've been in eleven different engagements. How many have you been in?
PJ Pvt. Joseph Bucklin
It ain't the papers. I done my share. We all have. Damn good men. Should not to be used this way. Lookee here. [Bucklin pulls up his pants leg to reveal a bullet wound scar] Went clean through.
Pvt. Buster Kilrain [walks up]
Colonel, we got a courier comin'. [walks off]
PJ Pvt. Joseph Bucklin
Listen, Colonel, I'm tired. You know what I mean? I'm tired. I've had all this army, and all these officers, this damn Hooker, this damn idiot Meade. All of them. The whole bloody, lousy rotten mess of sick-brained, potbellied scareheads that ain't fit to lead a johnny detail! They ain't fit to pour pee out of a boot with instructions written under the heel. I'm tired. We are good men and we had our own good flag. These damn idiots used us like we were cows or dogs or worse. We ain't gonna win this war. We can't win no-how with these lame-brain bastards from West Point. These damn gentlemen, these officers!
Tell me something, Buster. What do you think of Negroes?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Well, if you mean the race, I don't really know. This is not a thing to be ashamed of. The thing is, you cannot judge a race. Any man who judges by the group is a pea-wit. You take men one at a time.
To me, there was never any difference.
Pvt. Buster Kilrain None at all?
None at all. Of course, I haven't known that many freed men, but those I knew in Bangor, Portland, you look in the eye, there was a man. There was a "divine spark," as my mother used to call it. That is all there is to it. Races are men. "What a piece of work is man. How infinite in faculties, in form and moving. How express and admirable. In action, how like an angel."
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Well, if he's an angel, all right then. But he damn well must be a killer angel. Colonel, darling, you're a lovely man. I see a great vast difference between us, yet I admire you, lad. You're an idealist, praise be. The truth is, Colonel, there is no "divine spark." There's many a man alive no more of value than a dead dog. Believe me. When you've seen them hang each other the way I have back in the Old Country. Equality? What I'm fighting for is the right to prove I'm a better man than many of them. Where have you seen this "divine spark" in operation, Colonel? Where have you noted this magnificent equality? No two things on earth are equal or have an equal chance. Not a leaf, not a tree. There's many a man worse than me, and some better, but I don't think race or country matters a damn. What matters, Colonel, is justice. Which is why I'm here. I'll be treated as I deserve. Not as my father deserved. I'm Kilrain, and I damn all gentlemen. There is only one aristocracy, and that is right here. [taps his temple] And that's why we've got to win this war.
CE Cpt. Ellis Spear
Colonel, sir! Half our men are down. Most of the rest are wounded. The left is too thin, sir.
How are we fixed for ammunition?
CE Cpt. Ellis Spear
It’s almost gone.
UO Unnamed Officer
Sir! We’re running out. We don’t have much let to shoot with. Some of the boys got nothing at all.
CE Cpt. Ellis Spear
Sir-sir! What do we do for ammunition?
UO Unnamed Officer #2
Sir, my boys are picking up Reb muskets, firing back with them.
UO Unnamed Officer #3
Sir, we oughta pull out!
CE Cpt. Ellis Spear
We can’t hold them again, you know that.
Well, if we don’t, they go on by, and the whole flank caves in.
Pvt. Buster Kilrain Sir… here they come.
We can’t run away… If we stay here we can’t shoot, so let’s fix bayonets. [pauses as his officers stare at him] We’ll have the advantage of moving down the hill. They gotta be tired, the Rebs. They gotta to close to the end if we are, so fix bayonets. Ellis, wait Ellis, you take the left wing, I’ll take the right, I want a right wheel forward of the whole regiment.
CE Cpt. Ellis Spear
What, you mean charge?
Yes! But here’s what we do: we’re going to charge swinging down the hill. Just like we pulled back this left side of this regiment? Now we’re going to swing it down. We swing like a door. We’re going to sweep them down the hill, just as they come up. You understand? [turns to the rest of the officers] Does everybody understand?
A2 Assembled 20th Maine Officers
Yes, sir!
Okay, Ellis, you take the left wing and when I give the command, I want the whole regiment to go forward swinging down to the right.
CE Cpt. Ellis Spear
[nods with determination]
Alright, sir.
Move. [Ellis and the other officers move out] BAYONETS!!!
