Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Virginians! Virginians! For your lands! For your homes! For your sweethearts! For your wives! For...Virginia! Forward...march!
Played by Richard Jordan 
Gettysburg (1993) · 75 quotes
Gettysburg (1993) · 75 quotes
Tied for 3rd most-quoted character in Gettysburg (1993): in 11 of its 75 quotes
Most scenes with: Lt. Gen. James Longstreet (3), Maj. Gen. George Pickett (2)
Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.
More lines from Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead
5 quotes Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead [reaches the fence, noticing a soldier cowering nearby]
Come on, boy, come on! What will you think of yourself tomorrow? Virginians! Virginians! [Impales his hat on his sword] We'll stay! Who will come with me?!
The day is ours, men! Turn the cannons on them! Turn the cannons!
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead The day is ours, men! Turn the cannons on them! Turn the cannons! [jumps off the stone wall and places his hand on a cannon] Man this cannon! Man this cannon!
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead [last words]
Will you tell General Hancock that General Armistead sends his regrets? Will you tell him how very sorry I am?
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead [to Col. Fremantle, on the irony of his uncle defending the original "Star Spangled Banner" at Ft. McHenry in 1814]
Colonel Fremantle, it does not begin or end with my uncle, or myself. We're all sons of Virginia here. That major out there, commanding the cannon - that's James Dearing, first in his class at West Point, before Virginia seceded. And the boy over there with the color guard - 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, to the Shenandoah 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.
Scenes with Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead
5 scenesGood Lord, George, what is that smell?
That's me. Ain't it lovely?
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead He got it off a dead Frenchman.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Well, what do you hear about Sam Hood?
May lose an arm.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Dick Garnett ain't fit. Can't hardly walk. Thing is, if there's a fight, he can't stand to stay out of it. But if you ordered him to stay out of it... Huh. Don't suppose you could do that.
Mm-mm.
Irish Tenor
[in the background]
Kathleen Mavourneen, the gray dawn is breaking. The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill. The lark from the light... [continues song through conversation]
Lt. General James Longstreet
Mm-hmm. That boy can sing. That's "Kathleen Mavourneen".
Brig. Gen Lewis Armistead [looks away, slightly husky voice]
What do you hear about Hancock?
[lighting pipe]
Ran into him today. He's out there, 'bout a mile or so. Just a mile or so. He was... tough. Very tough today.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead He's the best they got. God don't make 'em any better, and that's a fact. Well, I'd like to go over and see him as soon as I can. Last time I saw Win, we played that song, that very song. Back in California, we were all together for the last time. Before we broke up. Spring of '61. [pauses] Almira Hancock. You remember Almira, Hancock's wife? Beautiful woman. Most perfect woman I ever saw. They were a beautiful couple. Beautiful... Garnett was with me that night. A lot of fellows from the old outfit. People standin' around singin'. In the blue uniform. We were leavin', the next day. Some goin' North, some goin' South. Splittin' up. [looks up] A soldier's farewell. "Goodbye. Good luck. I'll see you in hell." [chuckles] You remember that? [sighs] Towards the end of the evening, we all sat around the piano. And Mira played that- that song there, that was the one she played. "May be for years, may be forever..." I'll never forget that. [laughs] You know how it was, Pete. [sits down, voice husky] Win was like a brother to me... Remember? [Longstreet nods] Towards the end of the evening... [shakes his head] things got a little rough. We all began to- Well, there were a lot of tears. [takes several shaky breaths] I went over to Hancock.. I-I took him by the shoulder. I said, "Win... so help me... if I ever raise my hand against you... may God strike me dead!" [pauses, quickly wipes his eyes] I ain't seen him since. He was at Malvern Hill, White Oak Swamp, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg... [sighs] One of these days... I will see him, I'm afraid. Across that small, deadly space. I thought about sittin' this one out, but I can't do that. That wouldn't be right, either. [wipes his eyes again] I guess not. [nods] Thank you, Peter. I had to talk about that.
Brig. Gen Lewis Armistead [stands, turns slightly]
Um, I'm sending Almira Hancock a small package to be opened in the event of my death. [takes package from coat, holds it towards Longstreet] You'll drop by and see her, after all this is over... Won't you, Pete? [Longstreet takes the package] Thank you.
[Director's CutĖ Pickett has a private word with Longstreet]
Well, sir, you are looking fine.
Lookin' lovely yourself, George.
General... uh, no reflection on you, sir, but, well...you know, my division, my Virginia boys, we haven't seen all that much action for a long time. I mean, well, we weren't all that engaged at Fredericksburg; we missed Chancellorsville altogether, off on some piddlin' affair. Now they took two of my brigades, Corse and Jenkins, and sent them off to guard Richmond? I mean, Richmond, of all places? And now, sir, do you know where I have been placed in the line of march? Last, sir. That's where I am. Exactly last. I'm bringin' up the damn rear, beg pardon, sir. You see, my boys are beginning to feel a trifle disgusted at this attitude towards them as fightin' men. My boys --
George...
Please.
Oh, I sure don't mean to imply you, sir. No. Hell no, sir. No, it's just, uh... well, the bureaucrats. See, I was just... I was hoping, sir, that you could talk to somebody about this arrangement of the troops.
Would you like me to move the whole army to the side so you can go first?
Sir? [chuckles] Now that you mention it...
There is no plot, George. It's just the way things fell out. I mean, hell, look at it this way. If the army has to turn around, fight its way back... well, you'll be first in line.
Yes... yes, I suppose that is true, isn't it? You understand, sir. It's just that this whole damn war might be over after one more bout, and my Virginia boys will have missed most of it.
Yeah, I know. How far back are they?
Chambersburg. A hard day's march, sir.
Mm-hmm... I know I can count on you, George, when the time comes. And it will come. It will come.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead [walks up]
Sorry to butt in, but they're calling for George over at the poker table. Your fame, sir, has preceded you.
Well... thank you, General. [shakes Longstreet's hand] Well...cheerio, fellas.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Don't forget to bring your money.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead [During Pickett's Charge, as Federal artillery and rifle fire begins to destroy the leading formations]
What are you doing?!
Brig. Gen. James Kemper
You gotta come up Lo, you gotta come up and help us! Goddamn, they're flanking us! They're flanking us, they're coming down on the right, and they're firing right into us.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Head for the trees! Head up for the center. I'll call for double quick, we'll go on double quick. Nobody waits, everybody goes!
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead [Kemper rides back to the line as Armistead addresses his Brigade]
Boys! At the double quick!
Confederate Officers
Double quick!
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead March!
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Will you help me up, please?
Sir, could you tell me what your name is? Who you are?
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead I would like to speak to General Hancock. Do you know... where... General Hancock may be found?
I'm sorry, sir. The general is down. He's been hit.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead No! Not both of us... not all of us! Please, God!
Sir, sir, we're having a surgeon come as quickly as we can.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Can you hear me, son?
Yes, sir. I can hear you.
Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead Will you tell General Hancock... that General Armistead sends his regrets? Will you tell him... how... very sorry I am?
I will tell him, sir. I will tell him.
Other characters in Gettysburg
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Jeff Daniels
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
Tom Berenger
Gen. Robert E. Lee
Martin Sheen
Maj. Gen. George Pickett
Stephen Lang
Lt. Thomas Chamberlain
C. Thomas Howell
Pvt. Buster Kilrain
Kevin Conway
Lt. Col. Arthur Fremantle
James Lancaster
Brig. Gen. John Buford
Sam Elliott
