Shaw
Never, question my authority in front of others
Forbes
Well I is sorry, mas'sa. You be the boss-man now and all us chill'ins must learn your ways.
Played by Cary Elwes 
Glory (1989) · 60 quotes
Glory (1989) · 60 quotes
Mr. Rawlins, this regiment was formed with the promise that only white officers would be commissioned to lead it. Nothing was mentioned, however, about noncommissioned officers. Therefore, in recognition of initiative taken not only for yourself, but on behalf of the entire regiment, you are hereby awarded the rank of Sergeant Major. Congratulations.
Scenes with Major Forbes
9 scenes Forbes
Forbes
Why do you treat the men this way, Robert?
Shaw
How should I treat them?
Forbes
...Like men?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
You're a good shot, private.
Jupiter Sharts
Thank you, sir. Squirrel hunting.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
You ever killed a man?
Jupiter Sharts
No, sir.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
But you're handy with a gun.
Jupiter Sharts
Yes, sir.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
Reload. [Sharts slowly starts to reload his rifle] Faster. [Sharts continues reloading] Faster. Faster! [Sharts finishes loading, and fumbles for a fuse cap] Discharge your weapon. Discharge your weapon. Do it! [Sharts takes aim, and fires] Now do it again, only this time, I want it done quickly! [to the other men] A good man can fire three aimed shots in a minute. Major Forbes, give me your Colt revolver.
Major Cabot Forbes
What?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
Your gun. Give it to me. [Forbes hands Shaw his pistol, and he turns back to Sharts who is still reloading his rifle] Faster. [Sharts takes aim and fires again] Reload. Quickly! Faster! [Shaw fires the pistol] Faster! Load. [fires] Faster! [fires] Do it! DO IT!! [fires] DO IT! [fires] DO IT! [fires] [Sharts fumbles with his weapon, and stares at Shaw, shaken. Shaw turns back to Major Forbes, and hands him back his pistol] Teach them...properly, Major.
Major Cabot Forbes
Why do you treat the men this way, Robert?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
How should I treat them?
Major Cabot Forbes
Like men? And what about Thomas? Why are you so hard on him?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
He's not a very good soldier. I'm getting these men ready for battle.
Major Cabot Forbes
Robert. They're already good as the 7th ever was. They march well, they're disciplined.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
No thanks to you.
Major Cabot Forbes
I beg your pardon?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
You heard me.
Major Cabot Forbes
Who do you think you are, acting the high-up colonel?! You seem to forget, I know you. And so does Thomas. [starts to walk off]
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
Forbes! If you don't believe in what we're doing here, maybe you shouldn't be part of it.
Major Cabot Forbes
Part of what? Huh?! [imitating Mulcahy] "Left, right! Left, right! Little finger along the seams of yer trousers!" [normally] Marching is probably all they'll ever get to do, Robert.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
It is my job...to get these men ready. And I will. They have risked their lives to be here, they have given up their freedom. I owe them as much as they have given. I owe them my freedom...my life if necessary. Maybe so do you, Cabot. I think you do.
[Cabot bows mockingly and walks off]
Edward Pierce
Colonel Shaw. Edward Pierce, special assignment from Harper's Weekly.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
Harper's Weekly?
Edward Pierce
Serving an entire nation. A million loyal readers want to know what happens when the men of the 54th see action.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
A million and one. Well, you'll want to see this. [gestures to Forbes]
Major Cabot Forbes
Attention, company! [the men stand at attention] Rawlins, front and center.
John Rawlins
[steps forward]
Sir!
Major Cabot Forbes
Mr. Rawlins, this regiment was formed with the promise that only white officers would be commissioned to lead it. Nothing was mentioned, however, about noncommissioned officers. Therefore, in recognition of initiative taken not only for yourself, but on behalf of the entire regiment, you are hereby awarded the rank of Sergeant Major. [hands Rawlins sword and insignia]] Congratulations. [shakes Rawlins' hand]
John Rawlins
[salutes]
Thank you, sir.
Soldiers
Hip, hip, hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
Congratulations.
John Rawlins
I ain't sure I'm wanting this, Colonel.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
I know exactly how you feel.
Trip
[to a group of Union soldiers marching up the road]
Look like we goin' the wrong way. Hey. Hey, come on now, buck up boys! Hey, buck up now, come on! Be someday they gonna let the 54th get into it, see! And all your troubles would be over. Come on now, cheer up!
10th Connecticut Corporal
[stops to face Trip]
What'd you say, boy?
Trip
Boy? Hey, let me tell you...
Thomas Searles
Shut up, Trip.
Trip
[to Searles]
Would you get up off me, snowflake? [to the 10th Connecticut Corporal] See, let me explain something to you. See, the way I figure, I figure this war would be over a whole lot sooner if you boys just turned right on around and headed back on down that way, and you let us head on up there where the real fighting is.
Union Soldier
There are men dyin' up that road.
Trip
And there wouldn't be nothing but Rebs dyin' if they'd let the 54th in it.
Union Solder
Listen-
Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
[Men of both regiments argue and begin fighting]
Hold it! As you were, Trip! As you were! [to the Connecticut soldiers] You men move on.
10th Connecticut Corporal
[scoffing as he notices Rawlins' rank]
Stripes on a ****. That's like tits on a bull!
Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
[The other Union soldiers laugh]
You're lookin' at a higher rank, Corporal. You'll obey and you'll like it.
10th Connecticut Corporal
Make me.
Trip
I'll make you!
Major Cabot Forbes
[The 10th Connecticut soldiers push forward again and the fight resumes] [arriving on his horse]
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!
Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
[The fighting immediately stops]
Attention!
Major Cabot Forbes
[pointing at the 10th Connecticut Corporal]
You! Yes, you! What's your name? I'm putting you up on charges!
Sgt. Maj. Rawlins
[The Corporal freezes in fear, unable to speak]
There ain't no cause for that, sir.
Major Cabot Forbes
What's that, Sergeant?
Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
It's just a soldiers' fight, sir.
Major Cabot Forbes
All right. You men move along. [pause] MOVE IT!
[The 54th resumes its work and the 10th Connecticut continues marching; the Corporal looks at Rawlins briefly, then rejoins his unit]
General Charles Harker
Ah, Shaw. Sit down. [Shaw remains standing] Well, Colonel, what can I do for you?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
You can give me and my regiment a transfer to combat command.
General Charles Harker
Couldn't do it, Colonel. You're much too valuable to my operations here.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
[after a long pause]
May I sit? [Harker motions for Shaw to sit.] Thank you. [to Major Forbes] Major. [Shaw and Forbes both sit down] I've written a letter to my father, asking him to press Governor Andrew and President Lincoln. But I don't have to wait for all that, do I?
General Charles Harker
[to Colonel Montgomery]
Colonel Montgomery, would you bring that ashtray over here?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
[Colonel Montgomery stops playing the harpsichord and walks over to the desk with an ashtray. General Harker lights a cigar]
But valuable to your operations here, do you say? Your foraging, your depredations? Yes, I've become quite a student of your operations in this region. Thirty-four mansions, I think it was, pillaged and burned under Colonel Montgomery's expedition of the Combahee. Four thousand bales of cotton smuggled through the lines with payment to parties unknown, except by you. False quartermaster requisitions. Major Forbes here has seen the copies.
Major Cabot Forbes
Yes, indeed. Along with confiscated valuables shipped north as personal baggage.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
Shall I go on?
General Charles Harker
Can you?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
I can report you to the War Department. Oh, yes. I can do that.
General Charles Harker
[General Harker considers the threat, weighing it against Shaw's demand] [stands]
Let you take your regiment out to fight. That's what you want, isn't it? Show what they can do.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
When?
General Charles Harker
[chuckles]
You are bright-eyed, aren't you?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
When?
General Charles Harker
Just as soon as I can write the orders.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
[After the battle of Grimball's Landing, Shaw is walking amongst the dead and wounded, and comes across Thomas Searles, who has been shot]
Thomas!
Thomas Searles
How do, Colonel?
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
Hurts, doesn't it? [Searles nods] Well, I'm extremely jealous. You'll be back in Boston before me, stting by the fire, reading Hawthorne, decent cup of coffee.
Thomas Searles
I'm not going back.
Major Cabot Forbes
Thomas, listen to me. You're shot. You have to go back.
Thomas Searles
Robert, promise me that you won't send me back. Promise me!
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
All right. All right.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
[Last lines] [last words]
Come on, Fifty-fourth! [but is shot]
Major Cabot Forbes
ROBERT!
Trip
[Shaw struggles forward, but is shot two more times and falls dead] [gets up and take the flag from the dead Shaw]
COME ON! [begins to carry the flag forward, but is shot and killed]
Major Cabot Forbes
[Trip's courageous call increases the morale of all Union troops in the battle]
CHARGE!
[All men charge uphill toward the Fort]
