Glory (1989) · 60 quotes
Most-quoted character in Glory (1989): in 20 of its 60 quotes
Most scenes with: Private Trip (3), Major Forbes (2), Rawlins (2)
We are fighting for a people whose poetry has not yet been written.
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw Good morning gentlemen, I am Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. I am your commanding officer. It is a great pleasure to see you all here today. It is my hope that the same courage, spirit, and honor, which has brought us together, will one day restore this Union. May God bless us all.
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw Dear Mother, They learn, learn quickly, faster than white troops it seems to me. They are almost grave and sedate under instruction and they restrain themselves. But the moment they are dismissed from drill every tongue is relaxed and every ivory tooth is visible and you would not know from the sound of it that this is an army camp. They must have learned this from long hours of meaningless, inhuman work to set them free so quickly. It gives them great energy. And there is no doubt we will leave this state as fine a regiment as any that as marched. As ever, your son, Robert.
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw If you men will take no pay, then none of us will.
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw There's more to fighting than rest, sir. There's character. There's strength of heart. You should have seen us in action two days ago. We were a sight to see! We'll be ready, sir. When do you want us?
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw Got some letters here, personal things. Also, if I should fall, remember what you see here.
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw Dear Mother, I hope you are keeping well and not worrying too much about me. You mustn't think that any of us are going to be killed, for they are collecting such a force here that an attack would be insane. The Massachusetts men passed through here this morning. How grand it is to meet the men from all the states, east and west, ready to fight fro their country, as the old fellows did in the Revolution. But this time, we must make it a whole country, for all who live here, so that all can speak. Before this war began, many of my regiment had never seen a negro, and now the roads are choked with the dispossessed. We fight for men and women whose poetry is not yet written, but which will presently be as enviable and as renowned as any. Last night, we heard of yet another defeat, but we are not disheartened. I am honored to be part of such a splendid company. They have made me captain, of which I am enormously proud. You would think it strange to see me giving orders to a hundred men, most of whom are older than I am. Thank you for sending my volume of Emerson. His words come home to me like truth. "A deep man," he says, "believes that the evil eye can wither, that the heart's blessing can heal, and that love can overcome all odds." My dearest love to Father. Your son, Robert.
Colonel Robert Gould 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.
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw Dear Father, I need your help. Despite my many requests, it has become clear that we are to be used only for manual labor. Morale is low. The men's humor darkened by idleness and despair. Why keep drilling if they are never to be given the opportunity to prove themselves? I have written to Governor Andrew as well as to the general staff in Washington. But I feel that only a letter directly from you to Lincoln himself can have the desired effect. I can think of no other course. I am sure you both pray, as I do, that all this has not been in vain.
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw Come on, Fifty-Fourth!
Oh, what do we have here? Bonnie Prince Charley and his toy bayonet! Stab me.
What?
Stab-me.
I said STAB, not TICKLE! Come on, you prissy little schoolgirl!
No shame, son, get up... I SAID GET UP!
**** forgot to duck, that's all!
Sergeant, deal with that man!
Sgt. Mulcahy!
Sir!
I have no doubt you are a fair man, Mulcahy. I wonder if you are treating the men a little hard.
You may speak freely.
Yes, we grew up together
Let him grow up some more.
Never, question my authority in front of others
Well I is sorry, mas'sa. You be the boss-man now and all us chill'ins must learn your ways.
Why do you treat the men this way, Robert?
How should I treat them?
...Like men?
Mr. Rawlins... this morning, I... it would be a great help to me if I could talk to you from time to time about the men. That's all.
I beg your pardon?
The men need shoes, Colonel.
Yes, I've been after the quartermaster for some time.
No, sir. Now. The boy ran off to find him some shoes, Colonel. He wants to fight. Same as the rest of us. More, even.
Morning, colonel. Change your mind about that bottle?
I want 600 pairs of shoes and 1200 pairs of socks... and anything else you've been holding out on us, you piece of rat filth!
I don't have any.
Not for **** you don't!
Not for anybody.
I see. I'll just look around to see if you haven't misplaced them!
HEY!
You son of a bitch!
Goddamn it, you can't...!
Can't I? I'm a colonel, you nasty little cuss! You think you can keep 700 Union soldiers without proper shoes because you think it's funny? Now, where would that power come from?
I ain't fightin' this war for you, sir.
I see.
I mean, what's the point? Ain't nobody gonna win. It's just gonna go on and on.
Can't go on forever.
Yeah, but ain't nobody gonna win, sir.
Somebody's gonna win.
Who? I mean, you get to go on back to Boston, big house and all that. What about us? What do we get?
Well, you won't get anything if we lose.
So what do you want to do?
Don't know, sir.
It stinks, I suppose.
Yeah, It stinks bad. And we all covered up in it too. Ain't nobody clean. Be nice to get clean, though.
How do we do that?
We ante up and kick in, sir. But I still don't want to carry your flag.
The town is clean sir. Ain't no rebs here, just some women.
Col. Montgomery You hear that! Let's clear er out!
What are you doing?
Col. Montgomery Liberating this town in the name of the Republic.
'Shaw: [points at the flag bearer] If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on?
I'll see you in the fort, Thomas.
