Give'em hell 54th!
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw
Matthew Broderick · 20 quotes
Private Trip
Denzel Washington · 18 quotes
Colonel Robert G. Shaw
11 quotes
Major Forbes
Cary Elwes · 10 quotes
Rawlins
Morgan Freeman · 9 quotes
Searles
Andre Braugher · 8 quotes
Sergeant John Mulcahy
5 quotes
Mulcahy
John Finn · 3 quotes
Union Soldier
3 quotes
Placards
2 quotes
Most scenes together: Private Trip & Searles (6), Major Forbes & Colonel Robert G. Shaw (6), Private Trip & Rawlins (4)
Glory quotes
Page 3 of 4[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!
How do, Colonel?
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.
I'm not going back.
Thomas, listen to me. You're shot. You have to go back.
Robert, promise me that you won't send me back. Promise me!
All right. All right.
ROBERT!
[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]
[Trip's courageous call increases the morale of all Union troops in the battle]
CHARGE!
[All men charge uphill toward the Fort]
Sergeant Mulcahy
[Seasoned veteran Sergeant Major Mulcahy is attempting to teach the 54th to march in formation]
For God's sake, man! Do you not know your right from your left?
Jupiter Sharts
[stammers]
N-No, sir.
Sergeant Mulcahy
How many here do not know right from left? [several men raise their hands] Jesus, have pity. [slaps Sharts on the chest] This is your front! [slaps him on the back] This is your rear! [stomps on Sharts' right foot] This is your right! And this- [Sharts raises his left foot as Mulcahy is about to stomp on it] Now you're learning, boy-o. Company! Forward, march!
Sergeant Mulcahy
[Sergeant Major Mulcahy is leading a Company of the 54th during a bayonet drill]
Thrust! Develop! Guard! [walks past Jupiter Sharts] You're not a dancing school son, take his head off! Thrust! Develop! Guard! [walks to Thomas Searles] Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, what have here? Bonny Prince Charlie and his little toy bayonet. Your not reading your books now. Go on, go on, get over here, get over here. Now stab me.
What?
Sergeant Mulcahy
Stab. Me. [Searles half-heartedly prods with his bayonet. Mulcahey sweeps it aside disdainfully.] Stab, not tickle! Hit me! [Searles again lunges with the bayonet] Come on! You prissy little schoolgirl, you're the worst Soldier in this whole company, now hit me![Thomas lunges with his bayonet, Mulcahy deftly grabs his weapon and viciously knocks him to the ground with it.] No shame son, get up. [Searles lies on the ground crying] I said get up!
**** forgot to duck, that's all. [a few other soldiers laugh]
Sergeant Mulcahy
[walks over to Trip, whispers]
Let me tell you a wee secret, son. The only thing you're to learn to do is to keep your mouth shut. [pushes Trip back]
Sergeant Mulcahy
First rank to the rear, back to work!
[to Shaw, on the verge of tears]
Robert, Robert. I'd like to speak to you for a moment in private, if I may.
Enlisted men wishing to speak to their commanding officer, must first get permission. You understand, private?
Shaw
[Shaw approaches Rawlins after having Trip horse-whipped for deserting]
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.
Shaw
I beg your pardon?
The men need shoes, Colonel.
Shaw
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.
[The 54th has just entered the mostly deserted town of Darien]
Town's clean, sir. Ain't no Rebs here, just some women.
Colonel James M. Montgomery Well, all right. You here that, boys? Let's clear her out!
Colonel James M. Montgomery Liberating this town in the name of the Republic.
The musket, master Colonel. Never shoot it. Shoot now?
Colonel James M. Montgomery Yeah, I don't see why not. Go ahead.
Shoot the lady, boys! [shoots at figurehead on hotel]
Man
[runs out]
Don't shoot! We ain't Secesh here!
That man is a civilian!
Colonel James M. Montgomery That man is Secesh, and Secesh is all the same, son. [the soldiers fire at the man, who runs off] Look around you, look at 'em. You really think anybody's gonna put some boys into some real combat? Do you? I mean, they're little children for God's sake. Little monkey children. You just gotta learn how to control them.
[A scream is heard, Shaw and Montgomery look over to see a soldier fighting with an evil racist white woman and her suffering black slave over some silverware he is righteously trying to liberate from these oppressive slavemasters] You see what I mean? Children.
Evil Racist White Woman
[Demonstrates her impertinence and hits the soldier]
Animal! Leave her alone! [the righteous soldier grabs and starts choking her, doing the world a favor by ridding it of this evil racist hag]
Colonel James M. Montgomery Hey, boy! Take your hands off the white lady. [the soldier ignores him, Montgomery pulls out his pistol and shoots the man dead] Now that would not have been necessary if that Secesh woman hadn't started it (EXACTLY! You go die, Rayciss Whitey!). They'll never learn. You see, Secesh has got to be swept away by the hand of God, like the Jews of old. And now I'll have to burn this town.
Evil Racist White Woman
[Impotently screeching like a banshee at the fact she no longer has control over the black man]
**** soldiers! **** SOLDIERS!
Colonel James M. Montgomery Tell your men to set torches and prepare to fire the buildings.
I will not.
Colonel James M. Montgomery That is an order. You will do it, or you will be brought up on charges for disobeying your superior officer.
It is an immoral order, and by articles of war, I am not bound to obey it.
Colonel James M. Montgomery Well, you can just explain that at your court-martial. After your men are placed under my command.
[long pause, to his men]
First squad, second platoon. Fall out to set torches. Prepare to fire the town.
First squad, second platoon! Fall out!
[The soldiers proceed to set fire to the buildings]
[The 54th Massachusetts is marching through Union soldiers, preparing to attack Fort Wagner]
Give 'em Hell, 54!
All
Give 'em Hell, 54!
[The Regiment is assembled for the attack on Fort Wagner]
Ought to be quite a show, Pierce.
Edward Pierce Best seat in the house.
I was wondering if you might do something for me. [hands Pierce letters] I have some letters here. Personal things.
Edward Pierce Certainly, Colonel.
Also, if I should fall... remember what you see here.
[Trip and Searles are about to fight when Rawlins steps in]
Look, goddamn it! The whole world gotta stomp on your face?
Oh, I see, white man give you some stripes, you start hollerin' and orderin' everybody around, huh! Like you the massa hisself? ****, you ain't nothin' but the white man's dog! Shit.
[Rawlins slaps him]
And what are you? So full of hate that you have to fight everybody, because you've been whipped and chased by hounds. Well that might not be living, but it sure as hell ain't dying. And dying's been what these white boys have been doing for going on three years now, dying by the thousands! Dying for you, fool! I know 'cuz I dug the graves. And all this time I keep askin' myself, when, O Lord, when gonna be our time? Gonna come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up and kick in like men, LIKE MEN! You watch who you callin' ****. If there's any **** around here, it's YOU, just a smart-mouthed, stupid-ass, swamp-runnin' ****. And if you not careful, that's all you ever gonna be.
[addressing the 54th the night before battle]
I ain't much about no prayin', now. I ain't never had no family, and...killed off my mama. Well, I just... Y'all's the onliest family I got. I love the 54th. Ain't even much a matter what happens tomorrow, 'cause we men, ain't we? We men.
[first lines, in a letter]
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.
[Handing a journalist his letters home]
Got some letters here, personal things. Also, if I should fall, remember what you see here.
[in a letter]
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.