May 10 - Gods and Generals

Today’s movie is a biographical war movie that has a scene that occurs on May 10. I hope you will enjoy this motion picture and watch it tonight.   

GODS AND GENERALS  

Robert E. Lee is offered command of the United States army, but refuses it. Virginia secedes and Lee is appointed commander of the state’s forces. Col. Thomas Jackson trains troops in the Shenandoah Valley and marches them to the First Battle of Manassas, where he saves the day and earns the sobriquet “Stonewall”. Lawrence Chamberlain, a college professor is appointed second-in-command of the 20^th Maine and drills them relentlessly. The Union army moves on Fredericksburg, Virginia and occupies the town.  They attack uphill into an entrenched Confederate position and suffer horrendous casualties. Lee and his officers celebrate Christmas.  On the front lines, Yankee and Confederate pickets trade coffee for tobacco. Jackson reluctantly orders three deserters shot.  Jackson stays with the Corbin family and becomes attached to the youngest daughter. Jackson is devastated when she dies of scarlet fever, crying for the first time to the amazement of his officers. Jackson’s wife and daughter pay him a visit. The Yankees cross the river to attack. Jackson leads his troop on an end around march and attacks their flank, pushing them back. That evening, moving forward to do reconnaissance, Jackson is wounded by one of his own men in a “friendly fire” incident. His arm is amputated. Pneumonia sets in and Jackson dies on May 10, 1863. [3:30:09 to 3:32:57] 

This movie has some great battle scenes, but suffers from moving too slowly. It does a good job of striving for historical accuracy. Should have just concentrated on Jackson, instead of veering off to touch on Chamberlain and Lee. 

Robert E. Lee’s Civil War by Bevin Alexander (Adams Media, Avon, MA, 1998) at page 165 gives Jackson’s death date

Producers -  Moctesuma Esparza, Robert Katz, Ted Turner, Mace Neufield and Robert

                    Rehme

Director - Ronald F. Maxwell

Screenplay - Ronald F. Maxwell

Released – February 21, 2003

Runtime – 3 hours 39 minutes

Starring –

Stephen Lang as Lieutenant General Stonewall Jackson(CSA)

Jeff Daniels as Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Chamberlain(USA)

Robert Duvall as General Robert E. Lee(CSA)

Kevin Conway as Sergeant Buster Kilrain(USA)

C. Thomas Howell as Sergeant Thomas Chamberlain(USA)

Jeremy London as Captain Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton(CSA)

Matt Letscher as Colonel Adelbert Ames(USA)

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.