Looking through the unit history for the Staunton Artillery yesterday (for something pertaining to a post over at BullRunnings), I came across a quote that sounded familiar. Then I realized that it was from a Gods & Generals conversation between “General Jackson” and “Captain Smith.” Remember? It was one held at the artillery position (Ricketts’?), when Jackson finds the VMI cadet outstretched across the tongue of the Parrott rifle… it’s about 52 minutes into the movie.
“Captain Smith” asks…
General, how is it you can… keep so serene… and… so utterly insensible… with the storm of shells and bullets raining about your head?
“Jackson” responds…
Captain Smith, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death, I do not concern myself with that, but to be always ready, whenever it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and all men would be equally brave.
Well, truth be known, that was not a conversation had between Jackson and Smith, nor was it a conversation made on the battlefield… or in a similar situation… and, it was slightly tweaked (well, at least that part stated by “Captain Smith”).
It was actually something taken from one of Captain John D. Imboden’s recollections and was from an exchange had between Imboden and Jackson three days after the battle, when Imboden visited Jackson at his headquarters near Centreville. Imboden wrote,
Although it was barely sunrise, he was out under the trees bathing the hand with spring water. It was much swollen and very painful, but he bore himself stoically. His wife had arrived the night before. Of course, the battle was the only topic discussed at breakfast. I remarked, in Mrs. Jackson’s hearing, ‘General, how is it that you can keep so cool, and appear so utterly insensible to danger in such a storm of shell and bullets as rained about you when your hand was hit?’ He instantly became grave and reverential in his manner, and answered, in a low tone of earnestness: ‘Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me.’ He added, after a pause, looking me full in the face: ‘Captain, that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave.’
I felt that this last remark was intended as a rebuke for my profanity, when I had complained to him on the field of the apparent abandonment of my battery to capture, and I apologized. He heard me, and simply said, ‘Nothing can justify profanity.
There you have it. Certainly, this is an interesting quote, but clearly there was no time to include it in yet another scene to extend the length of the film. So, it appears that, since someone found the quote so great, they inserted it into a situation that was filled with greater drama… and made a bigger splash of it by tweaking the original comments ever so slightly and out of context.
Don’t ya just love Hollywood for the way it delivers history? Yes, I know, this is but one departure from “the facts” in this particular movie, but I wonder how many people actually believe that the conversation was had in the way it was depicted in the movie. I also wonder how many people would ever know or make the effort to know that it was not a conversation between Jackson and Smith, but with Imboden (a very interesting, though to most, probably a much less conspicuous character than Smith in contemporary reflection of the war).
I don’t have a copy of the book… does it appear in the book as in the movie? I’d just like to nail down the point of departure from fact.
Cenantua's Blog 
Harry Smeltzer
January 6, 2009
That movie – I use the term loosely – also included a long vignette about a Confederate soldier with a premontition of death. It was prior to the Chancellorsville battle. But the whole thing was lifted word for word from Sam Watkins’ book. What a hodge-podge that movie was.
cenantua
January 6, 2009
You know, it makes one want to go through the movie, section by section, and dissect in order to shake-off the drama in order to uncover the facts that lay underneath… somewhere.
Harry Smeltzer
January 6, 2009
I don’t think anything could compel me to watch that thing again.
cenantua
January 6, 2009
Well, Harry, I suppose I’m a glutton for punishment because I continue to dive into the movie to find errors. Maybe I’ve just become numb to the overall “badness,” and maybe that’s actually necessary in order for me to be able to continue to probe the movie.
Michael Aubrecht
January 6, 2009
Nice research Robert, I quote that line on the back cover of my TJ book, but certainly not in the improper context that G&G did. I will say as a Presbyterian I find great strength in that statement and believe that Jackson did as well. However, by quoting it out of context, it makes Jackson (IMO) appear “unaware” and “unaffected” by the carnage that surrounded him on the field. That impression of “Stonewall” is wrong and I believe that Dr. Robertson has written about this in detail.
As much as I do enjoy watching G&G (from a Christian perspective – it’s a ‘vice’ I guess), I have come to realize that it is waaaayyyy over the top and must be viewed as entertainment with a historical theme. Still, five hours of religion and history, what more could I ask for?
One relationship that is accurately portrayed in G&G is that of Jackson and Stuart. The exact dialogue of their first meeting was not recorded, but Jackson’s early praise for the cavalier cannot be denied. He wrote: “At a meeting for consultation of officers belonging to the command at Harper’s Ferry, the question was discussed who should command the cavalry. Sharing the common reluctance to entering this service; believing that he would thereby forfeit his own prospects of rapid promotion; yet sensible of the imperative need that some one should organize the outpost service of the army; believing moreover that his own education in Indian warfare and frontier service, in which he had been constantly engaged for six years, fitted him for the required duties; he felt constrained to lay aside his personal preference and to offer his services for the position. The assignment was made and he entered at once upon his duties. Now every energy was devoted to the instruction of his officers and men. Day and night he was upon the picket line. A new spirit was infused into a languid service. The cavalry commenced to respect themselves, and to appreciate the importance of their duties; and soon both officers and men learned that an eye was upon them from which no dereliction of duty could escape, but which was equally ready to mark out and reward any exhibition of skill and gallantry.”
cenantua
January 6, 2009
Mike, I think there are points in G&G that are valuable in the understanding of the war, but I think they get entirely lost in the drama. My personal favorite is the family conflict that regularly resulted in the South between fathers and sons on the idea of supporting the Confederacy. I’ve come across many, many instances where fathers did not agree with sons who supported the Confederacy (there is actually an excellent article written a few years ago about this inner-family conflict). In relation to religion, I find the sons moving forward against the will of fathers a rather interesting avenue of study.
cenantua
January 6, 2009
Mike, your reference to Stuart just reminded me of another G&G flaw… when Stuart charged with the Black Horse at 1st BR/Manassas, they were flying a First National… with seven stars. Ummm, the Black Horse was a Virginia unit (albeit, with a few Marylanders, if memory doesn’t fail me), so, it would seem more likely that the flag would have, at least, eight stars. Apparently the props people missed the “flagging responsibly” lecture.
Harry Smeltzer
January 6, 2009
Robert,
I’m not so sure the Black Horse charged with Stuart at Bull Run…The troop – that is, the actual Black Horse Troop – was on the right, Stuart with the 1st VA cav on the left. I think the charge depicted in the movie was the one that was either against the 14th B’klyn or 11th NY or maybe some of both, along the Sudley Rd south of the pike. The Black Horse saw most of its action during the retreat, and I don’t think Stuart was with them. I could be wrong though.
Just like all Union batteries were Sherman’s Battery to the Confederates, all Rebel cavalry became Black Horse Cavalry to the Federals.
I know one cav guy who was pleased with Stuart’s charge because they were apparently holding their sabers correctly (wrist locked, curve pointing down). But let’s face it, it’s just cavalry. Artillery rules!
cenantua
January 6, 2009
Harry, Didn’t Troiani do a JEB Stuart print showing him at the head of a charging bunch of cav at 1st BR? I thought it was THE Black Horse, and I thought the unit they were charging into was the 14th Brooklyn… or am I mistaken.
Yes, I’m partial to artillery also, though I have far more kin who would rather ride horses, carry sabres, and shoot pistols. Probably good in the long run for me, considering a rather dominating service in the cav may have preserved the family lines.
cenantua
January 6, 2009
Just looked this up… it’s from Troiani’s Deeds of Valor series. “First at Manassas” depicts Stuart and cav. cutting into the 11th NY.
http://www.historicalartprints.com/hap/cmd?CMD=DETAIL&parent=17&prodid=54
Harry Smeltzer
January 6, 2009
Yes, it’s Stuart. But it’s not the Black Horse Troop. Check out my tags for “Zouaves” and for “Black Horse” and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The painting depicts Stuart charging into the 11th NY. But descriptions of the charge by some folks (like Blackford) hint that the unit was the 14th B’Klyn. And the Black Horse Troop was a specific company of cavalry that was not with Stuart – it was with Radford and Munford, attached to Bonham.
cenantua
January 6, 2009
O.k., time out. I have an idea what’s going on. While I know that there was a “Black Horse” name identified with the 4th Va. Cav., for some reason, I think it’s stuck in me from my early Civil War developmental days that Stuart led the Black Horse at Manassas (I’m getting a vision here, yes, I think it’s an image from the early CW Times from the centennial era showing a cav charge in the midst of a zouave unit… I don’t have my copy of the mag handy, but I’m betting it says something about the Black Horse… which would be wrong, right?). Of course, that couldn’t be possible, because he was colonel of the 1st Va. Cav. (date of rank, 7/16/61) at the time and, I should know better because of I have had enough side-dealings with the 1st Va. Cav. in the development of the histories related to the Stuart Horse Artillery. Am I getting closer to the ballpark now?
Harry Smeltzer
January 6, 2009
Yes. The Black Horse Troop became Company H of the 4th VA Cav later in 1861. At Bull Run they were an independent company under Billy Payne that was placed under the command of Radford (Col) and Munford (Lt. Col), and attached to Bonham’s brigade of Beauregard’s army. Stuart was in Johnston’s army. The troop had gained notoriety at Charlestown when it accompanied John Brown to the gallows, in 1859. By the time of Bull Run, they were bogeymen to the extent that any Rebel cavalry was assumed to be THE Black Horse Cavalry.
cenantua
January 6, 2009
Yup… boys from Warrenton, Va. and the surrounding area. Also, I think I read something that showed that John Brown was surprised at how well these fellows treated him. It may have been something in the unit history of the 4th Va. Cav.
Harry Smeltzer
January 7, 2009
Robert,
After a few phone conversations with Don Hackinson, a Mosby guy who lives down that way, I purchased a copy of L. M. Helm’s history of the Black Horse, “Defend Our Beloved Country”. Some good stuf in there. If you’re thinking of buying a copy, let me know. Don sells them at list and the money goes to The Fauquier Historical Society, I think.
cenantua
January 7, 2009
Thanks for the tip on that book, Harry. I never heard of it and may consider purchasing a copy. Are you going to include something about it in your six pick column?
Harry Smeltzer
January 7, 2009
Maybe some day, if I get a new release that I can tie into it.