Gettysburg (1993)

Tom Berenger: Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet

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Quotes 

• Lieutenant General James Longstreet : This is almost perfect, now we got them where we want them. Swing south and east, down the road, get between them and Lincoln, find some good high ground, then they'll have to hit us, they'll have to, we'll have them, sir.

  General Robert E. Lee : You mean disengage?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Well sir, I've always been under the impression that it was our strategy to conduct a defensive campaign wherever possible in order to keep the army intact.

  General Robert E. Lee : Granted, but the situation has changed now.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : In what way?

  General Robert E. Lee : We've already pushed them back, they're on the run, vacating the town. How can we move off to the south and the east in the face of the enemy? What are you thinking, General?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Maybe we should not have fought here?

  General Robert E. Lee : I know that. But we have prevailed. The men have prevailed.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Yes sir, they have always done that. But in the morning we may be outnumbered, and they'll be entrenched on the high ground.

  General Robert E. Lee : General, you know as well as I, we have never concerned ourselves with being outnumbered.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : That is true, sir, you are right. If we move to the south to Washington, they have to pursue us, and then we can fight on ground of our choosing.

  General Robert E. Lee : But the enemy is here! We did not want the fight but the fight is here! How can I ask this army to retreat in the face of what they have done this day?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Not retreat, sir. Re-deploy.

  General Robert E. Lee : Our guns will move them off that hill or Ewell will push them off. But if Meade is there tomorrow, I cannot move this army away, no sir, I will attack him.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : General, if Meade is up there tomorrow, it is because he wants us to attack him. We pushed back two corps, but there are five more coming.

• General Robert E. Lee : Gen. Longstreet, do you mind if I accompany you?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Not at all. I am very glad to have you with us, Sir.

  [wipes his brow] 

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : The heat reminds me of Mexico.

  General Robert E. Lee : Yes, but the air was very dry.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : That was a good outfit. I remember storming the ramparts of Chapultepec with old George Pickett, Reynolds, my old friend Ulysses Sam Grant. There was some good men in that army.

  General Robert E. Lee : Yes sir, there were indeed.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Some of those men are waiting for us now up ahead on those ridges.

  [pause] 

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : I don't know. I sometimes feel troubled. Those fellas - those boys in blue - they never quite seem the enemy.

  General Robert E. Lee : I know.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : I used to command some of those boys. Swore an oath too. Ah... I - I couldn't fight against Georgia, South Carolina. Not against my own family...

  General Robert E. Lee : No Sir. There was always a higher duty to Virginia. That was our first duty. There was never any question or doubt about that.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Guess so.

  General Robert E. Lee : Let us no think about that now. The issue is in God's hands. We can only do our duty. General, soldiering has one great trap: to be a good solider you must love the army. To be a good commander, you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love. We do not fear our own death, you and I. But there comes a time... We are never quite prepared for so many to die. Oh, we do expect the occasional empty chair. A salute to fallen comrades. But this war goes on and on and the men die and the price gets ever higher. We are prepared to lose some of us, but we are never prepared to lose all of us. And there is the great trap, General. When you attack, you must hold nothing back. You must commit yourself totally. We are adrift here in a sea of blood and I want it to end. I want this to be the final battle.

• [Longstreet is briefing the commanders before the final charge] 

  Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew : Johnston Pettigrew, University of North Carolina.

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : Yes, General; your fame as a scholar precedes you. They still speak of your grades at North Carolina with reverence and awe. I understand you've written a book.

  Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew : A minor work; if the General would care to read it...

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : Yes, General, I would like that very much.

  Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew : Captain, fetch a copy of my book from the wagon.

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : Excuse me, General, but I don't think I will have time to read it today.

• Col. Arthur Freemantle : You call yourselves Americans, but you're really just transplanted Englishmen. Look at your names: Lee, Hood, Longstreet, Jackson, Stuart...

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : My people were Dutch...

  Col. Arthur Freemantle : And the same for your adversaries: Meade, Hooker, Hancock, and - shall I say - Lincoln! The same God, same language, same culture and history, same songs, stories, legends, myths - different dreams. Different dreams. So very sad.

• Lieutenant General James Longstreet : We should have freed the slaves, *then* fired on Fort Sumter.

• [Pickett likes to wear perfume] 

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Good Lord, George, what is that smell?

  Major General George E. Pickett : That's me.

  Brigadier General Lewis A. Armistead : He got it off a dead Frenchman.

• [on Pickett's charge] 

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : You know what's gonna happen? I'll tell you what's gonna happen. Troops are now forming behind the line of trees. When they come out, they'll be under enemy long-range artillery fire. Solid shot. Percussion. Every gun they have. Troops will come out under fire with more than a mile to walk. And still, within the open field, among the range of aimed muskets. They'll be slowed by that fence out there, and the formation - what's left of it - will begin to come apart. When they cross that road, they'll be under short-range artillery. Canister fire. Thousands of little bits of shrapnel wiping the holes in the lines. If they get to the wall without breaking up, there won't be many left. A mathematical equation... But maybe, just maybe, our own artillery will break up their defenses. There's always that hope.

  [sighs] 

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : That's Hancock out there, and he ain't gonna run. So it's mathematical after all. If they get to that road, or beyond it, we'll suffer over fifty percent casualties. But, Harrison, I don't believe my boys will reach that wall.

• Lieutenant General James Longstreet : You English had your own civil war, didn't you?

  Col. Arthur Freemantle : [chuckles]  That was ages ago. We wouldn't dream of doing it now. Cavaliers and Roundheads! Off with his head! Off with his head!

• General Robert E. Lee : Yes, sir, general. We will attack the center. But I believe you are right about the flank. Hood and McLaws were both very badly damaged yesterday. What I will do is give you two other divisions: General Pettigrew and General Trimble. They are stronger and more rested, and so you will have nearly three divisions at your command, including Pickett. Your objection will be that clump of trees yonder.

  [he points toward the Union line] 

  General Robert E. Lee : The attack will be proceeded by massed artillery. We'll concentrate all our guns on that one small area. A feu d'enfer, as Napoleon would call it. When the artillery has had its effect, your charge will break the line. You will have nearly 15,000 men at your command, general. And you may begin whenever you are ready, but plan it well. Do plan it well, I pray you, sir. We stake everything on this.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Sir with your permission... Sir, I've been a soldier all my life. I've fought from the ranks on up, you know my service. But sir, I must tell you now, I believe this attack will fail. No 15,000 men ever made could take that ridge. It's a distance of more than a mile, over open ground. When the men come out of the trees, they will be under fire from Yankee artillery from all over the field. And those are Hancock's boys! And now, they have the stone wall like we did at Fredericksburg.

  General Robert E. Lee : We do our duty, general. We do what we must do.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : [resignedly]  Yes, sir.

• Lieutenant General James Longstreet : [Longstreet and his staff have ridden too far forward immediately following Pickett's Charge; a cannon blast almost kills Goree]  God!

  [Goree slowly gets up] 

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : How are you, T.J.?

  Cap. Thomas J. Goree : I'm tolerable, sir.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : [looks across the battlefield to Cemetery Ridge and sighs]  They ain't comin'. Too bad.

  Cap. Thomas J. Goree : [Goree looks in the same direction]  Yes, sir. General... I'll tell you plain. There are times when you worry me.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Well...

  Cap. Thomas J. Goree : No good tryin' to get yourself killed, General. The Lord'll come for you in His own good time.

  Maj. G. Moxley Sorrel : What are your orders, sir?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : [sighs]  Prepare for a defense, but... the Yankees ain't comin'. Come on, boys.

  [he sadly rides away] 

• Col. Porter E. Alexander : We've been firing for a good while now, sir. It's apparent now that the Federals nor we will gain a clear advantage in this business. If we continue to expel our ammunition at this rate, we might endanger our ability to support the advance.

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : Did you not have enough ordnance when this was begun?

  Col. Porter E. Alexander : Federal fire compelled us to move the artillery train farther to the rear, sir. It's taken us longer to refill the capsules. Sir, we must slow down our fire now, or we will have to cut back on the guns sent in to support the infantry.

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : Damn! I'm going to have to order general Picket to hault his attack until these guns can be replaced!

  Col. Porter Alexander : Sir, the trains have little ammunition, it would take an hour to replace it. In the meantime, the enemy would improve on the time. The longer we delay, the more time the Federals have to strengthen their own line. And even if we recovered more supplies from the ordnance train, how much more damage could we inflict on them than they on us? They're bringing in fresh batteries as quickly as they drive them off!

  Lt. Gen. James Longstreet : Just get some more ammunition and keep it hot! I cannot send in Picket's division or the others, until we clear some of those guns off that ridge!

• Lieutenant General James Longstreet : [Lee and Longstreet are discussing Harrison's report on the Union army on the night of 30 June]  He says the lead element is here with the Third Corps...

  [he points on the map] 

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : ... the Sixth right behind...

  [he points to a different spot] 

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : ... supported by a column of Federal cavalry. Seven corps altogether. The First and Eleventh are above Taneytown, and there's more cavalry two hours east. There may be as many as 100,000 altogether.

  General Robert E. Lee : Do you believe the man, this Mr. Harrison?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : No choice. Oh, you remember him, sir; the actor from Mississippi?

  General Robert E. Lee : An actor? We move on the word of an actor?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Can't afford not to.

  General Robert E. Lee : [Lee takes off his glasses and sits down in a camp chair]  There would be some word from General Stuart. General Stuart would not leave us blind.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Oh, one other thing. Hooker's been replaced. George Meade's the new commander. Harrison read it in the Yankee papers.

  General Robert E. Lee : [thoughtfully]  George Meade. Pennsylvania man. Meade would be cautious, I think. Take him some time to get organized. Perhaps we should move more swiftly. There may be an opportunity here.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Yes, sir.

  General Robert E. Lee : Well...

  [Lee gets up and walks back over to the map table] 

  General Robert E. Lee : ... no reason to delay. I think we should concentrate here.

  [he points to a spot on the map] 

  General Robert E. Lee : All the roads converge just east of this gap, and this junction will be very necessary.

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Yes, sir.

  General Robert E. Lee : I left my spectacles over there. What is the name of this town?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : [Longstreet leans over and reads the name on the map]  "Gettysburg."

  General Robert E. Lee : Very well.

• Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Sam?

  Surgeon : We drugged him, Sir. Be better if he slept.

  Major General John Bell Hood : I didn't see much. The boys' went in and hit the rocks. How'd it go, Pete?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Fine, Sam.

  Major General John Bell Hood : We take those rocks?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : Most of 'em.

  Major General John Bell Hood : Worst... ground I ever saw. You know that?

  [Longstreet nods] 

  Major General John Bell Hood : They call it Devil's Den. It's a good named for it.

  [Longstreet nods again before grasping Hood's outstretched hand to comfort him] 

  Major General John Bell Hood : What casualties?

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : We don't know yet.

  [Hood groans in agony] 

  Major General John Bell Hood : Ya' gotta give my boys credit. You... you should've let me go to the right.

  [His eyes begin to close] 

  Major General John Bell Hood : We should have gone to the right...

  [Hood passes out] 

  Surgeon : He needs to rest some.

• [on Pickett] 

  Lieutenant General James Longstreet : His record at West Point is still the talk of both armies. He graduated last in his class, dead last. Quite a feat, when you consider his classmates.

• Gen. Robert E. Lee : [Lee and Longstreet ride to an observation point to plan their attack]  General Longstreet, you have General Pickett now, he's fresh. I want you to bring your corps forward. Take those heights in the center and split the Federal line.

  Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet : Sir uh... my two divisions, Hood's and McLaws'... well sir, they executed a forced march yesterday and went straight into the fight; lost half their strength. Sustained 50% casualties, sir. They are tired and need a rest. There are now three Federal corps on those two rocky hills on our right flank. If I move all my people forward, well, we won't have a flank at all. They'll simply swing around and crush us. They are well entrenched up there, they aim to fight. They got good artillery and plenty of it. Sir, any attack we make will be uphill, over open ground. How do we communicate? How do we coordinate attack? They're all massed together, damn near in a circle. Good interior lines. Anywhere we hit them, they'll bring up reinforcements in a matter of minutes. But we try to bring up support: they have to come from miles away and their cannon will see every move. Hell, their cannon are looking down on us right now.

  Gen. Robert E. Lee : [Determined]  In the center they will break...

  Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet : Sir?

  Gen. Robert E. Lee : They will break in the center. Those people will be gaining men from all directions, guns by the thousands, and Richmond has nothing left to send us, so if we stay, we fight. If we retreat now, we will have fought here for two days and will leave knowing we could not drive him off. And I have never yet left the enemy in command of this field, no sir. Retreat is no longer an option. The enemy has been attacked on both wings, he has reinforced there and is strongest there on the wings, the hills and the rocks. So, the weak point is in the center. They have command of the high ground. But in that long slope, you see there?

  [Lee points] 

  Gen. Robert E. Lee : The long slope in the center... there is where he is most vulnerable. General Pickett's Virginians are the only people not yet engaged, yes?

  [Longstreet nods] 

  Gen. Robert E. Lee : With General Longstreet in command, my Old War Horse, meeting the enemy face to face, on ground of his own choosing and with honor, we will prevail.

  [Lee rides off]