Gettysburg (1993)

William Morgan Sheppard: Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble, Narrator

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Quotes 

• Maj. Walter H. Taylor : General Trimble is waiting. Will you see him now?

  General Robert E. Lee : Very well.

  [he looks at Marshall] 

  General Robert E. Lee : Major, I want a scouting party sent out posthaste to find General Stuart.

  Maj. Charles Marshall : Yes, sir.

  General Robert E. Lee : Thank you.

  Maj. Charles Marshall : Right away, sir.

  General Robert E. Lee : [Trimble enters the room]  General Trimble.

  Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble : [Trimble salutes, and Lee returns it]  Sir, I most respectfully request another assignment.

  General Robert E. Lee : [Lee looks at Trimble, then sits down]  Do please go on, General.

  Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble : The man is a disgrace! Sir, have you been listening at all to... to what the aides have been telling you? Ask General Gordon or General Ewell. Ask them. We could've taken that hill! God in His wisdom knows we *should've* taken it! There was no one there, no there at all, and it commanded the town.

  [he sighs] 

  Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble : General Gordon saw it. I mean, he was with us! Me and Ewell and Gordon, all standing there in the dark like fat, great idiots with that bloody damned hill empty!

  [he stops] 

  Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble : I beg your pardon, General.

  [Lee nods] 

  Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble : That bloody damned hill was bare as his bloody damned head! We all saw it, as God is my witness! We were all there. I said to him, "General Ewell, we have *got* to take that hill." General Jackson would not have stopped like this, with the bluebellies on the run and there was plenty of light left on a hill like that empty! Well, God help us, I... I don't know wh... I don't know why I...

  [he stops] 

  General Robert E. Lee : Do please continue, General.

  Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble : Yes, sir. Sir... I said to him, General Ewell, these words. I said to him, "Sir, give me one division and I will take that hill." And he said nothing. He just stood there, he stared at me. I said, "General Ewell, give me one brigade and I will take that hill." I was becoming disturbed, sir. And General Ewell put his arms behind him and blinked. So I said, General, give me one *regiment* and I will take that hill." And he said *nothing*! He just stood there! I threw down my sword, down on the ground in front of him!

  [he stops and regains his composure] 

  Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble : We... we could've done it, sir. A blind man should've seen it. Now they're working up there. You can hear the axes of the Federal troops. And so in the morning... many a good boy will die... taking that hill.