03x10 - The Danny Benedict Story

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I don't.

Bellemare, I swear
I'm going to make Can't beat out here.

One of these days.

She breaks a picket line and the whole
shebang takes off like a cyclone.

Hey, we got company over there.

Let's take a look.

Howdy, Oval.

Howdy.

Where's the rest of your outfit?

I'm at.

Where are you headed?

Cincinnati.

Where?

You don't know. It's sunny,
but it sure is.

Indian Country.

They've been kind of riled up lately.

Come on, West with us on a wagon train
as far as barnstorming

a catch supply wagon on East. You want it?

No, thanks.

Well, all right,

well, I'll give you one piece of advice.

Nobody but a complete fool make camp in
the bottom of a drawer this time of year.

I like it here. Good luck.

Need it.

Right

away. It.

It even.

Oh. Oh, I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to spook you.

Who are you?

I'm a cowboy up the driveway.

I just come down and borrow a little song.

You join the train?

No, I'm going the other way. Who is?

Nobody. Just me.

You mean you're good?

Could you let me have some salt?

You know, I never knew

how much your body needed salt
until I started doing without it.

Who ever heard of a boy going east through

engine country all by itself?

Well, you heard one now.

What's your name? Tom.

Tom who?

Smith.

Sounds like you making that up.

It's a real nice violin.
It was my father's.

He got it from Germany.

I think it's worth a lot of money.

I know you're going west with the folks.

I haven't got any folks now.

I'm bound to the Shackleford.

Oh, Where are your folks?

I got a mother in Cincinnati.

Your father did?

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

You're going east to your mother?

Mm hmm.

She nice?

Well,
I haven't seen her since I was seven.

What's your name? Chris Walker.

Press for Priscilla.

Nice name.

Good evening, Christine.

Oh, evening, Major.

Major.

This is Major Adams, our wagon master.

We met before proceeding this afternoon.

How about it?

Sonny is going to join up with us
and go on to Fort Stoneman.

His name's Tom Smith. Oh,

how about it, Tom?

No, I reckon I'll be going now.

Being mighty foolish about this boy.

I don't need any advice.

Good night, Percy.

Sure.

Wish I could talk you out of this fool's
tent.

Goodnight, Major. Sir.

My boy.

What do you reckon, Stuart?

On him, Major? I don't know, Percy.

He's not careful.

Is liable to be a am.

Prisoner of the stockbroker's role.

I am an honest Senator Langdon.

You're out here to stop the Rocket Man.

Right over

that stretch.

Oh, use Germany.

France.

If we're to me like you must
have found out about flash floods.

And it was a week.

I heard it coming.

Yeah, Lucky.

Got my blankets, my r*fle,

my horse run off, Even got my pants
and my boots.

You're going to cause
quite a stir in Cincinnati in that outfit.

You had almost $12 in my pants pocket.

Where do you suppose I ended up?

I only probably about 14 miles
outside of New Orleans.

But no one tried to get in.

Pair of your pants, dry clothes.

You have to go there. Motor

in all run away.

Nothing to be ashamed of.

Who says I'm running away? Nobody.

I just thought I'd mention, you know, I'm
an old hand, a runaway myself.

I guess I ran away the first time
when I was nine years old.

There all my life.

She caught me with a big lug at you
in the back.

She says, Charlie, my boy,
she always called me Charlie.

Charlie, she says, Now is the time.

You've got to make up your mind.

It's either this pocket you in the back
or your family and friends.

It's all I ran away.
How long did you stay?

Well, as soon as I took a big chew of that
old plug, I knew I had made a mistake.

How you come with them britches,
Miss Bessie?

Oh, I don't know, Mr. Wooster.

You're some baker,
and he is especially in the sit down part.

Here, try him on.

Thanks. Now, give me your shirt.

It don't need fixing.
But it's got two buttons.

I said it would be all right
now. Just let me be.

What's the matter with you?

Nothing.

Just leave me be all right,

Prissy.

Thanks for fixing the pants.

You're welcome.

It would be nice to be young again.

How about stock, Major?

Well, Charlie,

I figure we lost about 25 head

and covered up the tracks.

Yes, well, gosh darn shine or how?

I was probably trading them up
when I was someplace.

Where are you going? To find 25 heads.

I was supposed to be a star treat at Fort
Stoneman.

Can't get me there where I was next.

Where do we get to Laramie?

Where do you find the phony?

I've lost the boy.
Where is he, by the way?

Right here. Oh,

J. Let's look at

it. There's.

You can stand a little grown
into those, honey.

Oh, I brought you some marks
since you're one of the drivers.

Took them off of Comanche last fall.

Little do we get some shoes.

Thanks.

Where did you find my horse?

Oh, he's up to draw a little ways.
What had gone down?

He was just stand there like a cow
waiting to be milk.

Well, I reckon I can ride him bareback.

Riding the wagon.

I'm not going with you, Major.

You listen to me, Sonny.

I have just lost 25 head of stock.

Looks to me
like we're facing a whole week's delay.

Maybe more.

And I'm in no mood
to argue with a young squaw at your age.

Now, you get yourself in that wagon.

You stay there till we get to Fort
Stoneman, You understand?

Then you can take a supply train back
to Cincinnati.

Is that clear?

I'm sorry, Major.

I thank you for your help,

but I reckon I'll be going

heavy.

You didn't understand me, son.
Get out of my way.

Here in just a minute.

Call me

and wait for me.

What was tarnation so matter with you?

Get away from me.

Let me look at you.

You've been flogged.

Go ahead.

You can tell me who helped you.

Got it?

All right.

Prices probably sky high,
but we got no choice.

Yeah,

I didn't.

I did not do for you.

Name's Adams.

And a wagon train
coming up in about an hour here.

We lost about 25 head of our stock there
the night of the stampede.

These critters here for sale?

Yeah,
but the army's got first call on them.

We got a farm. I don't reckon so.

You ain't gonna get them
unless you can persuade the seal.

To release them. Who's the CEO? Benedict.

And any chances?

Dan Benedict.

That's right.

You know,
you served on him for about three years.

I was best man at his wedding.

I'll get that release for
in about 5 minutes.

And don't be too sure about that.

This is a sick post.

What do you mean, a sick post?

And I guess you better find
that out for yourself.

Major

Colonel Benedict wasn't much of a spit
polish, man, was he?

Not that I recall as he changed a lot
in the last five years for Sergeant.

Oh, yeah.

Everybody always worked
like this around this post.

They do.

When General Sheridan's coming tomorrow
to make an inspection tour.

Oh, I know what you mean.

We're going to find the colonel.

Was in his quarters, but he won't see you.

Oh, why not?

He's sick and sick
for more than a week now,

Charlie, like I told you, he's sick.

I feel sick with what.

Sickened his guts.

Major

Adams, the Colonel isn't seeing anyone
except in an extreme emergency.

He's a very sick man.

I keep telling you, this is an emergency.

If you can't authorize
the release of that stock,

I got a trainload of people
that are going to be really in trouble.

I'm sorry.

Now, if you don't.

Mind, but I do mind.

I'm sure if you'll explain to Dan.

I told you I will explain to him.

But right now I want to see him anyway.

An old friend of mine.
If there's anything I can do to help you.

There's nothing you can do, Major.

I'll give him your message. I'll wait.

Oh, he's sleeping now.

I'll tell him when he wakes.

Well,
there's one thing you can tell me, Major.

That's what's wrong with this post.

What's everybody
around here trying to hide?

I'm sorry.

I can't help you.

Thanks.

Thanks a lot.

If he'll see you, I'll let you know. Yeah.

You do that.

Well, you.

Excuse me, Mr.. Yes?

You're the medical officer
here, aren't you?

I'm the poor surgeon,
if that's what you mean.

What can I do for you?

Colonel Benedict and I are old friends.

I served on team for three years.

Oh, I'd like to see.

What do you want me to do about it?

You can tell me what's in name.

For one thing.

Like I said, I'm an old friend of his,
and I want to know why

they won't let me see him.

You better take that up
with Major Harrison.

I've been through all of that.

You listen to me, mister.

If Dan Benedict sick,
I'm going to see him.

He isn't sick.

He's drunk.
The reason I don't care who knows it.

I've got just two more months in this,
Commander. You keep still.

That's true.

He's drunk.

Listen, ma'am,
I know Dan Benedict better than that.

He's too good a soldier to let him.

So what's the matter with him, mister?

He's too good a soldier.

He's a soldier,
right down to his sh**t tops.

He doesn't care about anything
but soldiering.

If you don't believe me,
go down to the graveyard.

Well, see for yourself.

You're a friend of Dan Benedict's.

You'll forget what you just heard.

Wait a minute, son.

Just Lafayette Jenkins.

You know him?

Yeah.

He died May 28.

That's only a few weeks ago.

Sheehan's got him

most wonderful man in the world.

Wasn't k*lled either.

Wasn't k*lled at all. He was m*rder*d.

Here on the post with him.

And this is what's eaten
all these people around here, huh?

No, no, it isn't life.

It's.

It's.

Go ahead.

You can tell me. The army k*lled them.

The miserable army k*lled
them, m*rder*d him, like with a knife.

Just a minute, sonny.

Hey, boy.

Wait a minute.

Now. Where'd you find him?

Camped out back along the trail.

He didn't hit me.

It's just not who he really was, you know?

Then I do now.

He's got Dan's eyes.

A little bit of his mother, too.

Major, I'm going to ask you just once more
what's going on around this place.

Now, you can ask the colonel.

He wants to see you,

Harrison.

Yes, sir. Go.

Major Adams, this is sir.

MAN Hello.

Says.

And you want me to go, sir?

I might as well stay, Major.

So, the family.

I understand
you're hurting for some stock.

I expect much.

Have they got a release, Harrison?

How many had. In about 25. Had ten.

Make it clear that Major Adams is to pay
Army prizes and not $0.01 more.

Yes, I do.

I guess so.

Thanks to him.

Salaam so

now then you can tell me what happened.

Now they

arranged.

Wonderful.

I don't have to tell you
what will happen tomorrow

when you feel Sheridan gets here.
If he finds you like this.

Then expect you do.

Funny,

very name and feel.

Sheridan used to make me shaking my boots

somehow I don't care anymore
if they see this crowd himself.

Could march in here and dress uniform
right now and I'd likely spitting as I

like a drink.

No thanks to him.

I know

you're.

You in Cincinnati.

That's funny.

Yeah.

I was there for a couple of days.

Yes, I saw it in

where?

Having dinner with her mother,
the National Hotel.

She's just as pretty as ever. Damn

sad mistakes she made.

Never should have married a soldier

should rot in life

for a man of force and a woman.

She never could understand it.

I never could make it clear to her.

Can't make words to sometimes.

Oh, man.

Morgan, Coffins

and Morgan Benedict, the

first Lundy's Lane and Chapultepec.

I never could understand
why I had to be Dan Morgan

Benedict, the second Vicksburg, Shiloh

Wilderness.

My boy had to be Dan Morgan, Benedict
the third

and Morgan

fight for his country.

And every generation wrote down from 1776.

You always said it.

Wasn't worth it.

No. Some himself

beginning to see her side.

Maybe she's been right all the time.

I was drunk for a week, said

there was no shut up person.

You know why?

I says?

I stood my boy Danny

at the front of the old command.

Major Harrison, you please read the 96th.

Article of w*r. Yes, it.

The 96 article aboard General article
all disorders

and neglects to the prejudice
of good order and military discipline.

All conduct of a nature to bring discredit
upon the military service.

And all crimes are offenses not capital
of which persons subject to military law

may be guilty shall be taken cognizance
of by a general or special

or summary court martial,
according to the nature

and degree of the offense, and punished
at the discretion of such court.

Special court

martial convening this morning,
at my request, found the prisoner

guilty as charged

and imposed sentence.

It is a just and fair sentence.

However,

I cannot find it within myself
to ask anyone of you

to execute it.

My son has gravely offended

every man on this post.

I feel it my duty to you all

to carry out the punishment myself.

Five lashes

in the presence of the assembled garrison.

Hi, Danny.

Grab the post.

What do you think of that?

I would think it.

A man would do that to his own son.

Whatever the reason.

You did

everything a man could do to be done after
he was found guilty by a court martial.

Then ask me what he did.

He's gone.

Ran off into the night.

Maybe the Chinese guy

set out for patrols. No.

Look,

Dad, I'm trying to tell you I've got him.

You got him?

Says where is he?

Where did you find?

About two days east of here.

Camped out along the trail.

Has he heard?

No, Dan, just inside, that's all.

And you've got to make your peace

for this boy.

No. You.

You take care and

look after me.

Do that for me.

Keep an eye out.

I can't do any more.

I've gone too far.

Too far.

Dan, will you listen to me?

Please? Leave me alone.

All right, then.

I give up.

Colonel, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, sir.

You better go now.

I'll get that release for you.

Major.

I don't want to know what that boy did.

I just can't believe that
anything in this world

could justify flogging a boy Danny's age
in front of the whole garrison.

He started it in the mud.

Spit out

that grave out there, Sergeant Jenkins.

At his funeral, Danny went to pieces.

He did it in front of the whole command.

How about stock?

You got to be moved out of morning.

There's nothing to hold us back now.

No, I mean, that's clear for Dan. Rest.

Rest.

But he's raring to go.

Bill,

we're going to lay over for a day.

If you take my advice, you'll get that
stock and move out while I get it.

Good for all.

General Sheridan decided
do something ill*gal about Charlie.

There's nothing ill*gal about it.

Listen, he decides it.

This old man gets a B
and he's money to rip raw. I know.

Believe me, I served on the Army.

Charlie, We were there. Remember us.

What do I have to do?

Write these orders out for the two of you.

Know, sir,
Just want to make sure that's all.

All right. We layover with.

Where is the kid?

I sent him after Walter about a half
hour ago and ain't been back there.

We take this order to get frustrated
and tell him we want the horses tonight.

We pay him in gold.

After the committee meeting, I.

Better get this order back to Mr.

Worcester.

Are we been waiting for half an hour?

Two more minutes won't hurt.

That our daddy.

I expect Major
Harrison told you all about it.

Yes, he did.

Now I'd like to hear your side of it.

No good that

you're an army man.

You wouldn't understand it.

On on to me.

Because you're all alike.

Don't
you think he owes somebody an explanation?

No, Danny, you're almost grown up.

You're almost a man.

You've been raised in a military family.

Your father is the finest officer
I ever served on there.

What do you think it did to him
to have his own son stomp on the flag?

I don't want to flag that.

He's given his life to defend an honor.

What do you think it did
to all those men in that post, that.

Day, to any

and all of

you heart?

I want to talk about it.

Talk of w*r, do any good.

There's no fixing it now,

Danny.

I'm not trying to fix it.

I'm just trying to find out

what made you do it.

I don't know.

I was standing there in the hot sun

listening to the chaplain read over

my Jenkins body.

And all at once I was doing it.

Danny told me that they.

They m*rder*d him.

What do you mean by that?

My father sent Leif out on a scouting trip
all by himself.

He did it on purpose
because he knew later get k*lled.

Your father wouldn't do a thing like that.

But he did.

Danny, I've known your father
longer than you have.

He's not that kind. Of a man.

He hated life
because he wasn't like the others.

That's why you don't believe me.

Just ask Miss Louisa. Who's not Louisa.

The nurse.

She's going to marry life
after his hitch was off.

She'll tell you about it.

He was different.

You sit here and play his guitar

on a soft summer night,
or you should watch him on a spring day

sitting up there on a green
held out with his paints.

He could bring the sky and the clouds
right down on a piece of paper

and raise a flower covered prairie
right up on a knee.

He can write poetry right out of his head.

What is it?

Just single You?

He saw things you'd never see for yourself

unless he pointed to them.

He knew every story ever told,

and he could tell them better
than anyone who ever lived.

And life was different.

My father didn't like that.

That's why I sent him on a scouting trip.

That's why you hate your father now

I expect it's myself.

I hate.

Maybe that's what's wrong with me.

I can't see what he wants.

I can't be Daniel Morgan Benedict
the third.

I'm sick in my guts of Daniel
Morgan of Calvin's

and of Daniel Morgan Benedict,
the first of Lundy's Lane

and Chapultepec.

And I'm sick of myself.

Many.

What do you want to be?

You know.

Something?

I want to be so bad

I can hardly stand it.

What's that?

You know.

You like my pa?

You wouldn't understand.

Ed did good.

Well.

That just don't sound quite right.

But then you rest more.

That's it.

That's better.

Try it now.

I'm hopeless.

No, don't say that.

Nobody ever learn
to play a violin in a day.

Such a beautiful violin.

I keep doing such terrible things to it.

It won't hurt it any.

I've been wondering about that.

What happened?

Evening, Colonel.

You know,

it's good.

My parents believe me. Yes.

Where is the wagon train?

Cut one spring, sir. Down on the flat.

Thank you, Mary.

Thank you. Colonel.

I. Don't worry.

I'll be all right.

I'll be back in a few minutes.

I said

sit down then. Just keep it up.

Some coffee.

Whereas Danny

is in the wagon asleep.

I don't know what I said to you today.

When that's both, just forget it.

I'm sorry I said

I haven't been making much sense lately.

Even myself.

This belongs to him.

I want him to have it.

Sergeant Jenkins gave it to me.

I suppose
he told you about Sergeant Jenkins.

Then he told me some things
I would not believe.

I'm glad you wouldn't,
because they're not true.

I didn't order him out to party
with those renegades.

He volunteered to me.

I had to let him go. Why?

I thought
he had to prove himself to the men.

Maybe he did.
I don't know, Danny. No, This.

Never gave me a chance to tell him

to believe me.

Anyway.

Life.

Jenkins
had cut our line of communications,

so it happened right under my nose.

So I'm Pied Piper,
my son, out of my life, away

from everything,
and taught him to respect and strive for.

Dan, you just can't blame
somebody else for this.

What do you mean? He's your son.

He's got your eyes, your name,

but he's got his mother's
heart inside of him.

Nobody can change that.

How do you know so much?

I heard him play tonight.

Oh, How about a cup of coffee?

Thank.

Yeah.

Yeah, he's here.

Boy, I guess

she's got her music and poetry
and fire and

life.

Jenkins didn't put it in.

Danny didn't either.

There.

When the doctor picked him up by the
ankles and smacked him on the bottom.

I've always known, and I guess

I just wouldn't admit it to myself.

I thought I could make him into what
I wanted him to be.

Shannon Minda already cut more,

I guess. This way.

Blew up.

Danny,
I don't know if you know it or not, but

it's making you blow up to think so.

I know so.

You're a fighter, Danny.

You don't retreat.

I've got a retreat

and nothing else to do. Now,

I want you to give this to him,

All right?

Tell him I'm sorry I

pushed him so hard.

Sure, I

can make a violin sing, and he sure can.

As a supply train

starting back east after tomorrow,
I'll put him on it.

Tell him that

I'd like to talk to him

when he comes for his clothes.

All right, then I'll tell him.

He's just a kid.

He's young and he's strong,

strapped in his back
or a lot quicker in my little

nightshirt

and down. You.

You're going to be ready
for the general tomorrow.

I told you, didn't I?

I was speaking as I

am in.

I've come for my things.

They're almost ready for you.

Thank you, sir.

You can forget to, sir.

Major Harrison fixed everything
with the wagon.

Master of the supply train

leaving empty in the morning.

I'll take you all the way to Westport, and
then you can take a stage to Cincinnati.

Thank you.

I'll write to your mother.

I expect she'll be happy
that you're with her at last.

I'll be sending money from time to time.

Your violin lessons.

You'll go to the conservatory, I guess

I'll pay for that too.

It's what you want, isn't it?

I haven't wronged any.

It's a hard thing to admit.

It takes a special kind of courage

to come right out
and say that you've been wrong.

Way back from the beginning.

Took this to shake me up, I guess.

Rattled some sense in my own soldier's
head.

I've gone through life
thinking you were wrong

because you wouldn't fall into line.

I've been wrong

all wrong.

Tell your mother that 4 million.

Tell her that I said I was wrong.

Well, I expect you'd

better get in some clothes that fit you

better night at least.

Well, Phil Sheridan's here. I.

I want you to look like my son.

Oh, there's one thing you should know

about Blake Jenkins.

I already know.

All right.

So you got something on your mind.

You won't like the others at all.

Are you. Worried that.

The rest of the army.

You know, Sonny

had a couple of superior officers
tell me that

they didn't mean it
exactly as a compliment either.

Oh, that's the whole trouble is.

Well, you aren't like everybody else
in the army.

You're no good.

You know,
I don't think it's quite that bad, Danny.

You know, it's always been like that.

I expect that with good reason to.

What's that

out after
four or 5000 years of trial and error.

And I finally decided that

this is the best way to get a bunch of men

together, you know, so they'll do a job.

Well, I don't like it.

I don't either.

Danny. You know something?

He back

that pepper years up against the wall
where he's got to tell the Lord's truth.

And I'll bet you
he doesn't like it either.

What do you mean?

Army life is fighting
every natural instinct.

A man has 24 hours a day.

First Air Force should leave your girl
or your wife and family.

And then they journey into a uniform
that doesn't fit most of the time.

And they start you to k*lling them
when your heart tells you that's wrong

and they
make you take orders from a fellow

that you don't like very much and you
don't think he knows any more than you do,

and you sleep on a hard bed at night

and you ride a harder horse by day

who likes that kind of a job?

Nobody but a soldier.

He does it anyway. Why?

Because the one thing that

makes the bumps and the lumps

a little bit easier for him

because of pride.

Pride that goes with doing his duty,

that goes with making a sacrifice face

that goes with protecting his country's
honor.

It gives him something that makes
the hairs stand up on the back of his neck

when he sees that flag
floating out over the parade ground

because he knows he's
helping to keep it there.

By golly, it's

a miserable,

nasty kind of a life sometimes.

But if you're a soldier, you do it.

Somebody's got to

hold.

General Hitchcock, Ethan Allen, Hitchcock.

He used to get so mad at the army,
he'd turn purple in the face.

George Macready. There was one.

Who was that?

Who's a great deal like you.

It was chock full of music.

I remember we took a little crossroads
just before Cold Harbor,

this little tiny church.

There was an in it had four or five music

books stacked on top of it.

When I got old, George sat down with that
organ and he opened the first book.

It was Bach, and he played right from
the first page clear through that book,

and they've been through some messed
up waters and Cold Harbor

Hall.

George McCready
still had music flowing out of him.

A flood of it.

Now that I think of it,

you know who's giving up the most of
all right now don't you

had your father

gave up

the one woman in his life
that he'd ever love.

Now he's going to have to give up his son.

But that's their army for you.

You do these things
because you're a soldier.

That's very

you're going to be

a great musician, a fine violinist.

That's what you want.

You stick to it.

It's what you get.

And Joe,

good to see you, Dad.

Honored to have you with us, General.
How you been?

Fine, sir. Any news of your boy?

I, I, I heard about it.

I'm sorry. I came back and I.

We decided to send him. Is.

I see.

Well, probably the best. Thing after all.

Well, I hope you got something beside
fresh buffalo.

That's all we've been getting
since we left Saint Louis.

We'll see what we can do.

General.

Better than your job.

Well, it is a mental magazine.

Sorry. I'll tell you.

I'm wondering how I.

There.

You've never seen anything like this, that

this hasn't looked like Africa.

I mean, a who?

Oh, let's see. Up to

we're about to find out.

I don't know how I could say this.

I wouldn't know what words to use.

I did a terrible thing

to all of you

and to our country.

I don't know what made me do it,

but I did it

and it's done.

I can't change it.

The only thing I can say is

I'm sorry.

I must have been sick or something.

I didn't mean it.

The only way I know how to

explain how I do feel

is this way.

Anyway.

You know.

Oh, I want

to be a soldier

or, you.