02x15 - The Flint McCullough Story

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What?

It was only a few hours ride
from the territory.

The wagon train was rolling through,
and I had reason to go there.

Good reason.

Four bridges where I grew up.

I suppose growing up poor.

Everybody is sugar and spice.

A concoction of happiness and pain.

Time wanders down.

Unpleasant memories and sort of magnifies
the happy world.

Can I take care of the whole stranger?

Stranger?

You're the stranger, boy.

What brings you here is my home.

You're home?

Yeah.

I've been here nearly four years
and I ain't never seen.

Hold on.

You ain't.

Sure.

You must be.

You're Mr.

Bridges, Son McCullough.

That's right. Hey, you come home.

I'll go get Mr. Bridges for you.

Oh, no, you don't.

I want to surprise him.

Yes, sir. Mr. McCullough.

Where is he?

Jane? Here. Come on.

Tell me where he is.

Kelly

He'll be here.

Sundown.

What are you going to do?

I'm going to k*ll.

You down there.

Frank.

You've come home.

Why? What's happened to your boy?

What is it, boy?

I'm sorry, Mr.

Bridger.

I came home to see you, and I found him.

Hmm. So this is what the w*r did to you.

You sick boy.

I'm going to k*ll him, son. Son.

Good boy.

Oh, well,

it was a day just like every other day
when the nightmare started.

Four years ago.

This w*r is no business of yours.

It's rebellion, an uprising.

It'll be put down soon.

The w*r in the north against the south.

I was born in Virginia.
All my allegiance to the south.

Was born in Virginia.
But this is your home.

It was raised here with me in England.

The West is your all, too.

There are lots of people in the West from.

The North and the south.

I say a man's got to pick a side
and do a share.

You know, when you was little

and I've got a stubborn streak like that,
I ain't good for it.

You like to try? And as depression, sir.

Hey, here come Tom Hanks and Gene.

I don't even see it.

But you got the breath ready for you.

May I go, Father? Yes.

Now go on and find daughter.

I'll have to hurry to get back before
dark.

I get your president

that you must

begin. Yes.

All right. So.

Well, is it all right?

Well, with my mother?

Yes. But

you know what my father was like.

Jane, we've been through all this before.

I love you.

What difference does it make?
What we believe.

Doesn't make any difference to me.

I don't tell your father right now.

No, you can't do that. What else can I do?

What do you expect?

Well.

Know I love you more than anybody
else in this whole world.

And I love you.

Isn't that enough?

I'm warm and in your lot.

Look,

if you just have a little patience,
my father will understand in time.

Time?

How much time does he want?

The months now, since I asked you.

We're not close to getting married
now than we were then.

Gee, I don't have any time.

I'm going to join the army.

The army?

I've been thinking about it a long time.

No, man isn't much of a man if he doesn't

do his share when the time comes.

You know I love you
and I want to marry you

when?

Well.

Well, I just don't know, Flynn.

If I could have a little time
to think about it

when?

Well,

next time I see you.

Jane.

Jane.

I bet you'll be straightening about it

when she comes out.

I'll be in a few weeks, Jim.

I hope you're stuck around. All right.

Hi, Joe. Hey.

Here,

you divine girlfriend and good people.

I don't know how Tom might feel about this
been taken up with somebody

who ain't one of

Matthew be James.

But you always have been.

We're in need of supplies.

Well, that's what we're here for, huh?

All this just for the two of you know,
there's a party of us.

We're camp some distance from here.

Oh, I see.

Well, I guess we can take care of this.

You know, flour, beans, but ammunition

and an awful lot of ammunition.

I guess you to do a lot of sh**ting, huh?

We traveling?

It may be some time before we reach
another point of supply. Oh.

Well,

my friend.

Yes, this is my friend McCullough.

And up to date.

Mr. Bishop has been taking care of me
since my real folks died.

It's about ten years now. Yes.

You must know the country around here
pretty well.

Well, Mr. Bridges
says he's taught me everything he knows.

That's true.

That's every second start of it.

Oh, that's interesting.

You know, it'll probably take some time
to get those supplies together.

I was wondering if there was some place
around here, we might get a bite to eat.

Oh, no.

Right. No place around here.

But we'd be pleased
to have you eat with us.

Well, thank you kindly.

Yeah, they don't. My guess

is, as

McCullough as our man.

Lt seems so cold.

Suppose he isn't interested?

You should know
me better than that, Quincy.

When I want something, I get it.

And you know.

That's an interesting story.

How you came to adopt fled here.

How kind of tough on a young man
to lose his folks.

The word.

They called him and taught him
his manners.

And I learned all I could,
but I couldn't teach him

to forget that he was born in Virginia.

Oh, I don't know.

It's a strange fact, Mr.

Bridges, that a man's heart
stays with the place of his birth.

A rule, of course, that isn't always so.

How do you feel about it, Flint?

Well, I was.

Brought up here. Sir, but

if somebody asked me where I was born, I'd

be mighty proud to say Virginia.

You seem.

And how do you feel about the w*r, Flint?

Well, I've been thinking about it a lot.

Think a lot about it.
Been doing nothing but talk about it.

Get himself all riled up. Get into it.

A lot of nonsense.

Well, is a serious business.

Flint

takes a particular type of man
to be a soldier.

Oh, there's glory in a job,
the thrill of battle.

But victory on the b*ttlefield
is won by the blood and sweat of men.

Real men who are not afraid to face death
for the things they believe in.

That's what I've been telling Mr. Bridger.

I think a man's got to do his duty.

As he sees it.

Takes a lot of courage.

I'm not afraid, Mr.

Taylor.

I didn't mean to imply that you are.

But, you know,
you think I feel in the way you do, that

you have acted
instead of just talking about it.

If I knew where to join up,
I do it right now.

There you go again.

Getting yourself all riled up, Flint.

Just a minute, Mr. Bridger.

I'm going
to take you two men into my confidence.

I'm Colonel Jason Taylor,

Army of the Confederacy.

This is Lieutenant Quincy Abbott,
my adjutant Confederate Army.

What you doing way out here?

Well, I'll tell you, Mr.

Bridger, there are a lot of men out here
like this young man

who were born in the South

and whose hearts are still there
in spite of the fact that they live here.

We are on a recruiting mission

to give these young men the opportunity
to fulfill their obligations.

You mean I could join up now?

The lieutenant and I
are returning to camp tonight.

But of course,
if you're sure you want to join up.

I am sure, sir.

I'll get my things.

I. I'd like to talk to my boy alone.

Well, yes, of course.

You sure you know what you're doing, son?

Yes, sir, I'm sure.

Nothing I can do or say to keep.

You know, I made up my mind.

What about Gene.

Taylor?

Tell her she forgot her bracelet.

She'll understand.

All right.

Well, Flint,

I tried hard to raise you
up to be a good man.

The right kind of man.

Stay right, son.

Take care of yourself.

Come back when it's over, Mr. Big.

I'll come back.

And for everything.

Thanks.

Oh, let's move.

All right.

But you get rid of that
f*cking soldier in quick form.

You're not famous.

Let's try to make two straight lines
out of this

alternate cap soldier.

Straight up that line back there.

Take them smiles off your faces.

You better remember what I taught you.

We're ready, sir.

Adding

Colonel Taylor? Yes?

Your men are assembled.

About time I made them acquainted
with their assignment.

My hunch is they won't like it, sir.

Doesn't matter what they like.

We'll do as that told.

Let's not waste time.

You have a new man out, sir.

They're all new men.

This one hasn't been sworn in.

McCullough.

Flint. McCullough. Hogwash.

It's Army Colonel.

The oath is an important thing
to most men.

They don't do it.

Flynn.

McCullough.

Stanton.

Raise your right hand.

Repeat after me.

I solemnly pledge all of my allegiance.

I solemnly pledge all of my allegiance
to the cause of the Confederate States

of America.

To the cause
of the Confederate States of America.

Promising
to fight our enemies, protect our people,

and keep faith with our principles.

Promising to fight our enemies, protect

our people,
and keep faith with their principles.

So help me God.

So help me. God.

Return the rank soldier.

Pick up that r*fle, Soldier.

Soldier.

Return ranks.

Colonel,
how soon we can be heading south. So.

Got your attention.

Sergeant Hayes,
is this the way you train your men?

No, sir.

Bob. You keep your mouth shut
till you get permission to speak.

Soldier,

The answer to your question is

that we are not heading south.

It takes more than guts to win a w*r.

It takes powder and chop

mules and flour

and all kinds of things
that cost lots of money.

And the side that has

the largest supply of gold

is the side that in the long run wins.

That is a military fact.

Regardless of the hogwash.

You may have heard

about the glory
of great victories on the battlefields.

Our enemies

have a large source of gold

which pours to them
from the west of mines,

and that source of gold must be cut.

And it is up to us

to see that this is done.

That is our mission.

Any further questions?

Yeah.

When we soldier,

you say, sir, when you're addressing

the Colonel, sir.

When we signed up, we thought
we was heading for the battlefields.

Are you telling us
we're not even going to get there?

I'm telling you what your mission is.

And as a soldier,
I expect you to carry out

my orders
whenever and wherever they are issued.

When we get our uniforms,

you will receive your uniforms.

When our orders take us back
behind the southern lines.

Until that time,
you are not really irregular soldiers,

but guerrillas
assigned to special duty guerrillas.

They're the same as spies.

If they catch us in, no uniforms,

they'll k*ll us.

A very good thing for you all to remember.

It should make you careful.

Very careful not to get caught.

Sergeant Dismissed you, man.

Yes, sir.

Company dismissed.

What you think about today, huh?

Oh, oh, oh.

I said, Well, you come.

What do you want?

I'd like to talk to you, sir.

Have a drink.

Will you come to it?

Eventually?

Soldiers on the front.

Speak up.

Why didn't Colonel Taylor

tell me what this job was?

You didn't ask.

You couldn't wait to become a soldier.

I didn't think it would be like this.

Lot of things
you didn't know about McCullough.

You ever k*ll a man?

Give it some thought.

You said it.

A man's got to do his duty as he sees it.

Mr. Abbott.

Mr. Abbott.

Lieutenant Abbott, sir.

I don't like being laughed at, sir.

Well, forget it.

And for now,

just man to man.

I wasn't laughing at you, McCullough.

Not exactly.

It's a stupid thing that makes me laugh.

You, the million others fired up with the

idea.

The glory of w*r.

He was death on the b*ttlefield.

Uniform, shiny buttons, medals.

You listen to me, McCullough.

I'm going to do something for you.

Set you straight.

Well, as a would.

There's good in the sound of it.

And that's where it ends.

It was a foul, stinking sin.

Makes a man and a butcher's and rips and
turns them apart, moral and physically.

But Colonel
Taylor said the chorus, he said

he wanted you.

Colonel Taylor,

I Superior Officer McCullough.

What do you think, Colonel Taylor?

Colonel Taylor, My boy, is a barbarian,

A petty

educated peasant, but a peasant.

His father before him was a person.

And his father before him.

The peasants.

All of it.

James Taylor is a good soldier.

I respect him for that.

Just how good you come to know
Soon enough.

I don't understand.

My family

is one of the most aristocratic strains
in all of the South.

I was born a gentleman.

It land L.A..

My home.

Plantations.

Wealth. Comfort through my heritage.

This w*r is being fought
to preserve my way of life.

This is reality, my boy.

Selfish and idealistic.

But it is reality.

I'm fighting this w*r for myself.

But you're an officer?

Yes, I'm an officer.

I learned all about being an officer
at West Point

for two years there, trying to make
an officer and a gentleman out of me.

I quit. Why?

Because I am a gentleman by birth.

And I shall always be a gentleman,

whether I like it or not.

Do you mark these words, McCullough?

There come a time

when you wish you never set eyes on James
Taylor on me

or the w*r.

Is that all, sir? No.

You can announce reality and you.

You'll heed what I've said.

You climb back on your horse, you'll ride
back to fort you before it's too late.

Lieutenant, you're drunk.

I've never been more sober

and kind.

Dismissed yet, Lieutenant Abbott.

Lieutenant.

The Federals had a shipment of gold
on the way from Virginia City.

Should reach this area sometime
within the next two or three days.

Yes, sir. And your orders?

I want you to take

Sergeant Hayes and a couple of men
and scout the trails around here.

I want to pick out a spot
that lend itself to our purpose.

I think we would need the help

of a man fairly familiar
with the surrounding country.

What?

Our new man, McCullough.

He knows every stick of this country
and every train.

Lieutenant,

I said to take a couple of men.

Obviously, that left it open
for you to choose whoever you want.

Yes, sir.

With your permission, I won't take Hayes.

The men don't like him.

Sergeant Hayes is a good soldier.

He knows what he's told
when he's told, sir.

If the colonel resents my suggestions

in the future, I'll keep them to myself.

Lieutenant,

you know that I'm
always open to suggestion.

That last remark was unnecessary.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Leave Hayes here.

Take whoever you want and get to it

when?

How much further?

And an.

Hour's ride.

Yankee Patrol.

Shut up. Listen.

They don't know who we are.

You do all the talking, McCullough.

Who are you, man?

We're right in line for our man, Thor.

Who's he?

Mr. Tad Thor.

Well, I thought everybody knew him.

He raises most of the beef.
You fellows eat?

No, I see.

Right in line for him.

Just what does that mean?

Herding this cattle for him
just took a herd down the lower range.

You mean look fit and healthy?

How does it happen? You're not in uniform.

Aren't you interested in the w*r?

Sure we are.

I was going to join up, but.

Well,
they told me somebody had to take care

of the beef for the army
and everybody else.

I Yes. So. Well, we do that best of.

We're doing it.

I guess you're right.

It does take more than soldiers
and g*ns to fight a w*r.

Humanity in another country pretty well.

Where are you headed for right now?

Heber Valley.

Going down to pick up another herd.

Could do us a good service.

Plainly.

See, this country is pretty new to us.

Our next assignment is Hebrew Valley.

Where are headed? Toward right now?

Maybe you could guide us.

Sure.

I got to turn your patrol around.
Go up this hill.

I'll show you the way from there on in
good enough detail.

Follow me.

What do we do now?

How far is it in that place?

When I ride.

Let's go.

We can't leave them in.

It's back.

You know you're way out of here. Yes,

Colonel McCullough.

It looks too risky to begin with, sir.

If we keep moving.

I know the people in that farmhouse, sir.

They're Mormons.

They'll help

you go along. Yes.

Who is it?

Flint.

I man who let me in?

Flint.

What are you doing here? I'm in trouble.

I got some help. Jean.

Who are you talking to?

It's Flint.

What's wrong?

I'll explain. Later. Jean. Trust me.

What are you doing here at this hour?

There's a man outside,
sir, is badly wounded.

If he doesn't get help
soon, he's going to die.

What are you waiting for, boy?

Bring the man in. His.

Ma to bring hot water.

Something for bandages.

What? Thomas,
do you know what you're doing?

Martha, my dear, it's right.

The man is hurt.

It is God's will.

We must help those distressed.

He will show us the right.

So we put him at the gate

so nobody must know we're here.

All right, well, bring boiling water.

This way.

Then.

Right.

You? Yes.

We are deeply grateful to you, sir.

I'm Lieutenant Abbot,
Army of the Confederacy.

These men are under my command.

I think you're entitled to know that.

It doesn't matter.

We do not hold with w*r or violence.

It is simple and useless.

But we cannot withhold our help
when it is needed.

I respect your beliefs,

Jane.

Don't be angry. Let me explain.

Jean.

If you were a man, you'd understand.

I'm a woman, Flint.

And I don't understand.

So it doesn't matter anymore.

Doesn't it matter anymore

if you stop letting me

slip?

I love you so much for anything.

What'll happen
to you? I don't want to die.

Oh, Jean, nothing's going to happen to me,

so don't worry about it.

Don't go back.

You don't have to stay here.

Love me like you say you do.

Hit stay.

You ask me to think about love
and to understand.

Well, you're out there being hunted down
like an animal.

Oh, I'm pleased.

Pleased.

Jean.

I believe what I'm doing is right.

When the w*r is over,
I'll come back and we'll be married

no matter what.

Don't say that unless you mean it,

you know?

I mean,

I've made the boy as comfortable
as I could.

Thank you, Mrs.

King.

I love you.

Don't ever forget that.

Kid in your room.

I'm staying with you, Florence

Keller.

You're a fool.

What do you want?

Anybody pass by here tonight?

There's been no one by here.

Well, you know what it means to harbor
an enemy in time of w*r.

We have no enemies.

What are you, anyway?

We're Mormons, sir.

Mormons, huh?

You give me a word.

You're hiding no one in this house.

There's no one here
but my wife and myself.

I'm sorry to have bothered you.

Thomas.

Smith. I lied.

If it is right, God will forgive.

That's a courageous thing he did.

Lieutenant,
we can't ask any more of these people.

We've got to get out of here.

What about sir?

We just have to move on.

You don't have to worry about him.

He's dead.

Now. You remember what I said last night.

All I remember about last night was

that man lying down there.

Could have been you, Flint.

But it wasn't.

Look at me,

and it won't be

Flint.

Flint,

Why don't you stay?

As far as Colonel Taylor is concerned,
you could be as dead as Thor.

I've made my decision.

Yeah, and uncommonly
high, young man McCullough.

I'm a fool.

Come on, fool.

Guide me back to camp.

You're right, McCullough.

This is a fine tactical position.

Thank you, sir.

Hey, the deploy your man.

Yes, sir.

All right, Dismount.

All right, John.

Michael,
I want you to take a detail of four men.

Let's use the black powder.

I want you to blow up those bridges.

No prisoners.

And I'll hold you responsible
for anybody who escapes in that direction.

I see a man move you, man.

Come on, you two feet. Yeah.

The Yankees don't k*ll you.

I will. Come on, let's get him along.

Oh, you

want.

This prisoner, sir?

I told you we didn't want any prisoners.

You heard me.

He surrendered.

Hey, here's another one for you?

No, After him.

Oh, come out. You're under arrest.

But you don't understand.
Three surrendered.

You don't just sh**t a prisoner.

Hey, was a They have my orders,
so kind of take this man

in charge

by first.

Battle's always been to the appetite.

It isn't.

It is to cement shut down in cold blood.

No, he has written about it
in his position.

The colonel had no choice.

Lucky it wasn't you.

Come with me. Why?

That Look,

your conduct of this afternoon
as a soldier was inexcusable, sir.

I didn't know that. I'm not finished.

Because of your conduct.

A prisoner has escaped.

In our circumstances.

Unless that man is caught,
it can mean death for all of us.

I didn't realize that at the time, sir.

Military regulations

call for the extreme penalty
for such behavior.

However, in view of the fact
that this was our first encounter,

and because of your youth
and inexperience,

I have decided to forget the whole matter
for the present.

Thank you, sir.

All right,

Now, there is something
you are going to do for us.

My men have combed
every inch of the surrounding country.

No sign of this escaped prisoner

recalling your fortunate escape
from the patrol.

It occurs to me that this escaped prisoner
may be hiding in the same farmhouse.

I don't want to waste time looking for it.

You know exactly where it is.

And you will lead us there right now.

Move.

What do you want here?

I'm Colonel Taylor, Confederate Army.

I have reason to believe that
you are hiding an enemy in this house.

We have no enemies.

I'll give you one last chance
to disclose his whereabouts.

Otherwise, I sh**t you on the spot.

So if he's here, he's in the cellar.

He's got the old man down there.

All the others

burn the place out.

I don't remember what happened after that.

It's a long time
before I remember anything.

Then I learned
Taylor had been sent to prison.

That's
the only thing that kept him from me.

So I tried to forget.

And I thought I had until the day

the nightmare was four years ago.

But now it seems like yesterday

the man is alive, and as long as he lives,
it is not a nightmare.

It's a reality.

I knew this day would come.

I know what I have to do,

Taylor.

Hey. What?

There's nothing

left of him for me to destroy.

The feds have played a weird trick.

He destroyed himself
even as he destroyed others.

This part of my life now is just a memory.

After spending some time with Mr.

Bridger and reminiscing about

some of the more pleasant years of my
youth, I again join the wagon train

on this journey west.

Oh. Wagon.

The ring directs

the ring.

All aboard.

I am the weather.

To the Lord.

We stay together side by side.

Call the wagons

wagon, train

the passenger in the winter
wonderland present.

We're going to sit down on the board.

I am the weather friend to the ward.

We stay together side by side. One.