The Killer Angels Quotes
"If we're going to fight alongside us there's a few things I want you to know. This Regiment was formed last fall, back in Maine. There were a thousand of us then. There's not three hundred of us now. But what is left is choice."
"This is a different kind of army. If you look at history you'll see men fight for pay, or women, or some other kind of loot. They fight for land, or because a king makes them, or just because they like killing. But we're here for something new."
"It's the idea that we all have value, you and me. We're worth something more than the dirt. I never saw dirt I'd die for, but I'm not asking you to come join us and fight for dirt. What we're all fighting for, in the end, is each other."
"A good time of night. I have always liked this time of night."
"The whole damn Reb army's going to be here in the morning. They'll move right through town and occupy those damned hills – because one thing Lee ain't is a fool."
"General Pickett is our ranking strategist. We refer all the deeper questions to George."
"General Pickett's record at West Point is still the talk of the army."
"It is unbecoming to a soldier, all this book-learning."
"Well, I don't mean to imply this command. Not you, sir. I was just hoping you would talk to somebody."
"Would you like us to move the whole army out of the way and let you go first?"
"If the army has to turn and fight its way out of here, you'll be exactly first in line."
"It occurred to him that Longstreet not being a Virginian, he might have given another insult."
"I know I can count on you, George, when the time comes. And it'll come, it'll come."
"The day of the one-battle war is over, I think."
"War has changed, Lewis. They all expect one smashing victory."
"We have trenches now. And it's a different thing, you know, to ask a man to fight from a trench."
"Remember what they said when he took command? Called him Old Granny."
"The logical end to defensive warfare is surrender."
"They're off on a Holy War. The Crusades must have been a little like this."
"I don't think he would take it. But, I don't know. I like to think of him in charge. One honest man."
"Bow down Thy Heavens, O Lord, and come down, Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke."
"Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my fingers to fight and my hands to war. Amen."
"We established this country in the first place with strong state governments just for that reason, to avoid a central tyranny."
"What a piece of work is man . . . in action how like an angel!"
"If he's an angel, he's sure a murderin’ angel."
"Dan, Dan, Dan, Butterfield, Butterfield."
"He says you have a great reputation in Europe."
"If I should become once again indisposed."
"He promised me he would stay on the defensive. He said he would look for a good defensive position and let them try to hit us."
"We must be charitable with these people, Major."
"You must care for your men's welfare. You must show physical courage."
"You cannot judge a race. Any man who judges by the group is a peawit. You take men one at a time."
"Equality? Christ in Heaven. What I'm fighting for is the right to prove I'm a better man than many."
"There's only one aristocracy, and that's right here."
"The truth is, Colonel, that there's no divine spark, bless you."
"The more you kill, the more you do the world a service."
"What has been done to the black is a terrible thing."
"If they win there'll be two countries, like France and Germany in Europe, and the border will be armed."
"They burned a Catholic church up your way not long ago. With some nuns in it."
"Thank God for that. If I were an officer for them, on the other side, what would I be feeling now?"
"The old soldier was popping corn: pop pop poppity pop."
"Lee has made up his mind; there's nothing you can do."
"We must attack,' General Lee said forcefully. 'We must attack."
"The men are ready. I see no alternative."
"If I go to him now... He saw again the grave gray face, the dark reproachful eyes. Too late."
"Never served under a better man. Want you to know. Want to thank you, sir."
"Lawrence, old son, treasure this moment. Because you feel as good as a man can feel."
"Should have let me move to ri – To the right."
"He rode purposefully, slowly off into the dark feeling the swelling inside his chest like an unexploded bomb."
"He took his hat off, gazing upward at the long rise toward Cemetery Ridge."
"I have to tell you now, sir, that I believe this attack will fail."
"General, we all do our duty. We do what we have to do."
"General, I want you to make this attack."
"The enemy is there, and there's where I'm going to strike him."
"We have always been outgunned. Our strength is in our pride."
"Each man has his own reason to die. But if they go on, I will go on."
"If the war goes on – and it will, it will – what else can we do but go on?"
"In the presence of real tragedy you feel neither pain nor joy nor hatred, only a sense of enormous space and time suspended, the great doors open to black eternity, the rising across the terrible field of that last enormous, unanswerable question."
"Will God ask that question, in the end?"
"They do not die for us. Not for us. That at least is a blessing."
"They were moving with slow set stubborn unstoppable looks on their faces, eyes down, guns dragging the ground."
"Well, they're Americans anyway, even if they are Rebs."
"I don't care how much political fast-talking you hear, that's what it's all about and that's what them fellers died for."