NF Golden Thread Twenty-five Years Ago: My Brush With Glory!

Non-Fiction
you sure? i remember a story with one of your guys shooting one of ours with a longbow - in ww II. he also carried a claymore (sword!) into battle. :D

Thanks for the link, what a character! 'Mad Jack' eh, we've had one since - 'Mad Mitch' in Aden, I remember him, star of all the Front Pages and the TV reports:

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I've just been "reminded" by the American Battlefield Trust (former Civil War Trust) that today is the 155th anniversary of the Battle of Battery Wagner, a perfect excuse to revive my magnum opus thread and share this really nifty map of theirs showing the attack on the fort with the 54th Mass. naturally leading the way!

I like that map! Glad you shared it with us. That being said, its too bad we don't have Fort Wagner today, Lord knows there's enough data to know what it looked like, but sadly, cost notwithstanding, we're unlikely to even see a replica on the sight, since it would erode in no time.

Also, and I can't remember if it was covered in your excellent memoir, but I can't help but notice from this map that the movie showed the attack from the wrong direction. I've never been a student of this battle, (too much a Trans-Mississippi nut), but I never noticed from the movie till this map.
 
I 've always enjoyed that scene.

I haven't watched the film in a couple of years. Now you've given me a suggestion for this weekend. :thumbsup:

(Over fifty years separate these two photos.)

I missed this post last April.
Both of you two gentleman haven't changed much at all after fifty years.
 
... Also, and I can't remember if it was covered in your excellent memoir, but I can't help but notice from this map that the movie showed the attack from the wrong direction. I've never been a student of this battle, (too much a Trans-Mississippi nut), but I never noticed from the movie till this map.
It's discussed pretty fully several pages back, but what I see on the map that's impressive is that the layout and armament of Wagner is also wrong - the movie has it primarily armed with four 42-pounder guns, supported by at least a single 12-pounder howitzer on a skid and a six-pounder gun on a field carriage. (It's the one that blows them away at the end.) According to that map, there was only a single 42-pounder; the rest were smaller-caliber guns, and there were more of them.
 
It's discussed pretty fully several pages back, but what I see on the map that's impressive is that the layout and armament of Wagner is also wrong - the movie has it primarily armed with four 42-pounder guns, supported by at least a single 12-pounder howitzer on a skid and a six-pounder gun on a field carriage. (It's the one that blows them away at the end.) According to that map, there was only a single 42-pounder; the rest were smaller-caliber guns, and there were more of them.

I thought you had covered it earlier, but couldn't remember where, and was pretty lazy.

In the movie they made the Fort look impressive, but it was all wrong. Given the rarity of earthen forts in movies, I think they can be forgiven for the discrepancy.
 
I thought you had covered it earlier, but couldn't remember where, and was pretty lazy.

In the movie they made the Fort look impressive, but it was all wrong. Given the rarity of earthen forts in movies, I think they can be forgiven for the discrepancy.
And of course, part of the agreement with the landowners on Jekyll Island was that after filming this was totally dismantled and leveled, so there's no more remaining of it than the real Battery Wagner!
 
James N.
Fascinating insights into the film-making process. What an awesome experience. I’m glad you had the opportunity to weave this into your life.
Bumping this thread so other new members can check it out.
Thank you for sharing this.
 
Well. I should have re-read this thread sooner! I’m pleased to report we were able to get a pet-sitter and take my granddaughter and boyfriend to see it in Bee Caves this Wednesday, the last day of shows. This was our first time to see it onscreen...I was working in an incredibly time-consuming job then, 90 miles from a theatre (of any kind; and that’s still the case today in that town), and had a freshman in high school who was less than thrilled about seeing a history film.

James, I’m afraid you died again. But we loved the experience and would go again in a heartbeat. If anyone is reading this and didn’t go...sorry!
 
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I'll mention that lately I have noticed that veteran character actor Jay O. Sanders, seen here in my photo from the beach at Jekyll Island portraying General Strong, has become the narrator voice of the PBS series Secrets of the Dead as well as several episodes of the popular and long-running NOVA.
 
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I'll mention that lately I have noticed that veteran character actor Jay O. Sanders, seen here in my photo from the beach at Jekyll Island portraying General Strong, has become the narrator voice of the PBS series Secrets of the Dead as well as several episodes of the popular and long-running NOVA.
He also played a hitman on "Law and Order,Criminal Intent.
 
I'm putting this here because to me, it's the next best thing to being there--and we've discussed Morris Island at length! I suggest getting the tissues ready--I leaked (as Ole used to say) copiously while watching, never mind trying to tell my cleaning lady about it!

 
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Here are a couple more stills from Glory I recently found online that are worth noting: The one above showing the battle on James Island includes Dale Fetzer at extreme left and the late Matt Murdzak at right flanking members of the background company, fronted by Matthew Broderick. In addition to the obvious (from the left) Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher (blocking Denzel Washington), Broderick, Cary Elwes, and Jihimi Kennedy in the scene below, Fetzer is also visible just behind Kennedy and beside actor Donovan Leitch, Jr. at far right.

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