Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The following footage is from our vault of classics, taken ten years after its release.
00:19There's a water hole down there.
00:21Go on ahead.
00:31Water?
00:33Yeah.
00:35Get off your horse.
00:47I wouldn't if I were you, Trinna.
00:51You'd get about one swing and then I'd put a hole in you big as a saucer plate.
00:55I told you, you got the wrong man.
00:56Now, I never killed anybody.
00:58And I've never been to Junction City.
01:01Look, Trinna, let's understand each other. You're a nice fella.
01:04But if you ever try that again, I just will kill you as soon as I look at you.
01:10Keep your hands where I can see them.
01:12A man can get killed walking up soft like that.
01:16You wouldn't kill an officer of the law, would you?
01:20No, sir.
01:27Well, water hole's all yours, sorry.
01:30I didn't come for the water.
01:32I came for the prisoner, Randall.
01:35I'm the one that sent you that wanted circular on him.
01:38Oh.
01:40What's his name?
01:42Daniel Trinna.
01:44What's he wanted for?
01:46Murder in my town.
01:48And you?
01:50Howard Catlett.
01:52Sheriff of Junction City.
01:54Something bothering you, Trinna?
01:56Where did we meet?
01:58You'll remember.
02:00Well, you owe me $400, Sheriff.
02:02Plus room and lodging for three days, $23.
02:06$423 total.
02:08$423?
02:10Afraid I'll have to owe that to you.
02:12Get on your horse, Trinna.
02:14I don't get this.
02:16You will. Put your hands behind your head and turn around.
02:18You take that belt off.
02:20One hand.
02:43Something to remember me by.
02:47Let's go, Sheriff.
03:47Hey, uh...
03:49You're supposed to be on my side.
03:51Remember?
04:17Let's go.
04:47Let's go.
05:17Let's go.
05:43Randall.
05:47Get up.
06:09Get up.
06:11Twice in one day.
06:13I must be slipping.
06:15Get up.
06:17Hold on a minute.
06:19Let me get myself together.
06:25How did you ever manage to stay alive all these years, Randall?
06:29Yeah?
06:31You got the key to those handcuffs?
06:38Come on.
06:40Look, Catlett.
06:42Why don't you just give me my $423
06:44and give me my gun
06:45and I'll forget all about this
06:47and I'll get on out of here, huh?
06:49As long as you're here, you might as well stay.
06:51All right, Trinna.
06:52Why don't you just tell me what this is all about, hmm?
06:54I don't know.
06:55He didn't tell me anything.
06:57All right, Catlett.
06:59Now, what is this all about?
07:03You'll find out at sundown.
07:15Come on.
07:45Come on.
08:16Yes.
08:18Yes, of course, now I remember.
08:22Private Atkins.
08:25Sergeant Langley.
08:28Private Griffin.
08:36And me?
08:40Catlett.
08:42Catlett.
08:44Private Catlett.
08:47Well, of course.
08:49Well, it's been a long time.
08:51It's been six years
08:53since we've all been together, Lieutenant.
08:55Six years.
08:57Well, Randall, perhaps I'd better explain.
08:59Yeah.
09:01See, I was a lieutenant,
09:033rd Infantry, Minnesota.
09:05This is obviously some sort of a joke
09:07or a prank.
09:09See, my men are obviously giving me
09:11some kind of a surprise reunion, isn't that it?
09:13Yes, a reunion.
09:15Yeah, you see?
09:17Well, believe me, no one can be more surprised than I am.
09:21Langley.
09:24Sergeant Langley, it's good to see you.
09:30Forget it, Randall.
09:34Sit down, Lieutenant.
09:42You too, Randall.
10:06This military court is now in session.
10:08It is convened to set straight
10:10the official Army record
10:12by finally bringing the trial
10:14to Lieutenant Daniel Trenum.
10:18On the morning of 14th October, 1863,
10:20a detachment of the 3rd Infantry, Minnesota,
10:22under the command of the accused,
10:24was ambushed by Confederate troops.
10:26While subjected to withering crossfire,
10:28the accused,
10:30willfully and concerned only
10:32with his own personal safety,
10:34abandoned his command.
10:35What?
10:37The accused, Lieutenant Daniel Trenum,
10:39is charged with desertion.
10:41No!
10:43Trial judge advocate,
10:45Private Howard Catlett.
10:47Private Catlett, proceed.
10:50Oh, come on, Catlett.
10:52No remarks from the spectator.
10:54Fine.
10:56I'll just as soon go right now, if it's all right with you.
10:58Uh-uh.
11:00You're going to stay right here.
11:02Well, it seems to me this trial's a little bit one-sided, isn't it?
11:03You've got a judge and a prosecuting attorney,
11:05and what's old Trenum got?
11:22The accused will be unentitled to counsel
11:24until the court appoints Josh Randall.
11:26The defense will be given one hour to prepare its case.
11:28This court is in recess.
11:33Fair enough, Randall.
11:35I'm no lawyer, Catlett, and you knew that.
11:39You are now.
11:43You sue?
12:04I'd better tell you the truth, Walter.
12:06I don't know if I'll be able to do you much good here.
12:09At least I can find an opening so I can make a move.
12:15Court's now in session.
12:18And, uh, don't let him get to you.
12:25I'm sorry.
12:27I'm sorry.
12:29I'm sorry.
12:30I'm sorry.
12:40How does the accused plead?
12:42Huh?
12:44How does your client plead, Mr. Randall?
12:46He said he didn't do it.
12:48And you're entering a plea of not guilty?
12:51I suppose so.
12:53Trial judge, I'd like to start the examination.
12:56Your name?
13:00Daniel Trenner.
13:02Your rank?
13:04Captain, U.S. Army Reserve.
13:06Your rank as of 14 October, 1863?
13:10Lieutenant, second class.
13:13On that morning, you were in command of a detachment
13:15of the 3rd Infantry of Minnesota.
13:17Is that correct?
13:19You know it is?
13:21Just answer the questions.
13:23I was in command.
13:25How many men were you commanding?
13:28We left Johnson and Phillips at Vicksburg.
13:31Ten.
13:33Do you recall the exact position of your command
13:35on the morning in question?
13:37I do.
13:39Describe it.
13:41We were moving through a small valley
13:43when suddenly we were ambushed by the enemy
13:45from a ridge above.
13:49And what did you do?
13:51And what did you do?
13:55After making sure my men had taken cover,
13:57I did the same.
13:59This was your first field command.
14:01Yes.
14:03As a matter of fact, your first battle experience.
14:05That's right.
14:07And you were a little upset, nervous.
14:09No more than any other man would have been.
14:11Much more. You were scared yellow.
14:13You were worried about your own miserable hide.
14:15I was not.
14:17You took an oath as an officer of the United States Army
14:18and in the first test of battle, you broke it.
14:20I did not.
14:22You saw a chance to sneak out alive.
14:25Five of your men were killed.
14:27The rest wounded.
14:29Five of us ended up in the hospital.
14:31Five of us alive.
14:33But we'll never be the same again.
14:35None of it mattered to you.
14:38Just as long as you saved yourself.
14:42That's not true.
14:44You got out.
14:46Then the police came.
14:48To protect yourself,
14:50you gave them your version at headquarters.
14:52I told them the truth at headquarters.
14:54You lied.
14:56You're lying now.
14:58I am not lying.
15:00They gave you a medal.
15:02They even promoted you.
15:04For bravery above and beyond the line of duty.
15:07And now we're going to set the record straight.
15:12You are facing a charge of which you are guilty.
15:16Desertion under fire.
15:19I did not desert.
15:21We all saw you run that morning, Lieutenant.
15:23All of us here.
15:26Well, if he did run,
15:28it seems to me you won't give him a chance to explain why.
15:30Your witness.
15:35Yeah, well,
15:37you say there were only five men
15:39that got out of that ambush alive, right?
15:41Yes.
15:43These four and one other.
15:45And one of the fellas' name was Nelson.
15:46When the shooting started,
15:48you and him took cover.
15:50Yes, behind a boulder.
15:52But he was with you, huh?
15:54Yes.
15:56And you had a little talk.
15:58That's right.
16:00Well, seeing as you were the only one who was there,
16:02why don't you tell these people here what you were talking about?
16:04I could see our position was impossible.
16:06There was one chance in a million
16:08of getting through to the rear for help.
16:10Now, I couldn't expect Corporal Nelson
16:12to take that chance.
16:14Or any other man in my detachment.
16:16Not myself.
16:18But before I left,
16:20I told Corporal Nelson to advise Sergeant Langley
16:22here of my action.
16:24And then I made a run for it.
16:26I got back to camp.
16:28And immediately a relief column was dispatched.
16:30But the accused did not return with that column.
16:34Fair answer.
16:37That very morning,
16:39orders had come through transferring me
16:41to General Sherman's army.
16:43Defense has proved nothing.
16:44We've spent six years
16:46trying to catch up with him.
16:48Those six years aren't going to be wasted.
16:50We all saw what he did that morning.
16:52He's guilty.
16:54That's a fact.
16:56Maybe what he told Nelson was a fact, too.
16:58It's only his words.
17:00Unsupported.
17:02Well, beside Turner,
17:04there's only one man that knows what was said there.
17:07Corporal Nelson.
17:09Yes.
17:11And why isn't Nelson here?
17:12Why isn't Nelson here?
17:36Nelson.
17:39Corporal Nelson.
17:43Nelson, tell them what happened.
17:46Nelson!
17:48You were there...
17:52Nelson.
18:03He's been that way
18:05ever since the morning you deserted us,
18:07Captain.
18:13Prosecution rests.
18:21Does the defense have anything to add?
18:43The accused is found guilty as charged.
18:46Sentence will be imposed at dawn.
19:13Hold it.
19:26It's a sentence to this court, Turner,
19:28that you be given a second chance.
19:30Same one you had on the morning 14th, October, 63.
19:33To run for your life under fire.
19:36You'll walk into the yard there.
19:38You'll stop. The shot will be fired overhead.
19:40That'll be the signal for you to run.
19:42Maybe you can make it to your horse
19:44and get away alive again.
19:47Turn around.
19:49Turn around and walk.
20:07Fire it up, Turner.
20:12Fire it up!
20:21What's the matter, Turner?
20:23You afraid to run now?
20:25You weren't afraid six years ago.
20:27I tell you I'm not guilty!
20:31You heard what I said.
20:33Start running.
20:38Put the guns down,
20:40I'll take the top of his head off, I swear.
20:43Hand the pistols.
20:45With your fingertips, friend.
20:50We got it.
20:52All right, Turner, get on your horse and get out.
20:56Out, Turner!
21:08Out!
21:10Now, Turner,
21:12they just keep looking for me.
21:15But I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life hiding.
21:17Now, look, I wasn't guilty six years ago,
21:19and I'm not guilty now.
21:21Look, I believe you, but this is no time for discussion.
21:23Now, get out of here.
21:25But that's not enough.
21:27You see, they gotta believe me, too.
21:29So put your gun away, Randall.
21:31Go ahead, let him do what you want.
21:33Drop it, please.
21:37All right.
21:39Come on, I'm not running.
21:41I'm not guilty.
21:44I'm gonna stand right here until you make up your minds.
21:56You spent six years hating me, huh?
22:00Well, you wasted six years.
22:08We're finished here.
22:10Let's get the hell out of here.
22:28Gatlin.
22:30You owe me $423.
22:35And I want my gun.
22:40Come on.
22:59$423.
23:07It's empty.
23:09Now we're even.
23:21Now we're even.
23:38Now we're even.
24:08© BF-WATCH TV 2021