With fellow Harvard students,
William F. Bartlett joins the Unions 20th
Massachusetts regiment. In the opening sequence,
Confederates deal the
Harvard Regiment" a blistering defeat at the
Battle of Balls Bluff.
Scouting the Federal picket line at Yorktown, Bartletts
left knee and lower leg are Shot to Pieces by
Confederate gunfire. In an especially accurate
depiction, the surgeon amputates from the knee
down.
At home, gaining a wooden leg, Bartlett recuperates with
Agnes Pomeroy, a Massachusetts businessmans daughter.
Friendship blossoms into romance.
A Confederate ball shatters Bartletts wrist at Port Hudson
while buckshot penetrates his foot, requiring surgery.
His regiment musters out on September 1st, 1863.
Despite Agnes imploring, "Don't go, you've done enough!"
Bartlett rejoins the Army continuing to fight saying,
It will be a bloody day. I believe I am prepared to
die.
At the Battle of the Crater, another Confederate
victory, Confederates capture
Bartlett. He fights starvation and disease in prison to
stay alive for the woman he loves.
Highlights include battles and authentic Civil War medical and surgical procedures, all true to the facts of Bartlett's life.
This feature-length film inspires young and old alike
with its action-packed story of courage and devotion to
duty, immersing the viewer in the smoke, gunfire and
pathos of America's Civil War.
The DVD version has been enhanced for widescreen (anamorphic widescreen).
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