Hi, Mom.
Life is as simple as a choice.
Good or bad, wrong or right...
...ultimately, it will make us into who we are.
A simple choice made in youth...
...can alter the very course of a lifetime.
It can take us up mountainous peaks
or along smooth and gentle streams.
- You ready? - Ah, the looker.
- Come on. - -You look like a regular soldier.
It can take us down into deep and shadowy valleys...
...hard and treacherous places.
Come on.
Say goodbye to your mom or what?
No, it ain't worth it.
What a lifetime really is, is
a million different decisions that someone made...
...and everything that happens in between...
Well, that's what living is.
You know, I'd reckon after three months of drilling,
you'd be a lot quicker than Molasses.
Fall in, boy.
We've been marching all damn night.
Come on, sleepyhead.
Double time, quick. Fall in on next corporal.
They got us racing
a colored unit to reinforce the 21st.
Can you believe that? Negroes with guns?
Way no nigger gonna be beating us
through our first fight. I'll tell you that much.
And just imagine them on the line.
"Can I shoot, Massa? Oh, why, thank you, Massa."
You men cut that john and fall in. Get moving.
Not much more of this I can take.
Attention, company.
Right dress.
Company, halt.
Son, identify yourself.
21st Ohio.
They had us surrounded.
Outnumbered four to one.
A whole mess of them.
Killing all the wounded they can.
Fall in line at the rear of the regiment.
Private.
There ain't no way in hell I'm going back there!
Corporal Hyde, arrest this man for desertion.
No.
Attention, company!
Shirking, desertion and cowardice
is in fact a military offense punishable by prison
or execution.
Now forward march!
Lewis?
Yeah?
I don't think I got it in me to kill a man.
Damn it.
So that's why you been quiet all morning?
Look around you, William.
How many men in this outfit you think killed before?
Let's show these... sons of bitches
what us boys from Clearfield are made of.
Fire by company!
Ready!
Aim!
Fire!
Oh, shit, Willie. I think I got one.
Load, load, load!
William, lie down.
We just, uh, we just gotta get home. Get home.
We just--
We gotta--
We just--
We just... Go home, man.
Just gotta get home.
Mm-mm.
- You ready? Come on. - Ah, the looker.
Captain, see what he got.
Damn.
He ain't dead.
Mm. Mm.
It's okay.
Dee, we gotta keep on.
You know damn well that boy ain't lasting
until morning. Look at him.
No. He gonna help us get where we need to go.
He gonna get us killed.
Come on, let's get you up. Come on, come on.
Leave him. We gotta move.
Come on. Let's get you up. Come on.
Come on. Come on.
Find them legs, boy. Kitchum,
come and get this side.
Kitchum!
Here we go.
Find them legs, boy. Come on.
Lord, Dee, he's gonna make us do all the work.
Don't matter if we have to carry him the whole way.
They bring him on they own and let us right on through.
Give us strength, Father.
You best not die on us.
He ain't gonna die.
Nah, he ain't gonna die.
Fine.
All right, this is gonna hurt.
Name's Dee.
This here is Kitchum.
He takes the kitch, so...
...best call him that.
You just giving our names out now?
- What they call you? - William.
Is you a pattyroller, William?
You looking to catch you some slaves?
See, old Kitch...
...he don't trust nobody,
'cause he got a heart the size of a pea.
There we go.
There.
That'll do till we get on the camp.
Camp?
Yeah, we heard you boys in blue was close...
...so we're gonna join the fight.
Signing up.
Keep following this river here north. We should be just fine.
I'm gonna go see where them boys run off to.
Yeah.
Y'all boys weren't lying when you said you move quick.
I told you that boy was deadweight. Where Dee at?
- Where they at? - Where they at?
...move on!
What the hell you doing, boy? Get out!
Dee, let's get outta here.
There's too many of them out there, Kitch.
No! No!
-No, no, no. -Damn, Kitchum, get back.
Dee!
Get them! They're moving the other way.
I got you. You all right.
You're okay. Look at me. You're okay, you're all right.
- Kitchum. Kitch, you got to help him.
-Kitchum, you, you gotta help him. -No, no, no, no, no, no.
You, you gotta help me get there.
-You gotta help me get there. -Take, take him with you.
Help me take him. Help me take him, Dee.
Dee! Hey, don't leave me. Don't leave me.
Hey! Dee!
- There's too many of them.
Kitchum, run!
Billy, no!
No!
- Easy, boys, easy. - You see them?
- Move in left, move in left. - -Covering there.
- Over there. Get him! - Get him. Get him.
Hey, hey, look, you're gonna have to run with me, all right?
-Everything you got. Come on. -No.
Come on. Come on.
Come on, we gotta move.
We gotta move.
I'm gonna tear you up, boy.
Over there.
Come. Come on.
You all right.
Oh, you best be worth it.
I don't need your help.
You don't need my help?
I've been trudging your broken ass all through these hills.
Billy, Dee, they all dead 'cause of you.
You just wanna lay here and die?
Fine.
You know, fine by me.
Just keep up.
-Some bitch surprised me. -This him?
This the boy who whoop you?
No. That ain't him.
And he weren't alone, neither.
He had a Yank running with him. Mm-hm.
I almost had him, but he, but he...
And then I didn't get a clean eye on him.
No following dog.
- Turner! - Yeah, boss?
You find whichever nigger favors most...
...and mess him up a bit, would you?
This sign say "dead or alive."
These woods is my world,
and I'm God in it. Hear me?
You let another slave take advantage of you...
...boy, you fetch one more from the rest of them.
Slave running with a Yankee.
Come on, we're close.
Come on.
I know.
Come on.
Lewis.
We just gotta get home.
You can get a might of fresh air with me.
Well, you back to your mind.
Caddy.
Thank you.
For what you done.
Now, look, don't go saying nothing about what happened to Dee and them boys, all right?
Ain't gonna do nobody no good round here.
Specially on Caddy.
Abner don't want her finding out what happened, so...
...as far as anybody need to know,
them boys just went on ahead of us.
That the truth, right?
Look, Abner gonna give you a few days to get right.
Said it ain't just that a soldier be hid out
while there's fighting still to be done.
And I quite agree with him.
No. Look at me.
Look, if I go back, I'll be buzzard's meat the way I am.
I won't last one goddamn skirmish.
I-- If you milk it, I can get a few days
before Abner come down hard on your butt.
Then it's best you go.
-Breathe, boy, breathe. -Yeah, I'm fine.
-Damn son of a bitch. Ah. -Hey. Hey.
-Goddamn. Set me down here. -Hey. Look.
I ain't normally like this.
You ain't normally getting toe up like that either.
I know you ain't yellow.
You sure got an old mama.
I never know my mama.
Abner found me while I was running north.
And since I has been here,
so become hard to get too far away.
And Caddy, she never had any babies of her own,
so she ain't got no Mammy or no Pappy.
She gonna find you.
Make you hers.
And Dee was her favorite.
That's why we're not going around
singing about what happened, you hear?
Sammy. Come on out here and help me, baby.
How come no one's found you out here?
Soil ain't fertile.
Ain't much reason for nobody to come round these parts.
See Abner, he, he's a free man.
He bought his freedom and this, this godforsaken land by hiring out.
Most slaves, they ran off when the war broke out.
So you's a slave then.
You see chains on me?
While Massa round here barking orders?
I ain't been no slave since I ran out that plantation.
I'm doing the Lord's work ever since.
How many fights you see, Will?
Uh, shoot...
...I reckon 11 or 12.
Damned if I see no Negro with 12 fights...
...sure got us digging them graves though.
Yeah, well, I guess everybody gotta prove themselves.
Prove themselves?
Do you expect we want this war?
No, I'm just saying that...
Well, this is new for everybody.
It's not new.
We've been in chains by your people for a hundred years.
What's all this fussing out here? Stop it.
A war that destroyed enough lives,
Lord knows I ain't letting it
come in here around me like this.
Y'all won't see me turn.
These old legs still kick like a mule.
Kitchum.
Well, where you is off to?
Sorry, Missus. Must have lost my manners.
Excuse me, Master Sir.
I has got to spring a leak.
May I's go unattended to prove myself to you, Master Sir?
Them is your brothers in chains you mocking.
You so sharp and quicker than a white man I know,
but deep down inside, you ain't nothing
but a hither nigger with a loose tongue.
Them boys fighting for the cause.
Bloodied for it.
While we at it, Dee even gone up and join with them Yanks,
and here you is.
When you going off and fighting like Dee, huh?
You such a man. Now, when you going off and fighting like Dee?
That Kitch?
He's a good boy.
He just needs some time to hisself.
You best make it right with him before...
I see five or six of them paddyrollers
wandering over this side of the mountain.
Best be careful now.
I don't know what Kitchum was thinking
bringing that damn white boy here.
He ain't helping nothing or no one.
Ain't always about what's helping the herd, Abner.
Ellis, that soldier ain't nothing but trouble.
One of the big bucks got away.
Jake's coming for stragglers.
He will track him.
You know, when I was a boy,
I worked the fields from dark to dark like you.
Hands would... crack and bleed.
Thought my back would break from towing all that timber.
When I come home...
...my daddy would whoop me like some wild beast near every damn night.
Turn my shirt blood red.
Just like this.
They say...
...on the inside...
...we...
...ain't much different.
That despite the color our skin...
...we all bleed the same.
You know...
...I pity you folks somewhat.
-I do. -Boss, we found her.
Yeah. And she pretty too.
Your Massa really wants you back.
He's paying $800 to... to find you.
You're gonna have to keep on catching me
'cause I ain't gonna never stop running.
Well, yeah.
You run across that river,
any direction, 50 miles,
well, I'm gonna find you.
You run 100 miles...
...someone else just like me
gonna find you.
You go like that all the way to the end of the Earth.
Well, I'll tell you how it's gonna be.
First one of you niggers make it to the other side of that river...
...is a free man.
God, not you!
- You're free. - How that feel, huh?
How that feel?
- I'm gonna get you. - No, you're not.
One, two, three,
four, five, six,
seven, eight,
nine, ten.
- You can't get me. - Sammy.
- You can't get me. - Bet I will.
I bet I catch the next one.
Boy, this is my river.
Ah, these fish in here know me by damn name.
Don't just stare. You so sure, shake my hand.
Why are you laughing like some ugly little pig?
You got my spit in your hand. That's why.
Who the hell shakes another man's hand wet with saliva?
I don't know. I thought it was something white folk did.
Oh, yeah. There's a fool made every minute, huh?
Jeez, I ain't got the pock or nothing.
Well, how am I supposed to know
what you got?
Oh, that's my fish.
Oh, no the hell it ain't.
What the hell?
Here we go.
You fooling?
Yeah. There.
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing William,
Flatwoods' biggest chumpy.
Yeah.
Come on, Willie.
Wanna eat these before morning come.
Uh, yeah, I'm coming.
Yay!
Where you been? You been gone all day.
Yeah.
Little Miss Mary here act like she ain't know how to walk right.
-Why you all dressed up for? -'Cause we're going
out this evening. That's why.
Now go and get ready.
The sun's almost down.
Don't you worry about that. Clean up.
Going out?
-Who are all these people? -My family.
This angel's name is William.
Lord, don't you know he's fighting for the Union?
You gonna just stand there looking lost?
Best eat some food before it gone.
Whoo.
So what do you think?
I've never seen so many Negroes in all my life.
You all sure laugh more than hyenas do.
Yeah, what's wrong with that?
No, nothing. It just... It makes me happy.
Happier than I been in a long time.
-Oh, come on, Willie. -What is it?
Ain't gonna know till you take a little swig.
Man.
Oh.
Yeah.
-Oh, boy. -You all right. You all right.
-It's heavyweight. -It ain't gonna kill you.
-Woah, God. -Yeah. That's what we call "Oh Be Joyful."
Y'all must be tired after all that excitement.
Mm-hm.
Lord, Lord, Lord...
...look at my two mens.
One's as beautiful and soul-penetrating as the night.
Another one's as soft and smooth as cream.
What?
Hey, Willie, if you was an Injun,
your name would be Cow Udders.
What the hell?
Cow udders, like, like the titty,
'cause that's where milk come from.
Kitchum, what's the matter with you?
Well, Mama, y-- you say he was soft, uh, a-- as cream.
-That's where the milk come from. -Cow udders?
Yeah.
Child, come now, come.
Okay.
I'm sorry. It's funny.
It's funny.
Oh, God. Come here, child.
My word, Ellis. What is it?
Just got word. Our parcel's lost.
Can't find the depot.
Ab does not fit tonight.
I was hoping Kitchum might have himself a small fire in the wood.
If the passenger see the fire, Kitchum may send them to the station.
Yes, sir.
We need you out till dawn.
Ellis, a fire ain't safe in them woods.
Too many eyes around.
All's we can do for now, Caddy.
Ain't no other way.
Yes, sir.
What was all that about?
We help to run the railroad, Will.
Taking slaves up north, freedom's land.
Abner, Caddy, they both do the work.
Cooking, cleaning, sowing.
Me, I take them ten miles up the Hyrum Williams' plantation.
He take them on to the next station.
Yeah, well, I'm coming.
All right.
- Just don't slow me down. - -You gonna take a wounded white boy
in them woods and start a fire?
I know you're not that foolish.
All the fighting's out east.
Plus, ain't no paddyrollers tracking nobody in these parts, so...
I would just be sitting by a fire is all.
Plus, William's a soldier.
Might be wounded, but he ain't down.
It'll be all right.
I wish I had a conviction like you, Kitch.
You a soldier in the cause, ain't you?
...enough.
Yeah.
A soldier.
Tell me, what is one damn soldier gonna do in this war...
...let alone some backwoods slave?
Some Black men I remember...
...with a silent tongue, clenched teeth...
...steady eye and a well-poised bayonet.
And he help mankind along this great consummation.
...dead.
Yeah, what'd a Negro know about anything, anyway?
Well, you must have got yourself confused or something.
The whole world's got itself confused.
Whites owning Negroes like they, like they pack animals.
Like they more valuable than us.
Come on, Will. I know you don't think like that.
You better than that, boy.
I'm Yank, okay. Now, of course I ain't confused.
Will, look at me.
We equal.
You know that, right?
-It's just-- -Just what?
This war ain't about slavery, Kitch.
It's about reclaiming the Union. Making things whole again.
They got you all jostled up, don't they?
Slavery ain't right, Kitch.
And you know I know that.
I hope this war frees your people. I really do.
But ain't slavery helping you some?
I mean, it's got you this far. It's made you the man you are.
There's bound to be some good in it.
Half the damn country is fighting for it.
Look what slavery's did for me.
Look at me, Will.
-Uh... -Look at me!
Every scar Master give you on the outside,
he'd give you a hundred more on the inside.
Black man ain't nothing but a cow or a dog
or a fucking work mule.
A nigger!
What happened?
Master Morris come home...
...drunk as Christmas morning.
He catch me in his study.
I was charged with closing down the house every night.
That harmonica was just laying on the floor.
So I picked it up and I...
...I wanna play one note.
It's my harmonica.
Just one note.
But you...
...had to go put your nigger lips all over it.
Now it's ruined.
How was it, boy, huh? You got the music in you?
I'll make you sing. Get up.
I can feel the dirt around me getting wet.
I don't remember him dousing me with no water.
Master Morris kept screaming for me to say something.
I ain't say a damn word.
"You like that, boy?
You gonna play some now?
Huh?"
When I come to...
...Morris is gone.
His boys was herded up round me.
Laughing and spitting on me.
I didn't care none just as long as their cat-o'-nine-tails wasn't working on me.
That's when I felt lightning...
...just shooting through my body.
He was rubbing salt and pepper grains into me.
Beating me was punishment, he say.
This is so I don't forget.
I don't know what to say.
Ain't nothing to say.
But that's why we're gonna win this war.
'Cause we got cause to.
We got a reason to win.
Ain't no hiding the truth, Will.
No matter what any man does or-- or anybody think,
the truth is just waiting to be found,
and goddamn it, we found it.
God's in this fight.
Just a bad dream, that's all.
Oh, look...
Tell me something, boy.
What you doing out here in these woods all alone tonight?
You wouldn't be out looking for monkeys, would you?
You seen this runaway?
Uh, no, sir.
What about this big old ape?
$2,500?
This here king of all the niggers.
Mighty grayback himself, Ellis Freeman.
I can tell he's a special kind of nigger.
Named himself "Freeman."
He been stealing slaves off every plantation from here to Mississippi.
They were stating the Confederacy after him.
I don't know why,
but you smell like a nigger.
You been helping niggers, boy?
Well, shoot.
We in the South, boys.
Can't smell nothing but nigger.
The truth is, I'm out here alone
because I was meant to meet my lady friend Janey out here, but, uh...
Well, she didn't show, so...
I tell you what?
I see your girl tonight...
...I'm gonna make sure
she gets back to you in one piece.
How about that?
Let's go bring the horses.
Kitch.
Hey, Kitch!
Kitch!
I thought you was a goner.
Kit...
Hey, hey, hey. What you doing?
Making sure they don't come back.
What about the slave, Kitch?
Ain't no use in saving those slaves if we dead, all right?
Come on.
What?
You Boone?
All right then. We best get hoofing.
That sun's coming up quick.
How I know who you is?
You got your ticket, ain't you?
Besides, seeing as how we've been waiting out here all night for you...
...you got a pretty easy decision.
Keep walking around broad day until one of these paddyrollers finds you...
...or follow after us.
You seen the others I with?
Just you.
You coming?
You gonna be able to keep up?
I ain't got no peg legs. I'm just sore.
Damn, boy. I was looking for a yes.
Ain't cripple in the morning.
Kitchum.
Well, what are you doing here?
I thought you were off with Dee and the rest of them boys.
Just, um, tending to a few things, Miss Charlotte.
Is your daddy home?
Uh, yes.
Yes. I'll go fetch him for you.
Uh, hey, what did you mean earlier about a, a ticket?
It's a genuine ticket to ride all the way to Heaven.
Promised Land.
So, yeah, you got one of these, my boy...
...you got angels watching over you.
Even God's protection.
So who are these fine young gentlemen?
Well, that there's William.
And this here is Mr. Boone.
Let's get you some food.
Yeah. Surely you must be hungry.
Charlotte, you get this good man inside and...
...find him a meal.
Well, I, uh...
I heard what happened, Kitchum.
I want you to know I'm awful sorry.
Boys best be extra careful out there. You hear me?
Yeah, well, we best be getting back.
Jackson!
Would you fetch John? Have him bring up the mule and some dried goods?
Oh, yeah.
Don't you mind Jackson. He's...
...he's new around here.
He's not used to being free.
You boys take that mule over
to Abner and Caddy as soon as you can, would you?
Tell them hello from me now, won't you?
-It was nice to meet you, William. -Um, yes, sir.
Take care, boy.
-Kitchum. -Thank you.
-He all yours. -Mm.
Mm-hm.
Hup.
Yes, come on.
You know, if it weren't for your color...
...I'd think y'all's kinfolk.
Oh, we look like brothers?
I ain't that ugly.
- Well, that's the first time you done saying something funny.
- Watch my leg. -I got scared that you was actually
turning into a grumpy old man.
It is hotter than hell out here.
Yeah.
You swim?
Uh-huh.
All right. I'll make you a deal.
You teach me how to swim,
and I teach you to play the harmonica.
You straight shooting?
Okay then.
Okay, look, first thing you gotta know
is you gotta swim with your feet like this.
I-- I can't, I can't see what you doing.
Well, that's why I'm telling you to sit here,
right next to me.
Right here.
So, you move your legs back and forth like this.
You move your arms back and forth like that.
-How do I go make me float? -Like this.
Damn! Boy, I--
Lesson one if you learn how to swim is to get wet.
I'm gonna kill you.
Okay, swim to me. Swim to me.
I can't swim.
Drive on. Drive on. There you go.
Look, you move. You can do it.
Kick your legs. Move your feet.
- I'm gonna die! - No, you ain't. That's it.
- Come on. Move your legs. - I'm gonna die, boy!
You're doing it! You're doing it!
Yeah!
I got it. Oh, I'm gonna still kill you though.
I'm gonna still kill you.
You still dead.
You gonna kill me?
-I'm gonna kill you, boy. -Yeah, okay.
-Hey, Kitch. -Yeah?
You're welcome.
Good boy.
Well, I'll be damned...
...if it ain't little Casanova hisself.
I, in my whole life, ain't never seen you in these woods once.
Just the time
I'm hunting me some fugitive Negroes.
I seen you twice in one day.
I was just on my way back from the market.
Oh.
Which side you favoring?
I don't know who you is,
but I ever see you in my woods again,
I gonna gut you.
Bring the mule.
We got our hands dirty.
Oh, there's a flower.
Lord, what spooked you?
Had a scare with some bad men.
We got real scared.
Everybody best be on their high guard.
-These slave runners hunting around. -Mm-hm.
Ain't no man... except the good Lord hisself.
I'm gonna go fetch some supper and bring it out to you.
You best get packed up.
You, you can't stay around here no more.
It's no matter. He ready.
No, I ain't ready. I...
I ain't right yet.
Them slaves you trying to help...
...they gonna be captured and slaughtered before they get to freedom.
You wanna help them?
Strap on your Union blues,
and shoot every grayback you see.
You know, Abner...
...William ready. He just wanna make sure he right before he leave.
Yeah, he's been sour on me since I got here.
No, that's just Abner.
Hell, he soft on you.
Well, at least you got a few more days before you get back to fighting.
Or close to...
Yeah.
How about you teach me to play that harmonica?
-What, now? -Yes, sir.
I need to learn so I can impress myself a lady.
Oh.
Well, Willie, not trying to be mean, but...
...I don't think you can impress a lady after she get a look at your face.
Oh.
-Oh, is that right? -Yeah.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. -Oh, oh! Oh.
- Okay. Oh. - Yah. Come on!
- Okay, I... - Help me!
I'm not...
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- There you go. - Let me go.
- Go sleep, Kitch. - Oh, okay.
Look, I'm not fighting no cripple...
Oh, you best start, my boy, 'cause this cripple whooping your ass.
Yeah.
- All right. - Oh, there you go.
- All right. -Oh, you ain't even trying, Kitch.
- That's it. Okay. - Okay, here we go.
Just got paid visit from our boy.
Says Hyrum Williams down in Cottonwood...
...using his plantation to hide out that runaways we was looking for.
-You sure about that? -That ain't the best part of it.
Says two men... that slave.
A white man with a nigger.
Said Hyrum Williams gave a mule as payment.
That boy...
...he's a Yankee.
You find out who else working with Hyrum Williams.
We ain't gonna take care of it now?
Um, mm-mm.
No.
We kill one little rat...
...rest of them catch wind, run off, find a new home.
I'm gonna bring out all the vermin.
Burn them all at once.
Yeah.
No more rats.
You let them boys know.
The Yankee...
...is mine.
Do the other one. I'll take that.
- You take this? - Yeah.
There you go.
We're gonna put it up there, let the sun make it brand-new.
I know you must miss your family, honey.
-Course I do. -Yeah, your mama?
Yeah.
Good having help.
-Happy to help. -Thank you, baby.
I don't want Abner to know, uh, Kitchum was...
but, you know, I don't be feeling my best all the time.
I been needing a little help around here.
-Sure. -Don't stop, now!
Okay.
Lord, some people you can't give a compliment to.
Yeah.
See, well, you hold your lips like this, right?
And then you blow here.
Like that sound.
And when you blow here...
...same sound.
Yeah, you look like an imbecile with your lips like that.
Yeah, this is useless.
You're never actually gonna teach me how to play.
No, you just stupid, is all. Yeah.
The sound look like an ugly blonde woman I'm trying to swim.
"Help me, Will! Hell, save me, please! I'm drowning!"
Get off me. Get off me.
Yeah.
Say, Kitch.
What made you and Dee stop and help me at the creek that day?
All the whining you was doing,
whole Reb army would have found you, and us.
-He had no choice. -No, I'm serious.
I been going over and over in my head. I can't quite figure it.
You must have passed plenty of hurting men that day asking for help.
We came across you quite sudden.
Blind truth, you scared me.
I gave you a quick look up and down, and I wrote you off.
You opened your eyes.
And you looked right at me.
I don't know. Something,
something about that look just felt familiar.
And it felt like...
Yeah, it's funny.
-It the truth. -No, it's funny 'cause...
After the fight, I was... hurting real bad.
I saw my mama.
I could reach out and touch her.
That's when I started to feel death pulling at me.
After a while, it started to feel nice, so...
...I asked God if he would take me home to Him.
That's when I opened my eyes and saw you boys standing over me.
Looks like Ellis'll be needing our help building another fire.
Yeah.
- You like hunting? - Hunting?
Uh, yeah, sure. You've been hunting?
-I killed about two rabbits or so. -Two rabbits?
What, you telling me you killed two rabbits?
Yeah.
You like them guns? Shooting?
- Do I like them guns? - Yeah.
I don't know.
Uh, I guess.
You know, you gotta protect yourself, right?
So everybody's gotta learn how to use a gun.
Abner says if I ever touch a gun in that house, I'm getting a big whooping.
Yeah.
Yeah, I don't doubt that.
Yeah, I wouldn't wanna get a whooping off Abner, I'll tell you that.
I'm waiting for one.
What about the war? Your experience with it?
Everybody's gotta be a man, do their part.
I don't know, I guess this war's part of that...
...so I'm doing my part.
I see them troubles on your mind.
This war was supposed to change me.
I left Lewis lying there all alone.
Boy, you take one thing from Ellis Freeman. Take this.
There ain't no rules in war.
They gonna tell you there is. There ain't.
Some fight with the gun...
...some with the chain.
But only real war there is is with the mind.
You win that fight,
and there ain't no other fight left.
But long as you wrestling your mind, boy,
you more slave than them field niggers.
You win your mind, you free.
- Ah. - Mm.
Ellis is late as usual.
Ooh. Whoa. Ooh, that's a stink.
You started on this fighting.
Yeah, you stink. That's why I sleep upwind.
Yeah, well, if I be needing a bath...
...you be needing one too.
Come on.
-Ah, it's cold out here. -Come on, it's good for you.
Ah, ooh, damn, damn.
Ooh. Come on.
You gonna wash the stink off you, Kitch. Come on.
Yeah, just get it.
-Oh! Hell no. -Come on, just take the stink off.
I-- I'll wait. Uh, you get as clean as you want.
-Whoa, Kitch. -Stop it, Willie.
Damn.
Who else you got here, hm?
- Think that I'll let it run away?
We darn already got him.
I'm gonna ask you one last time.
Where...
...you hiding...
...the rest of those... apes?
How about that?
You got some more spit for me?
Hm?
A little?
Nothing?
No more spit?
We know that's your railroad.
You know what this is?
What about a little porch monkey?
What have you...
No.
Son, there's worse things than dying.
No, we didn't threaten him.
Did we, son? We didn't threaten you.
We just paid him a little.
Now, Mr. Freeman...
...you gonna die knowing all your efforts were in vain.
We gonna kill...
...everyone you love.
How much we'd pay you?
We're gonna hunt you down like dogs!
You hear?
Dogs!
Turner, mark the spot.
Coming back for the body.
W-- What happened?
- They killed Ellis. - What?
- Who?
Slave runners and his men.
- Abner! - -They know about the railroad.
We gotta make it to Hyrum Williams' plantation.
- Boy, you better leave my clothes alone. - -Mama, we gotta go.
Oh!
What you doing?
Making it look like don't nobody live here.
- What's happening, Mama? - What?
-Abner! -Willie, come and take this inside.
Abner! Oh.
-Kitchum, wait. -Willie, grab the clothes.
Abner!
Abner, stop them.
Oh! Kitchum!
Oh.
Stop it!
Stop it, Kitchum.
I ain't leaving this house.
This is my home.
And ain't no war, no monster,
no crazy white man gonna pluck me from it.
I's got children all over this land.
And when we's all's free, this is where they coming.
-I ain't leaving. Not for a minute. -Look, Caddy--
This damn war done ripped my family up.
But as God is my witness, I ain't gonna let it destroy it.
I ain't leaving, you hear me? I ain't going!
They killed Dee!
Billy, Zachariah, all of them dead.
He shot them in front of me.
And we gotta go.
Oh, no.
Nora, tell Caddy you love her. We leaving.
No. Give me back my baby. No!
No. No!
- What you doing, Kitchum? - L-- Look.
You tearing my family up!
- Can't you see I'm trying to save us? - -No!
You take care of the children...
- ...and make sure that they're safe.
Just like you seeing us do.
You're a fine man, Kitch.
A fine man.
What we gonna do?
Master Hyrum gonna hide you all out a few days
and get you on to freedom's land.
Uh, we can't be leaving them alone like that.
Look, it's either them or Nora and Sammy.
Can't be both.
It's time that you start acting more like a soldier and less like a little boy.
There's a fight coming. We gonna be ready.
Well, I'm coming with you then. I'm ready to fight.
You see that baby there on your back?
You gonna leave him?
He need you more than any fight need you.
You got charge over him.
Hm?
Come on, Willie.
We gotta keep moving.
I ain't been in no 12 fights, Kitch.
I runned off my first skirmish.
I wasn't injured fighting neither.
I stabbed myself with a bayonet
so that I could play dead.
Look, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how.
I-- I, I'm not a warrior like you are,
-Kitch. -You damn right you not!
You a coward.
Mama say family ain't supposed to fight.
No, he ain't your family, Nora. I am.
He don't care about you.
Can't you see? He running from all this.
Only reason why he stay is 'cause we been feeding him
and taking care of him like some suckling baby.
-You ain't nothing but a damn leech. -Oh, K -- Kitch.
Don't come near me!
'Cause I swear I'm about to do something I'll regret.
And that's the Lord's truth, Willie. That's the Lord's truth!
What we gonna do?
You staying at Hyrum's.
I'm going back for them.
Now hush up.
This him?
This that nigger what stuck you?
Yeah, that's him.
Hm.
Well...
...I been looking for you for some time.
Now, you tell me where you're hiding the Yankee...
...and this will be over real quick.
You best tell me 'fore I burn that heap down
with that old dusty hen still in it.
Turner!
Ugh.
Where is he?
I know you're out there.
I know you're out there hiding.
Bring him.
Ah. Ah. Caddy!
Ah.
Caddy!
What's that?
What you saying?
You talking to me?
He ain't coming.
He left the fight two days back.
You best pray he gonna come.
Almighty God is my witness, you best start praying.
Don't you touch him, you son of a bitch!
I'll kill you, you piece of shit!
Don't you dare touch him!
I'll kill you, you snaky son of a bitch!
I'll kill you with my bare hands!
I'll kill you.
Coward!
Look at this big, brave Yank been freeing my slaves.
Little Casanova.
Son of a bitch.
And you got gumption, boy. I'll give you that.
I tried saving Caddy, Kitch.
I tried.
Fire ain't kill her.
She dead long 'fore that. Right, Jake?
That's right.
I stabbed that witch just like you stabbed me.
Eye for an eye.
Fuck!
Stop it.
Stop it. You'll kill him. Stop it!
Turner, that's enough.
Get him up.
- But, boss... - I said get him up!
This all feels terribly unfair on you.
You having to watch these horrible men...
...torture this poor Negro to death.
So I'm gonna let you...
...put him out his misery.
Spare him all that pain.
Please. Please, please, please!
Only one shot, so don't go... push down.
I love you like a brother, Kitchum.
Damn, Turner! He really don't like you, do he?
Hm. "I love you like a brother, Kitchum."
The only thing worse
than a nigger
is a real white boy...
...thinking he is nigger.
Look at you.
Betraying your own kind.
You got me. Set him free.
You hear that, Turner?
He say set him free.
So go on then.
Set him free!
You gonna watch the last breath leave his chest.
Behind you!
No.
No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no.
I got myself money.
You buy yourself some freedom.
I am a free man, boy.
- Willie. - Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey.
-Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey. -No, no!
Hey, I'll tell you. I'll tell you, okay?
I'm gonna, I'm gonna fix you up, okay?
I'm gonna fix you up, Kitch.
Okay, okay.
J-- just, just hold tight, okay?
No-- Nora, see, W-- Will--
William gonna take y'all back to Isaac, okay?
He gonna get you to freedom's land.
You-- you take care of your brother.
- I'm gonna get them there, Kitch, okay,
but they're expecting you too.
Take, take care of this for me, all right?
Just, just for a little while.
You my brother.
Okay?
Kitch.
Don't you do it, Kitch. Don't you!
Don't you do it, Kitch.
Come on, Kitch!
Don't leave me here, Kitch.
Don't you do it, Kitch. Don't you do it!
Don't leave me here, Kitch.
Don't leave me!
Come on, Kitch. Come on.
We ready for him now. He gonna rest with Henry.
No.
It ain't right to leave him out here all exposed, you know?
Come on, Nora.
It's what I owe him.
Follow the river north till the forest...
...then you head west.
You'll run into a small depot.
Tell them Hyrum Williams sent you.
Sometimes when I fall into one of them deep sleeps...
...I can hear their voices calling out to me.
I open my eyes...
...I look for them...
...but they ain't never there.
They left me long ago for that Promised Land.
They live on in the deepest recesses of my memory.
Imprinted on my heart,
and intertwined in the very fibers of my soul.
I wait patiently for the day God will reunite me with my brother.
Until that day comes...
...I will tell any soul willing to listen...
...about my brother...
...who led me down freedom's path.