The Massacre of Our Men
By
R. Earle Harris
All rights reserved (c) 2015 (r dot earle dot harris at gmx dot com)
FADE IN:
EXT. BIG HORN MOUNTAINS AND TONGUE RIVER - DAY
MONTAGE: The Big Horn mountains seen from the south as islands rising from the high
deserts. The wooded eastern valleys that merge with the rolling buffalo-grass hills.
Descending over Lodge Trail Ridge and Massacre Ridge and settling upon the Tongue
River.
MRS. CARRINGTON, wife of Col. Carrington, narrates.
MRS. CARRINGTON (V.O.)
In December of 1866, the Lakota of
the Big Horn Mountains dealt the United
States Army such a blow that the government
in Washington abandoned three newly-built
forts. Washington surrendered to the
demands of the Lakota, the Cheyenne,
and the Arapaho. And, for a time,
we left this region to its native
peoples.
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GREY SCREEN
The screen is the cold grey of death.
Title Over:
December 21, 1866
EXT. MASSACRE RIDGE - DAY
Cold, grey sky. The snowy badlands of northern Wyoming. On horseback are John Wheatley
(civilian), John Fisher (civilian), Pvt. Patrick Clancy, and four other enlisted
men. Pvt. Patrick Shannon, clinging to Clancy's stirrup, is half-carried as he runs
alongside.
These eight men are nearing the east-west spine that is the north end of Massacre
Ridge, eagerly pursuing some ten or fifteen young Oglala warriors who are baiting
them on as they draw Fetterman's entire command into ambush. Shannon looks back
and we see the cavalry - Lt. Grummond, 27 men, and Cpt. Brown - one hundred meters
back on the ridge to the south, moving forward at a trot. (Cpt. Brown rides the
Calico pony that we will meet below.) Cpt. Fetterman and his 48 infantry are another
hundred meters south of the cavalry and are standing still, in good order. A dozen
of these men, under 1st Sgt. Lang, a German, are in a skirmish line twenty meters
north of the main body. Wheatley's group passes over the spine and, immediately,
two to three hundred Lakota and Cheyenne seem to rise out of the snow-covered ground
before them, unleashing a volley of arrows and screaming at the top of their lungs.
Almost all of Wheatley's group and their horses are wounded. They can see that there
are even more Lakota rising from the deep draw to the east, hundreds of them on
horseback, racing up the slope. In an attempt to get away with their lives, the
group bolts west off the high ground. Shannon spins to the ground, too wounded to
hold on to the stirrup. We see his face, briefly, as we hear 1500 Lakota screaming
up the ridge toward him.
EXT. FORT - NIGHT
Establishing shot of Ft. Kearney in Nebraska.
Title Over:
May 19, 1866 - Ft. Kearney, Nebraska Territory
INT. HOUSE - NIGHT
Burning exterior of the Carringtons's officer's quarters.
INT. HOUSE - NIGHT
Mrs. Carrington is searching the flames for her young son, JIMMY. She is unable
to go farther into the house.
MRS. CARRINGTON
A window behind her is broken out. Pvt. PATRICK SHANNON tumbles into the room.
SHANNON
She struggles against him.
MRS. CARRINGTON
No! My son Jimmy is in there!
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Shannon is dragging her bodily to the window.
SHANNON
SHANNON (CONT'D)
(To Patrick Clancy.)
Pvt. Patrick CLANCY reaches in and together they get her out the window.
EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT
Continuous.
MRS. CARRINGTON
CLANCY
He's safe, ma'am. He's sure and safe.
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Shannon clambers out of the house as the rounds in two big dragoon Colts begin to
cook off in the flames.
SHANNON
Jimmy runs up, delighted.
JIMMY CARRINGTON
Mother! Those are Father's big pistols.
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CLANCY
Let's be getting away, ma'am.
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EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT
Everyone is clear of the burning house. COL. CARRINGTON, CPT. BROWN, Pvt. Patrick
SMITH arrive on the run.
SMITH
JIMMY
Father! Your pistols are shooting!
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MRS. CARRINGTON
I'm fine, dear. These boys pulled
me out.
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CPT. BROWN
I see my Patricks have been in the
heat of things.
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The Patricks all salute the colonel.
COL. CARRINGTON
The colonel wraps his wife in his cloak.
COL. CARRINGTON (CONT'D)
Come, Margaret. The night is almost
gone and we can make you comfortable
in the wagon.
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MRS. CARRINGTON
You would think I could spend my last
night here in our feather bed.
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COL. CARRINGTON
Captain Brown, have Metzler bugle
the men out. Any men that slept through
my fire can join the rest of us. I
want us all moving as soon as the
sky lightens.
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CPT. BROWN
EXT. PLAIN - DAY
Dawn, the plain just west of Ft. Kearney. "Carrington's Overland Circus" consists
of two battalions - 1500 men, including some 400 cavalry, 50 wagons, a couple hundred
head of cattle, and several ambulances, or small wagons, that carry the households
of dependents.
EXT. PLAIN - DAY
Carrington and his scout, (the ) Jim BRIDGER, are riding alongside the Carringtons'
wagon. Bridger is 60, wise in the ways of native Americans, and never rides faster
than a slow trot.
COL. CARRINGTON
How many days to Ft. Laramie, in your
estimation, Mr. Bridger?
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BRIDGER
Four weeks. Or thereabouts.
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Bridger looks back down the line.
BRIDGER (CONT'D)
Maybe more, with these men.
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COL. CARRINGTON
You don't care for my veterans, Mr.
Bridger?
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BRIDGER
That was the South, Colonel. These
men knew who to fight the against
the rebellion. As for Indians, I reckon
you're well-equipped with everything
you need but men, weapons, and horses.
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EXT. PLAIN - DAY
General William Tecumseh SHERMAN approaches, leading a Calico pony (the one Brown
is on in the massacre.)
EXT. PLAIN - DAY
Bridger sees the general approaching.
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BRIDGER
Bridger departs.
SHERMAN
Good morning, Colonel. I came to wish
you well and spend a morning on the
prairie before I go back to the Great
White Father. Here--
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Sheridan hands Carrington a telegram.
SHERMAN (CONT'D)
General Cooke sends his love.
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Carrington frowns.
COL. CARRINGTON
SHERMAN
Don't mention it--he's a pain in the
ass.
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Sherman rides closer to the ambulance.
SHERMAN (CONT'D)
Good morning, Mrs. Carrington. I heard
you lost a good feather bed last night.
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MRS. CARRINGTON
SHERMAN
Well, you won't find another one out
here. But I've brought you a present
for the plains. I'm offering it to
you so the Colonel won't refuse me.
And it's for Jimmy, so you can't refuse
me either.
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He offers her the reins of the pony.
JIMMY
MRS. CARRINGTON
I can't refuse, can I? Thank you,
General.
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SHERMAN
And this, my dear, is only an old
army account book. But it will make
a fine journal. You and the colonel
will be making history, as I did.
Write it down.
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Sherman hands her the book and returns to Carrington.
SHERMAN (CONT'D)
Colonel, I spoke to Bridger this morning.
The old coot says you're leading a
deck of paper soldiers. He's likely
to know what he's talking about. Fix
it.
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COL. CARRINGTON
Yes, General. And thank you for the
presents.
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SHERMAN
I brought no present for you, Carrington.
You get the Indians and the mountains
and the Powder River. I get Washington
and the damn Congress. Good luck to
you, Colonel.
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COL. CARRINGTON
Sherman departs.
MRS. CARRINGTON
COL. CARRINGTON
MRS. CARRINGTON
Why do you always use tiny sentences
when you speak to generals?
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COL. CARRINGTON
They outrank me, dear. I'm supposed
to be seen and not heard.
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MRS. CARRINGTON
What does General Cooke say?
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COL. CARRINGTON
He wants to know why we haven't left
Ft. Kearney yet.
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MRS. CARRINGTON
I hope you have a good answer.
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GREY SCREEN
The cold grey of death.
Title Over:
December 21, 1866.
Each time the film breaks to the massacre, our vision is slammed with that
initial cold, stark, grey screen. These massacre scenes are violent, stormy
bursts of action. Any dialogue in them would be minimal and left to the
director's interpretation.
EXT. MASSACRE RIDGE - DAY
Wheatley's group, passing over the ridge to the west, can now see a hundred or more
Lakota, already within archery range, coming south toward them along the steep west
slope. As the Lakota open fire, Wheatley leads those with him to dismount and they
take cover within a twenty-foot circle composed of a few large rocks, two to three
feet tall, with space enough between them for one man to pass. Wheatley and Fisher,
armed with fifteen-shot Henry rifles, open fire on their attackers. The soldiers
with them, young Civil War veterans, fire with their single-shot Star carbines.
Thanks to the fire-power of the Henry rifles, the first onslaught is broken.
Behind these men, up on the ridge, Lt. Grummond orders his cavalry forward at the
first sound of rifles from Wheatley's men, who are out of sight as soon as they
first passed over the end of the ridge and were attacked. They are no sooner in
motion than mounted warriors surge up all along the ridge in front of Grummond's
men. To the east of these Lakota, below the ridge where the slope is gentler, hundreds
of Lakota and Arapaho come into view. The battle cries of 1500 attackers are so
loud that no one can hear Grummond yelling orders. His cavalry is stunned.
EXT. FORT SEDGEWICK - DAY
Evening is approaching and from this Nebraskan fort the approach of Carrington's
Circus can be seen.
Title Over:
May 31, 1866 - Ft. Sedgewick, Nebraska Territory
EXT. RIVER BLUFFS - EVENING
Evening, near Fort Sedgewick on the Platte River. Above the river, in a pavilion
of tents, the regimental band is entertaining the officers, dependents, and upper
enlisted men.
EXT. RIVERBANK - EVENING
Below on the river, CPT. TEN EYCK is directing the river crossing. Using ropes,
mules, and muscle, the men - including the three Patricks - are dragging one wagon
after another across the half-mile of mud flat and shallow water. Throughout this
scene, the Patricks are leading mules through the mud accompanied by the music from
above.
SHANNON
SMITH AND CLANCY
SHANNON
I was thinking it's a fine night for
music.
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SMITH
SHANNON
CLANCY
One could only wish the mud a little
deeper.
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SHANNON
Oh, but we have the help of these
muddy men of the third battalion to
be grateful for.
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Cries of "Hear, hear" from several muddy men.
SHANNON (CONT'D)
Tomorrow they would not be here to
help us.
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SMITH
And where might they be going?
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MUDDY MAN
SMITH
SHANNON
Likely west. We all seem to be walking
that way.
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SMITH
Except Thomas here - he has a horse.
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Pvt. Thomas MADDEON, armourer, older and larger than the Patricks, is on horseback
dragging poles toward a bogged-down wagon.
Screenplay truncated at 500 lines.
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