The movie begins with a cadet horse riding drill at West Point. When the cadets turn in their saddles after riding, they are called by name. The first two names called are William Dorsey Pender (North Carolina) and Charles Greene Sawtelle (Maine), two of the ACTUAL members of the Class of 1854. Neither man, nor anyone else except for Stuart, who was actually in the ’54 class, is ever mentioned again in the film. Anyway, I’ve always taken the mention of Sawtelle and Pender to mean that the producers of SFT actually had knowledge of the real history but chose to reject it for their own story.

Pender served in the 1st US Artillery after graduation, resigned in 1861, fought in all the major engagements of 1862 with the Army of Northern Virginia and died a couple of weeks after Gettysburg of wounds received there.

Sawtelle began his career as an army quartermaster in 1857 and served in that department throughout the war. In 1896, he was made Quartermster General of the US Army, retiring from service at that rank in 1897. He died in 1913.

When anyone talks about “glory” and “honor” in any war, they should be required to watch this.

Stupidity, greed and disfunction in the ruling-class is all that operates.

'Gettysburg' should also be shown ,at least segments of it, as it is very faithful to Michael Shaara's novel and I still think a very good movie that contains wonderful performances by Jeff Daniels as Chamberlain and Sam Elliott as John Buford.

To show how history can be twisted someone brought up 'Santa Fe Trail' but also 'Horse Soldiers' with John Wayne and directed by the great John Ford is very historically inaccurate. Confederates charge down a single street and are almost killed to the man. Not good history at all but some find it entertaining. It is quite old fashioned but can be shown as an example of something historical such as Grierson's Raid being turned into Hollywood.

Also 'They Died with their boots on' with Errol Flynn as Custer has a Civil War segment too. It's depiction of Custer at Gettysburg is fairly interesting even though it contains inaccuracies such as Winfield Scott commanding the Union armies throughout the whole war.

'How the West was Won' has a Civil War segment set at the Battle of Shiloh with George Peppard, Harry Morgan as Grant, John Wayne as Sherman and this segment was directed by John Ford. This would also be worth watching.

There is also the low budget 'Journey to Shiloh' with James Caan and a very young Harrison Ford that depicts some Texas boys being recruited by Braxton Bragg and thrown into the battle. It is not great history at all but it is kind of interesting. I think it contains the only cinematic depiction of Braxton Bragg however historically inaccurate it is.

'Gettysburg' should also be shown ,at least segments of it, as it is very faithful to Michael Shaara's novel and I still think a very good movie that contains wonderful performances by Jeff Daniels as Chamberlain and Sam Elliott as John Buford.

To show how history can be twisted someone brought up 'Santa Fe Trail' but also 'Horse Soldiers' with John Wayne and directed by the great John Ford is very historically inaccurate. Confederates charge down a single street and are almost killed to the man. Not good history at all but some find it entertaining. It is quite old fashioned but can be shown as an example of something historical such as Grierson's Raid being turned into Hollywood.

Also 'They Died with their boots on' with Errol Flynn as Custer has a Civil War segment too. It's depiction of Custer at Gettysburg is fairly interesting even though it contains inaccuracies such as Winfield Scott commanding the Union armies throughout the whole war.

'How the West was Won' has a Civil War segment set at the Battle of Shiloh with George Peppard, Harry Morgan as Grant, John Wayne as Sherman and this segment was directed by John Ford. This would also be worth watching.

There is also the low budget 'Journey to Shiloh' with James Caan and a very young Harrison Ford that depicts some Texas boys being recruited by Braxton Bragg and thrown into the battle. It is not great history at all but it is kind of interesting. I think it contains the only cinematic depiction of Braxton Bragg however historically inaccurate it is.

I remember seeing it some years ago and thought it was awful.

Montgomery Clift as a callow young poet is torn between tempestuous Southern belle Taylor and dewy-eyed Indiana lass Eva Marie Saint, against a backdrop of the Civil War. Maybe Clift represents a conflicted USA, but it does not help much.

I cam across one comment when I checked the film on the internet – the novelist whose work was used as the basis for the movie died before it was screened. One of his friends commented: “It helped me accept his death, because at least he was spared this.”

If you let in Young Mister Lincoln, then why not Amistad, as a prequel to the Civil War? Also a first class movie, almost making a matinee idol of John Quincy Adams in the process.

Cold Mountain is a good movie; how accurate a portrayal of the Confederate Home Front I do not know. But it should be on the list.

Referring back to Confederate guerilla movies, another one is True Grit. Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) affirms proudly he rode with Quantrill, the cool clean Glen Campbell character served (he tells us) under Edmund Kirby Smith. Cogburn laughs – this exchange is meant to tell us something about the characters of both men.

What's the Abe Lincoln one about him as defending a murder suspect.? Henry Fonda plays Lincoln I believe.
Matt