All language subtitles for Blood and Fury s01e01 Battle of Bull Run.eng

Narrator: As a
rebel army musters

just a day's march
from Washington,

President Lincoln moves
to crush the rebellion

at the battle of bull run.

Man: Lincoln's attitude is,
"we're gonna win this conflict.

We'll do whatever it takes."

Narrator: It's a decision that
will change the nation forever.

Forward, forward!

Most think it will be
over in a matter of hours.

Man: You have
a politician saying

he'd be happy to drink
all the blood spilled

in this little war.

Narrator: They're wrong.

Man: The south couldn't believe
the north was really serious.

The north couldn't believe
the south was really serious.

Narrator: As 60,000 soldiers
clash near the town of manassas,

raw recruits from Wisconsin

will collide with untested
volunteers from Virginia

over a key piece of high ground.

Ultimately, the
battle of bull run

is the fight for Henry hill.

Narrator: Their fight
plunges an unprepared nation

into a war of
unimaginable violence.

Man: They had sent their
young men off to fight this battle.

But the United States had never
experienced anything like this.

Narrator: It will claim
over half a million lives

and destroy the
nation as it once was.

Man: Nobody could anticipate
the absolute annihilation

of an entire society that
would start at manassas.

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[ soft footsteps ]

Narrator: The men of the
1st Massachusetts infantry

are part of a large union force

sent into northern Virginia.

They've come to
find a rebel army,

believed to be
mustering a day's march

from Washington, D.C.

It marks the first time,

since war was
declared 3 months ago,

that the capital was
threatened by rebel troops.

I got men on our left
and our right flanks

and a big bunch of 'em
comin' up the middle.

Artillery? The trees
are too thick to tell.

Did you get a glimpse of 'em?

What do they look
like? They look like us.

They're wearing gray.

Spread the word. We're
gonna move forward.

Hey! Tell them
to hold their fire.

Those could be our men.

Man: When the civil war erupts,

there is no standard
uniform, north or south.

Uh, we often think of the
union soldier wearing blue,

and the confederate
soldier clad in gray.

But that first slug fest,

the soldiers showed up
in their militia uniforms.

Narrator: Unlike
most of the union army

that is dressed in blue,

these men wear the
gray of the state militia,

just like the
majority of rebels.

There!

Man: So consider this.

You got a line of men in gray

and a line of men in
gray facing each other.

Friends? Foes?

Who are they?

Do we shoot, or don't we?

Who's out there?

Who are you?

We are Massachusetts men.

Narrator: In the white house,

president Abraham Lincoln
endures another sleepless night.

After a bloody clash with rebels

claimed dozens of
his men 3 days earlier,

he knows the real
battle is about to begin.

Man: Well, the greatest
pressure Lincoln

and everybody in the north faced

in 1861 was this incredibly
fast-paced rebellion

that had turned into a
confederacy of 11 states.

Narrator: Following
south Carolina's secession

from the union in
December of 1860,

six other southern
states follow suit.

Then, in the wake of a
rebel attack on fort sumter,

a union base in south Carolina,

four more states
join the confederacy

and declare war
on the United States.

Their greatest advantage was

the size of the
land they possessed

at the beginning
of the rebellion.

There's no other
rebellion I can point to

where they begin with
750,000 square miles of territory.

It's extraordinary.

Narrator: Lincoln's
facing incredible pressure

to put the rebellion
down and save the nation.

Lincoln said the union
was the best hope

for democracy in the world.

Democracy was a
fragile experiment.

And it would only work

if people accepted
the results of elections.

And he understood
that other countries

of the world did
not have democracy

and were perhaps rooting
for the United States to fail.

And that could not
be allowed to happen.

Man: And so what they
needed to do was demonstrate

that they were capable of
putting that rebellion down.

And, for Lincoln, that meant
sending armies into the field.

Narrator: Like many,
Lincoln believes

a decisive military
victory will end the crisis.

Man: It was assumed
that even though

the southern states
had left the union,

the majority of the
people in the south

really were loyal to the union.

There was just a
few troublemakers.

You discredit them,
you win the war.

Narrator: Lincoln's hoping
to achieve that victory

near manassas, Virginia...

A small town just 25 miles
south of Washington, D.C.

A large rebel force
has gathered there

to protect a key rail line

that allows them
to move soldiers

and supplies through the state.

It's not only a rail
junction, but it also protects

the road south down to Richmond.

So it's a key communication
facility with the capital.

The union doesn't
like any of that.

They don't like a force
so close to Washington.

They don't like, um, not
having access to those railroads.

They also don't
like the confederates

having those
transportation facilities.

Narrator: Thousands of union
soldiers are now encamped

near the bull run,

a creek that flows to
the north of manassas.

They expect a clash
with a large rebel army

in the morning.

Many are 90-day volunteers,

men who enlisted following

the rebel attack on
fort sumter in April.

Man: The idea was,
they'd be gone for 90 days.

They would, in that
time, whip the rebels.

And then they would
come back home as heroes.

Just kind of a easy,
you know, little risk,

lot of reward for going
and joining the union army.

Narrator: As their
first major battle looms,

many are too excited to sleep.

Some, like William Collins,

a watchmaker from
Wisconsin, write home.

He misses his wife, Kate,

but is committed to
defending the union.

Man: Collins felt that,
despite the potential sacrifice

he would have to make
in battle, and the possibility

of being seriously
wounded or being killed,

by serving his country, he
was defending his family.

And the sense was
widespread, that their families

could not have the kind
of upbringing they had had

if the government
was allowed to fall.

And so union soldiers
felt this strong sense

that there was an
obligation to serve.

Narrator: As dawn approaches,

prominent citizens like
judge Daniel mccook

arrive from Washington
to watch the battle.

Man: There was
considerable confidence

that they would beat the rebels.

This was gonna
be the great battle

that would end the rebellion.

And who would wanna miss that?

Um, that's why all the
politicians came out there.

They were certain they
were gonna watch a victory.

Narrator: Daniel mccook's also
here to check on his young son,

Charles, a private serving
with the 2nd Ohio infantry.

Man: Charles mccook
was 17 years old.

And he decided his
obligation to the family,

to his community,
to the country,

was to join the union army.

Charles.

You're looking well.

Private's life must
be agreeing with you.

How is mother?

She still can't believe you
turned down that commission.

It's not too late for
me to put in a word.

Father, we've talked
about this many times.

I appreciate the offer.

But you know my
thoughts on that.

I'll make my own way.

Of course you will, Charles.

Of course you will.

I had better get going.

I don't have to tell you

how important this
day is to our nation.

Washington will be watching.

The whole country
will be watching.

And I know you
won't let us down.

Now go and show them
what a mccook can do.

Narrator: Charles
mccook and the 2nd Ohio

are part of a massive
three-pronged attack,

designed to crush
the rebel force.

After leaving camp
near centreville,

mccook and the others will
put pressure on both the left

and right sides of
the confederate line,

while a third force
will try to sneak

behind the left
flank of the rebels

and then destroy it.

The men are to move
out at any moment.

Bet you wish you
took that commission

your daddy offered you now.

You'd be ridin' on a
horse and givin' orders.

And miss all this?

And, besides, it was with
a Massachusetts regiment.

I'm not gonna trust my
life to a bunch of fishermen.

Man: Ohio! Fall in!

I joined with the Ohio.

I'm damn well gonna
fight with the Ohio.

You really think they'll fight?

I don't know.

My pop says they don't
have the stomach for it.

Thinks the whole rebellion
will be over by lunch.

Narrator: But like
most Americans,

Charles' father
has no conception

of the wave of
violence about to be

unleashed by the
battle of bull run.

Man: The expectation
by soldiers,

north and south:

One fight, we're done.

A boxing match that's only
gonna go one round, not 15.

And whoever the
Victor is, it's complete.

Nobody could
anticipate the bloodshed.

No one could
anticipate the destruction

that would start at manassas.

??

Narrator: The
battle of bull run,

the first clash of the civil war

and an event that will
forever change the nation,

is about to begin.

Man: Many southerners were
fighting to liberate themselves

from what they believed to
be an oppressive government.

They were doing what
the founding fathers

were doing in 1776.

Revolting, establishing
their own government

to restore the principles
of the American revolution,

which they believed a
government under Abraham Lincoln

and the north was
going to pervert.

So they had an obligation
to defend their homes.

Narrator: The rebel states
have turned to Jefferson Davis

to lead their fight
for independence.

Man: One reason he was selected

was because of his
military knowledge,

his military understanding.

Davis himself had
fought in the Mexican war.

He had studied war.

And so he was very
much controlling, uh,

what was happening in the field.

Narrator: Davis knows a
massive battle is looming

and has amassed thousands
of troops in northern Virginia.

Among them is John opey.

I bet I take down 50
Yankees with one of these.

Man: John opey was a young
man in staunton, Virginia.

His family lived in a
small estate called Selma.

And when the war came,

he signed up with the
5th Virginia infantry.

Narrator: But the 5th
Virginia has a major problem.

While most of the
rebels are wearing gray,

these men are going
into battle dressed

like the majority
of union troops.

Man: The state of Virginia
equipped its militiamen

in a standard,
regular blue uniform,

which was the United
States army uniform.

The only thing that
really was different was

that you would have
a Virginia belt buckle.

But otherwise it's a standard

U.S. army blue uniform.

Gentlemen, fall in!

By order of general Jackson,

everyone is to wear
a strip of white cloth

around his arm

or his hat to identify
himself to another.

[ Laughter ] Hold
your tongues, men.

If challenged, y'all
are to report yourself

as follows, "our homes."

[ Laughter ]

Silence!

Now, get to it.

We've got fightin' to do.

Fall out!

Man: Before the battle,

the confederate high command
developed a watchword.

If you approach somebody

and you didn't
know who they were,

you were to place your
right arm on your left breast,

hold out your weapon
and say, "our homes."

So that was the
effort to try to alleviate

these kinds of problems.

That don't make no sense.

We're busy beatin' our breasts.

The other fella's gonna
have plenty of time

to blow our brains out.

Don't you fret, William.

Them Yankees gonna quit
just like they did at sumter.

Narrator: Hours later,
union private Charles mccook

and the 2nd Ohio infantry

have reached the edge
of the rebel defenses.

[ Gunshot ]

Narrator: The real fight now
rages a mile to the northwest.

There, union
troops sent to sneak

behind the confederate lines

have clashed with
rebels atop Matthews hill.

Rebel private John opey

and the men of the
5th Virginia infantry

are racing up the
back slope of Henry hill,

a piece of high ground
that's about to play

a pivotal role in the battle.

Up the hill, boys!

Forward now!

On the double quick!

Men, take cover
in this grass here.

Narrator: They've been
ordered by their commander

to hide in the tall grass

and wait to be
called into action.

There were a couple
reasons for this.

One was he didn't want them
to be visible to the enemy.

And secondly, there was
shell fire that was coming in.

And he didn't want to
create an easy target

for the enemy artillerymen.

And so they're
down on the ground.

They were safe for the moment.

And they were prepared
when the action began.

John, for heaven's
sake, get down!

Why are we here?

We should be out there fightin'!

Man: So, many of these
men were concerned

that there would be one battle,

it would be over
and they'd miss it!

And then they would be
chastised and laughed at

for the rest of their life.

"Well, where were
you on the big day?"

Narrator: The morning does
not go well for the rebel troops

fighting to the north
of Matthews hill.

Faced with superior numbers,

the confederates
are now fleeing back

to the high ground
of Henry hill.

Man: The situation's
really desperate.

The confederate army's
being pushed back.

It's already lost the area
around Matthews hill.

Man: The fight for Matthews
hill is a decisive union victory.

Get back! They're coming!

Narrator: As terrified rebel
troops race back towards

John opey and the
men of the 5th Virginia,

it looks like the
confederate line

is about to crack.

Center men, hold your positions!

That's an order!

Narrator: In the war
department's telegraph room,

president Abraham Lincoln

follows developments
on the battlefield.

Confident union
generals tell him

that victory is imminent.

Man: Abraham Lincoln is
convinced the day is his.

The union is excited.

They are winning the
battle of manassas,

as far as they are concerned.

Narrator: Atop Henry hill,

the confederate
army is in real trouble.

Man: The confederate
army is being pushed back.

They are now running
around Henry hill

like a bunch of ants that...

That's had its hive disturbed.

There's no real order.
There's just chaos.

It doesn't look good at
all for the confederates.

I mean, this battle's
gonna be lost.

Narrator: If it is,

the dream of an
independent south

is all but over.

As the line is collapsing,
John opey witnesses

the birth of a legend.

Man: Into this chaos
comes Jackson.

Narrator: Just months earlier,

he was a little-known
instructor at a military college.

General Thomas Jonathan Jackson

now commands the
1st Virginia brigade.

He's about to become one of
the most famous men in america.

Jackson is on his horse.

So he can see out
over top of the hill

where the union
army is, what it's doing.

Narrator: As terrified
rebels prepare to flee,

Jackson bravely
rides along the summit,

almost daring yankee
gunners to cut him down.

Another rebel general,
trying to rally his men,

sees Jackson's act
of incredible courage.

He points. And he says,

"there stands Jackson
like a stone wall.

Let us go to his assistance."

A legend is born.

Narrator: Were it not for

stonewall Jackson's
coolness under fire,

the battle, and perhaps
the entire civil war,

could have ended then and there.

As Jackson holds his ground,

more confederate troops
start to reform behind him.

As rebels begin to
gather atop Henry hill,

union private William Collins

and the men of the 2nd Wisconsin

had been ordered to march
immediately to the battlefield.

Is he one of ours or theirs?

He's a reb.

Told you they'd run.

Gotta ride to the back.

You men!

You leave that man be! Fall in!

Man: Going into battle,

the biggest problem
both armies face

is the psychological aspects
of experiencing a battle

in which soldiers are dying.

What that actually really meant,

in terms of the
scenes you would see,

the emotions you would feel,

that was something that
they just weren't ready for.

Narrator: Near the
banks of the bull run,

Charles mccook has
been ordered to help at

a union field hospital.

You sure your daddy didn't
have somethin' to do with this?

Bet he pulled some strings

so that his son didn't end
up in front of a rebel Cannon.

You don't know my father.

If he had his way,

I'd be sent in with
the first charge.

I swear, I think having
his son wounded in battle

would be the best thing that
ever happened to his career

in Washington.

Hold, men!

Hold to the treeline!

Narrator: As the union
prepares to launch

another assault on the rebels,

the 2nd Wisconsin
makes their way

towards the base of Henry hill,

where the next
attack will soon begin.

We're gonna cut
through this field,

through those trees.

And then we muster at
a farm on the other side.

Captain, we don't know

who or what is on the
other side over there.

The enemy's retreated.
You can see for yourself.

Given the soldiers
and their officers

are inexperienced altogether,

it's not so cut and dry.

"Okay, I give you an order,
and you obey that order."

Maybe it's "I give you
that order," and you say,

"well, I think maybe I
should do it another way."

I mean, couldn't
they be lying...

You know, I don't
have time for this...

Collins! Let's go!

Company f, forward!

Narrator: William Collins and
the men of the 2nd Wisconsin

have no idea that
the rebel line has held

and that the confederates are
about to launch a counterattack

that will set the course
of American history

for years to come.

Narrator: The
battle of bull run,

the first major clash of
the civil war, has begun.

After driving rebels from
their first line of defense,

union troops believe
the day is theirs.

They've no idea that the rebels

are about to launch
an attack of their own.

Stay together,
men! For the trees!

The trees!

Collins!

Get up. Get up!

[ Tinnitus ]

[ Muffled explosion ]

Collins!

Get up!

[ Tinnitus fades ] Get up!

Man: Soldiers hated
being under artillery fire

because what you're
waiting for is to go into battle

to prove your manhood,

to prove you're a soldier,
to defend your country.

And you're not being given
the opportunity to fight back

when you're
under artillery fire.

Narrator: At a
nearby field hospital,

union private Charles mccook

has orders to continue
helping with the wounded.

Like several prominent
union citizens,

his father, Daniel,
came to picnic

and watch the battle many
felt would be over in minutes.

Shocked by the
ferocity of the fighting,

he now helps union doctors deal

with the wave of injured
and dying young men.

The civil war takes
place at a time

when medicine had
not been able to repair

a lot of the damaged bodies.

Narrator: Facing bones
shattered by rifled muskets

and high-powered artillery,

for many patients, there
was only one option.

Man: Oftentimes the
solution for a person

who was injured in an extremity,
in a leg, was amputation.

Limbs were stacked up
like corn outside the hospital.

[ Man screaming ]

Narrator: Following their
retreat from Matthews hill

in late morning, rebel
forces have regrouped

on the high
ground of Henry hill.

Thousands are
ready for the fight.

We know, on July the
21st by mid-afternoon,

just based on the
movements of the troops,

that there is going to
be a massive collision,

uh, on Henry hill.

John opey and the
5th Virginia infantry

have been sent forward.

Their orders: Hold
the ground at any cost.

The dream of a free south

will live or die
on these slopes.

Man: Fortunately for
the confederates here,

they're in the
position of defense.

They're in the
position of holding.

And so, unfortunately
for the federals,

they have to come
up... Up the hill.

Narrator: Despite this obstacle,
hundreds of yankee troops

are ordered to drive
the rebels from Henry hill.

John opey must hold off

a wave of gray-clad
union troops.

Overwhelmed by union forces,

opey and the 5th Virginia
must abandon their position

and race for safety.

Man: You have soldiers who
are completely inexperienced

engaged in a savage battle.

And you have soldiers
on both sides wearing blue.

You have soldiers on
both sides wearing gray.

I can't think of a more
dysfunctional way

to try to fight a battle.

It's very hard to imagine
the ferocity of the fight.

You have people wounded
and picking up other guns

while they are still wounded.

You have people gurgling blood.

You have people
carrying their dying

and dead friends
off the battlefield.

Our homes! Our homes!

Our homes!

Narrator: In Washington,
president Abraham Lincoln

awaits news from
the battlefield.

After receiving positive
reports earlier in the day,

the telegraph has fallen silent.

He's beginning
to fear the worst.

25 miles away, the fight
is still too close to call.

It now centers on union cannons

placed near the
top of Henry hill.

In a bold attempt to drive
the rebels from the field,

the union has
moved two batteries

of cannons onto the
forward slopes of the hill.

A savage fight to control
them now rages on.

Man: Ultimately,
the battle of bull

run and the fight for Henry hill

will devolve into a battle
around these very cannons here.

Man: The struggle
just back and forth,

back and forth, wave after
wave, attack after attack.

Really what we're talking
about is the high ground.

Who's gonna hold
the high ground?

But the guns were the focal
point on the high ground.

Keep your heads down!

Narrator: As they are
seized again by the rebels,

the 2nd Wisconsin is
ordered to take them back.

William Collins is
about to be thrown

into the epicenter
of a storm of violence

that's about to sweep
across an unsuspecting nation.

Narrator: Near the
banks of the bull run,

america is being given
its first taste of the violence

that's about to
engulf the nation.

A battle that many felt
would be over by noon

has now entered its
10th hour of carnage.

The fight now centers
on one key objective:

The cannons that control
the battlefield's high ground.

All right. Go forward.

Keep your heads
down along the fence!

Forward, forward!

Hold here! Hold!

Man: When the 2nd
Wisconsin arrives on the scene,

the guns are in the
possession of the confederates.

Narrator: Union
soldier William Collins

and the men of the 2nd Wisconsin
have orders to take them back.

Affix bayonets!

I can't... I can't do it.

I can't do it. I can't do it.

Yes, you can! I can't do it. No.

Breathe! No. No.

Breathe!

Forward!

Man: They have
to come up the hill,

over all this open ground.

They're extremely vulnerable.

And they can easily be shot.

They are susceptible to
confederate artillery fire.

[ Gunshots and artillery fire ]

Forward!

Narrator: Still hoping
to get into the fight,

union private Charles mccook

remains stuck at
the field hospital,

dealing with a steady
flow of federal wounded.

His father, Daniel,
a prominent judge,

does what he can as well.

Here.

Save your breath, son.

Take a sip.

You've done your
country a great service.

I know you wanna help, father.
But perhaps it would be best

if we take care
of our own first.

Look at the buttons.
He's a damn rebel.

Charles!

Just be careful, all right?

Come on, men!

All right, spin it!

Narrator: Near the
summit of Henry hill,

William Collins and
the 2nd Wisconsin

have reclaimed a vitally
important union gun.

With it, they hope to
turn the tide of the battle,

drive the rebels from the
field and end the rebellion.

But the rebels have
one last card to play.

They've moved fresh troops
up the back side of Henry hill.

And, alongside the
5th Virginia infantry,

they're about to be unleashed
upon the unsuspecting Yankees.

Forward, men! That's the ride!

Narrator: Faced with a
wave of fresh rebel troops,

Collins and the exhausted
Yankees run for their lives.

Union troops are
hit with a panic.

The retreat from bull run
becomes a route from bull run.

Those troops abandoned
their cannons and supplies

and ran pell-mell toward

the union defenses
at centreville, Virginia.

Let's go!

Narrator: Sent to get more water

for the union field hospital,

union private Charles
mccook has no idea

that they union line
has been shattered

and that rebel troops

are now racing towards him.

[ Horse whinnies ]

Narrator: The first major
battle of the American civil war

is now 11 hours old.

For union troops, the
unthinkable has happened.

After almost driving the rebels

from the field
earlier in the day,

yankee soldiers
now flee in the face

of a savage rebel counterattack.

Man: When the union
army start retreating,

the confederates begin

trying to organize
some kind of pursuit.

And what they do is they
send across some cavalry,

and their advance carries them
toward where the hospital is,

where Charles mccook is.

[ Horse whinnies ]

Surrender!

Charles, surrender!

Surrender now, boy!

Charles!

Help! Help!

Man: Daniel mccook immediately
came to his wounded son.

Help, doctor!

Just seeing it happen
himself personally,

just a really horrible,

horrible, uh, scene
to contemplate.

Narrator: As Daniel mccook
tries to save his wounded son,

a wave of rebels drive
the Yankees from the field.

The day is theirs.

Man: John opey
and the 5th virginians

had recaptured the battery.

It had been a hard
fought battle on Henry hill.

And what they undoubtedly
felt was a strong sense of a relief

that they had won the battle.

Man: There was a
great deal of confidence

and belief that, for
the confederates,

um, this is the
beginning of a new nation.

This is the new
dawn for a new south.

Narrator: Later that day,
president Abraham Lincoln

learns of the catastrophic
defeat of his troops.

He's stunned that the south

has taken on the
best the United States

could muster...

And triumphed.

Man: The outcome at
bull run was shocking

to northern public opinion.

It was shocking to the political
leadership in Washington.

A real consequence
of that first battle

is that I think both
sides quickly discovered,

this war is not
gonna end in 90 days.

It's gonna be a
very difficult haul.

Narrator: But Lincoln has
no intention of backing down.

Man: Lincoln's response
is, "we're not gonna quit."

The south had sort of thought

that one defeat
would lead the...

The north to think it
wouldn't be worth it.

But, to Lincoln,
this war is worth it.

Man: After the defeat,
what does he do?

He stays up all night.

And he starts drafting a
memo for what to do next.

This is a man who
never gives up.

Lincoln was dedicated
first and foremost

to the absolute guaranteed
preservation of the union.

And if that meant
continued sacrifice,

continued killing,
continued war,

that would happen.

Narrator: The rebels
have won the day,

but the cost has
been tremendous.

3,600 men were
killed or wounded,

making it the deadliest day
in the nation's history so far.

Among the victims is
John opey's close friend.

Man: The United States had
never experienced anything like this.

They'd sent their young
men, um, off to fight this battle.

They understood
there would be losses.

But of this scale,

this was not what
Americans had anticipated.

Narrator: As the sun
sets on the battlefield,

it sets as well on
the old america.

The battle of bull run
marks the beginning

of the greatest struggle
in the nation's history.

By the time it's over,
600,000 men will be dead,

a nation will be torn
apart, and a new one born.

Narrator: The day after
bull run, at 2:30 A.M.,

Charles mccook
dies from his wounds.

Like so many
fathers in the civil war,

Daniel mccook must
Bury his own son.

Soon after, he enlists
in the union army

and is killed in action in 1863.

William Collins survives the war

and returns to Wisconsin
to run a jewelry shop

with his wife, Kate.

John opey joins the
confederate cavalry

and fights at the
battle of gettysburg.

In 1865, with the
war finally over,

he returns home to Virginia.

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