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Major Halbert :
My lord, there is a rider at the gates. A civilian
carrying a white flag.
Cornwallis : I'm
occupied .
Major Halbert : He has a pair of dogs with him. Great
Danes.
Cornwallis : Now we come to the matter of the specific
targeting of officers during engagements. Of course you
must know that in civilized warfare, officers in the
field must not be accorded inappropriate levels of
hostile attention.
Martin : To your mind
, what are appropriate levels of hostile attention?
Cornwallis : Colonel, imagine the utter chaos that
would follow from leaderless armies having at each
other. There must be gentlemen in command to lead and,
and, and when necessary, restrain their men.
Martin : Restrain them from, say, targeting civilians.
Women, children and such?
Cornwallis : That's a separate issue.
Martin : No, no, no, I consider them linked. As long
as your soldiers attack civilians, I will order the
shooting of your officers at the outset of every engagement. And my
men are excellent marksmen.
Cornwallis : Very well, now let us move on to...
Martin : Prisoner exchange.
Cornwallis : Sir?
Martin : You have eighteen of my men. I want them
back.
Cornwallis : I, I do have eighteen criminals under
sentence of death, but I, I hold no prisoners of war.
Martin : If that's your position, then eighteen of
your officers will have to die. Nineteen, if you hang me
with my men.
Cornwallis : My officers?
Martin : Sir, top of the ridge, to your left. Just
Below the tree line.
Cornwallis : Their names and ranks?
Martin : They refused to give me their names. But
their ranks are nine lieutenants, five captains, three
majors and one very fat colonel who called me a cheeky
fellow.
Cornwallis : You know this is not the conduct of a
gentleman.
Martin : If the conduct of your officers is the
measure of a gentleman, I take that as a compliment. Get
my men.
Cornwallis : Arrange the exchange.
Major Halbert : My lord.
Martin : Thank you sir.
Major Halbert : One of our captured officers, my lord.
Cornwallis : My reputation suffers because of your
incompetence! That man insults me!
Tavington : Quite impressive for a farmer with a
pitchfork, wouldn't you say?
Cornwallis : I want you to find that man. I want you
to capture him.
Tavington : The man has the loyalty of the people.
They protect him. Protect his family. Protect the
families of his men. I can capture him for you. But to
do so requires the use of tactics that are somewhat…
what was the word your lordship used? "Brutal", I think.
Cornwallis : Go on.
Tavington : I am prepared to do what is necessary. I
alone will assume the full mantle of responsibility for
my actions free of the chain of command rendering you
blameless. However, if I do this, you and I both know
that I can never return to England with honor. What, I
wonder, is to become of
me?
Cornwallis : When this war is over here in the
colonies, the new aristocracy will be landowners.
Tavington : Tell me about Ohio.
Private : Make way
.
Tavington : As you were. Wilkins. A plantation seven
miles from Wakefield, on the Santee, east of Black
Swamp. Who lived there?
Wilkins : Benjamin Martin.
Bordon : He is the ghost.
Tavington : What do you know about him?
Wilkins : Hell
, everything. I could tell you the size of his boot.
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