Movie Review: ‘Remarkable Tales Of The Civil War’
By Joseph Bordonaro · Originally published December 2016 · p. 7
The title of Joseph Wilson’s new documentary, produced by RM Video Productions, is an excellent description of the finished product. The four tales recounted are truly remarkable. Created in a style reminiscent of Ken Burn’s “The Civil War,” this production actually compares quite well with it. A series of photographs (over 300) are displayed as the narrator recounts the tales. There is an excellent audio soundtrack created by Michael Wilson’s, brother of the director. The editing was done by Joseph Wilson and Rich Mendoza, who teamed up in the past with the wellreceived “Civil War Prisons” DVD. The narration, which was excellent, was performed by Scott R. Pollak, “the Voice of NPR in Atlanta.” The production was debuted at a screening at Camden Country College on October 20, 2016. The first story is entitled “Rebel on the Run” and tells the story of Sgt. Berry Benson, a Confederate soldier. Sgt. Benson began his incredible career in the service by helping to fire one of the first shots of the Civil War against Fort Sumter in April of 1861. While on scouting duties, he was captured by a Federal cavalry patrol in May 1864. He was sent to the large prison camp at Point Lookout in Maryland but did not remain there long. His further adventures are incredible and turned him into a living legend at the time, and this recounting of them may return him to legendary status. Viewers who become interested in Sgt. Benson’s story will find much more about him in Susan Williams Benson, ed., Berry Benson’s Civil War Book: Memoirs of a Confederate Scout and Sharpshooter (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1962). The second story in this tetralogy is called “Audacity in the Harbor” and tells the story of Robert Smalls, an escaped slave who helped capture a Confederate steamer, the “Planter,” and then piloted it out of Charleston Harbor to safety with the blockading U.S. fleet. Smalls had worked the docks of Charleston for years, with his pay going, of course, to his master. Eventually, Robert learned the skills of a pilot although slaves were not granted that title. Assigned to work aboard the Planter, Smalls gained the confidence of the white crew and soon persuaded the black (Gerri Hughes) crew members to join him in a desperate plan to take control of the Planter and sail it out of the harbor and join the blockading squadron there. On May 13, 1862, Smalls and his crew took advantage of the absence of the white officers and sailed the Planter out of the harbor and into history. The documentary goes on to detail the results of Small’s exploit and makes a fascinating story. His story, although not well known to the general public, was honored by the United States in 2004 with the commissioning of the USAV Major General Robert Smalls (LSV-8), a Kuroda class logistics support vessel operated by the U.S. Army. After watching this story, the viewer will understand why Robert Smalls was so honored. By the way, in case you’re wondering, the ship includes the rank “Major General” to honor Robert Smalls post-Civil War holding of that rank in the South Carolina State Militia. The third tale in this collection is entitled, “Death on the Rails” and recounts the truly tragic fate of a group of Confederate prisoners being transported from Point Lookout, Maryland, to Elmira, New York, along with their Veteran Reserve Corps guards. On July 15, 1864, the train was traveling on the Erie RR, which runs parallel to the Delaware River. Near Shohola Township, Pennsylvania, a dispatcher allowed a 50-car coal train to proceed along the tracks even though all east-bound traffic was supposed to have been held up to allow the passage of the “extra” prison train. This coal train was thus heading directly toward the long-delayed prison train. The story of their collision is dramatic and tragic. The director of this story literally “went the extra mile” to obtain photos of the crash site. Seeing this place adds to the impact of the story. The final story in this collection, “Almost Home” is another tragic story. (In passing, my only critical comment on this documentary is to recommend that the last story of the collection be either “Rebel on the Run” or “Audacity in the Harbor” so that the DVD will end on an uplifting, rather than a tragic, note.) It recounts the story, and ultimate fate, of the members of the 56th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Mustered into service on November 7, 1861, the 56th Illinois went on to serve from the Battle of Corinth in 1862 through the Vicksburg Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea and his march through the Carolinas. By February of 1865, the regiment had been reduced from its original 1,000 members down to a little over 200. With their enlistments expiring, the men who chose to refuse reenlistment into a “Veteran Volunteer” regiment were embarked aboard the steamship General Lyon. This final tale recounts the fateful trip and the tragic loss of many soldiers just ten days before General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox brought the Civil War to a close, for all intents and purposes. This documentary is highly recommended for those with a special interest in the Civil War as well as for the general public. For more information about the documentary please contact Joe Wilson at [email protected].