Gereneral Gregg

[Magyar]

I was watching Gods and Generals this morning - came accross it while channel surfing -
and came into it in the middle.

There was a seen when Gen Gregg is dying and gen Stonewall Jackson comes to visit him at his death bed.

the dialog goes something like this.


Gregg - I wish to appoligize.......
Jackson - put this out of your mind and turn your thoughts to god and the world you go to
Gregg - Gen. You KNOW I am not a believer!
Jackson - well then I'll believe for the both of us.

I am admittedly rather weak on the personal histories of most of the the southern General except the obvious ones of course. But I found it rather ODD to have such a dialog and it's impications put into a movie like this without some basis.

But would/could this be possible?
If not why put it into a movie?

[theprestige]

General Jackson was a devoutly religious man. This is a matter of well-established public record, evidenced in his correspondence and in the testimony of the thousands of eyewitnesses who served with him.

The records of the Civil War include numerous official documents--battle reports signed by Jackson himself--in which he attributes his victories to God.

But many soldiers and civilians throughout history have been religious. Why do you find it odd that Jackson was religious?

[Big Les]

Who says he does? It's the possible incongruity/anachronistic nature of the scene that's being commented on. I doubt that it's based on real history (as in that dialogue), and I'm not convinced that it's even very plausible a discussion. But hey, artistic licence.

[Magyar]

the prestige, perhaps I wrote my comments poorly or you miss understood me.

It is NOT Jackson's religious beliefs I questioned, I know his record. It's Gregg's comment in the movie in this scene to Jackson "General, you know I am not a believing man".

While I don't know of any incident that questions Jackson character, Jackson and Gregg had an ongoing feud and I find it nearly impossible to believe that if Gregg was known to be a "non-believing mand" this would not have come up in/as part of this fued.


I would also think that declairing such an opponion in the south during this time would be nearly, if not equal to declairing that blacks were equal.


So I was just wondering if there was no real basis to such a statement what the purpose of it was to include in the movie. Was the director or author( I am not sure who or what the movie is based on) trying to make a point.


I find it EXCEEDINGLY stupid to put stuff like this into movies. Artistic license is one thing but to claim that a confederate general was a known atheist AND accepted
is just plain stupid and it serves no purpose other than make you look stupid - unless there is some basis in fact to the claim.

I know that when you make a movie based on history you are not making a documentary and you embelish and change some stuff, but there has got to be a limit. Otherwise why not make a civil war movie where the confederates fight a well trained rangers unit armed with M16.

[theprestige]

Magyar, my apologies. Thanks for clarifying.

[BobG]

Who says he does? It's the possible incongruity/anachronistic nature of the scene that's being commented on. I doubt that it's based on real history (as in that dialogue), and I'm not convinced that it's even very plausible a discussion. But hey, artistic licence.

Yes!

All movies take great liberties in order to entertain the audience.

I wouldn't put any stock in the reality of the scene described. It was probably the writers method of getting across the point that Jackson was religious.