Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
Colonel? Colonel, darlin'. Rise up, me bucko. [Chamberlain groans.] Oh, I'm sorry, darlin', but we've got a bit of a problem here, Colonel, would ye like to hear about it? Would ye wake up, sir? We got a whole company comin', sir. This way. I'll give ye time to wake up, but we've got quite a problem. Altogether, 120 men are comin'. We're to be havin' them as guests.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
[still half asleep] What?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
Yeah. Should be here any minute.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
Who?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
Mutineers. Mutineers, Colonel, me lad. 120 men from the old 2nd Maine which has been disbanded.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
120 mutineers? [gestures for Kilrain to keep talking.]
Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
Yes, sir. Ye see, what happened was the enlistment papers on the old 2nd Maine run out. So they were sent home. All except these 120 fellows who'd foolishly signed 3-year papers. 3 years, that is. So these poor fellows, they got one more year to serve, only, you see, they thought they was signin' to fight only with the 2nd Maine and the 2nd Maine only. So, they, uh, quit. They resigned, ye see. 120 men! [Chamberlain puts his head down.] Colonel? Are ye all right?
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
Yeah.
Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
Well, the point is, sir, these Maine fellows; they won't fight no more. And nobody can send them home and nobody knows what to do with them. Til they thought of us. Being as we are the only other Maine regiment in the Fifth Corps. So they've been assigned to us. Yes, sir. I've a message here from the new commanding general. George Meade, sir, that's right! Our very own general of our very own corps has been promoted to command of the whole army. The latest, if ye keep track of them as they go by. [pulls out message, reads] The message says, uh, they'll be arrivin' this mornin', and they're to join us, oh, and if they refuse to follow orders, please feel free to shoot 'em.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
To... to shoot 'em?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
Yes, sir.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
These are Maine me?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
[nods] Mm-hm.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
[takes the note, reads] "You are hereby authorized to shoot any man who refuses to do his duty." Buster, are these all Maine men?
Pvt. Buster Kilrain:
Yes, sir, and fine big fellows they are, too.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
[sighs] Mutiny. I thought that was a word for the navy.
