Civil War buffs pleased by accuracy, significance of `Glory’

BRUNSWICK — Bill Lannon of Ellsworth and Dave Roberts of Bath are carpenters by trade. Jim Appleton of Etna is, among other things, a sheep farmer.

Their common bond on Sunday morning was an intense interest in the Civil War. That is what brought them and 80 other men, women and children to the Evening Star Cinema here for their own form of religious experience — a special showing of the movie “Glory.”

The movie is about the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which was among the first of the all-black volunteer units to be organized and to fight for the Union Army.

The movie’s climax involves the 54th’s heroic but ill-fated assault on Fort Wagner, which protected Charleston, S.C., on July 18, 1863.

Fort Wagner is not one of the Civil War’s most famous battles because it was fought in South Carolina, not Virginia; because it occurred two weeks after the Confederates were defeated at Gettysburg; and because the fort was never captured by Union forces.

But “Glory” certainly hammered home the story of how the 54th came of age and the horrors of 19th century warfare to Sunday’s audience of Civil War re-enactors.

About half of the men were dressed in authentic navy blue jackets and light blue trousers and forage caps worn by Union Army privates and corporals and captains. Two men were conspicuous in their gray Confederate uniforms. And several women and children wore hooped skirts and other period clothes.

The Union Army re-enactors represented Company B of the famed 20th Maine Regiment, which was mustered in Bangor in August 1862, and Company A of the 3rd Maine Regiment, which was organized in Bath in 1861.

“The film did not glorify war,” observed the scholarly Appleton after seeing “Glory” for the first time. “It was more about people earning their glory rather than it being given to them.”

Although the movie has been shown in this country’s major cities for about two months, many of the enthusiasts in Sunday’s audience saw it for the first time because it has not been shown in many smaller markets, such as Bangor.

It has, however, been nominated for five Academy Awards and it has been shown in the Portland area as well as in Brunswick. Owner Greg Melick said it has drawn good crowds during the two weeks it has run at his Evening Star Cinema here, and he plans to host additional special performances for school classes.

“It is important that people be exposed to this type of history,” Melick observed. “This is an important film.”

Dave Roberts obviously agrees. He arranged for the Sunday morning special showing. He was dressed as a 3rd Maine Regiment soldier. He was also one of the extras, a dead soldier who was carried off the battlefield at Antietam early in the movie.

“The people who made this movie were sticklers about authenticity,” related Roberts. “Our uniforms and everything had to look like the original equipment. There were no wristwatches or T-shirts or any other modern paraphernalia.”

In fact, it took an eye for detail to detect the minor inaccuracies. For example, Roberts pointed out, the replicas of the Springfield muskets issued in the movie have serial numbers because of federal gun regulations. The original Springfields, issued during the Civil War, had no serial numbers.