A Nation Divided: A 12-Hour Miniseries of the American Civil War: Episodes 105-108

By Michael Frost Beckner

America is under attack from within. A nation divided on every issue. Across the land, political, social, and racial intolerance increasingly turns to violence...

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Montrose Station Press LLC
• Release date: Nov 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9798990351714

Michael Frost Beckner

In 1989, Michael Frost Beckner's script for Sniper launched a military-thriller franchise now in production on its eighth sequel. Three consecutive record-breaking spec script sales and three films later, Tony Scott directed Beckner's original screenplay "Spy Game." An international blockbuster that paired Robert Redford and Brad Pitt as CIA partners and rivals, it is now a classic in the espionage genre.Beckner branched into television with his CIA-based drama "The Agency" for CBS, Beckner's pilot predicted Osama bin Laden's terror attack and the War on Terror four months before 9/11. In that series alone, Beckner would go on to predictively dramatize three more future international terror events. Having penned more than twenty-five pilots for network and cable television, miniseries and docudramas, and dozens of original motion picture screenplays, adaptations, and rewrites, he is a Hollywood institution.In 2001, intrigued by the idea of writing a two-man play focused on the four meetings between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee over their lifetimes, Beckner embarked on a twenty-year research odyssey, advised by more than a dozen of the top Civil War historians in America, which saw him transform his intimate theater piece into the most comprehensive Civil War mini-series ever written. Variously known as "To Appomattox" and "Battle Hymn," and now entitled "A Nation Divided," for the first time, Beckner's full 12-hour scripts are being released to the public in three volumes.As a commentator on American espionage, Beckner has appeared on CNN, Fox News, CBS News, TF1 in France, and as a featured guest of Bill Maher on HBO. Now, in conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of "Spy Game," Beckner returns to the world of Nathan Muir and Tom Bishop with the release of his trilogy of Spy Game novels: "Muir's Gambit," "Bishop's Endgame," and "Aiken in Check."

Book preview

ALSO BY MICHAEL FROST BECKNER

HITLER’S LOKI

Berlin Mesa

SPY GAME

Muir’s Gambit

Bishop’s Endgame

Aiken in Check

A NATION DIVIDED

Book I: Episodes 101–104

Book I: Episodes 105–108

This is a work of historical fiction. Apart from the well-known actual people, dialogue, events, and locales that figure in the narrative, all names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2022 by Michael Frost Beckner

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by

Montrose Station Press LLC, Los Angeles.

Cover design by Andrew Frost Beckner

Book interior design by Brooke Koven

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER: 2022901704

ISBN 9798985729207

E-ISBN 9798990351714

Printed in the United States of America

FIRST PAPERBACK EDITION

For my mother

CONTENTS

EPISODE 105

AMERICAN GOD

EPISODE 106

COURAGE

EPISODE 107

REUNION

EPISODE 108

AN AMERICAN, BY HIMSELF

Bibliography

A NATION DIVIDED

EPISODE 105

AMERICAN GOD

BY

Michael Frost Beckner

FADE IN:

EXT. A COUNTRY HOUSE—DUSK

WESTERN THEATER—

Corinth, Mississippi—July 24, 1862

Amid a grove of old oaks, General Grant’s staff sits in rockers catching last light to read the paper or write letters. TWO PRIVATES, under the supervision of (now) SERGEANT COMBS finish raking, and then water a white sand path that encompasses the house... General JAMES MCPHERSON exits. He checks his watch and waits on the top step of the porch.

Presently, a medical corps ambulance escorted by TWO GUARDS on horseback rolls up. General ULYSSES S. GRANT hands the TEAMSTER the reins and jumps from the driver’s bench. From the back of the ambulance, he lifts out his two youngest children: JESSE and NELLIE. McPherson joins them. Nellie wants to be held by McPherson so the handsome young general obliges.

GRANT

So this is the mighty Corinth that fell without a casualty.

MCPHERSON

Not counting General Halleck, sir. He fell off his horse riding into the town the Confederates had already evacuated.

Grant’s smirk is almost imperceptible. His two older boys, FRED and BUCK, clamber out to chase FIREFLIES. Jesse romps off as Nellie squirms from McPherson’s arms. Reaching for her husband’s assistance out of the ambulance—

JULIA

General Halleck is here?

MCPHERSON

Good evening, ma’am. No, he’s been called to Washington. Left this morning. Lee’s on the move... You had a pleasant journey, Mrs. Grant?

JULIA

These last two months of Ulys’s exile have been a most victorious period for his family.

GRANT

Marriage and family. I recommend ’em for everything that ails a man.

JUNIOR OFFICERS join them to wrangle the family’s luggage.

JULIA

If you gentlemen will excuse me, I’ll let these fine young officers show me our quarters.

Grant waits until JULIA GRANT is out of earshot before—

GRANT

Halleck summoned me here. He’s left?

Grant notices Jesse and Nellie taking off their shoes as they talk with Sergeant Combs where the privates have finished watering the sand path around the house. Grant’s aide-de-camp RAWLINS emerges onto the porch with dispatches.

MCPHERSON

Captain Rawlins has been tapping away on the telegraph for the last six hours. He can fill you in, sir.

There’s a sparkle in McPherson’s eye.

GRANT

You know something, Mac?

McPherson grins as, coming down the steps—

RAWLINS

General Grant.

GRANT

John. What’s going on?

RAWLINS

Good news, sir. After six long months, Lincoln has chosen a Head of All Armies for the Union.

GRANT

Sherman?

RAWLINS & MCPHERSON

Halleck.

GRANT

I’ll be durned...

Now both McPherson and Rawlins grin. Grant decides not to take the bait. He joins Nellie and Jesse at the path around the house. Sergeant Combs comes to attention and salutes.

GRANT

At ease, Sergeant Combs.

Combs beams that his general is back and remembers his name.

GRANT

Tell me, as I’ve noticed your boys have done a beautifully tedious job of raking this sand, why are you letting my rapscallions remove their shoes—I imagine—to run roughshod over your work?

COMBS

Sir, General Halleck’s had us raking and watering this path three times a day for two months. I couldn’t think no better way to celebrate his promotion...

(to Nellie and Jesse)

Go on, kids. G’look.

Rawlins and McPherson join Grant. To McPherson (on whom she has a little girl’s crush)—

NELLIE

We’re going to walk round the house and look for who’s following us.

As Combs leads them off, Fred and Buck run up, Buck choking.

FRED

Somethin’s in Buck’s throat!

While everyone else reacts with alarm—

GRANT

Really?

Buck nods, coughing and bringing his fist to his mouth.

RAWLINS

Get water!

GRANT

Should I hit his back? Really hard?

Fred grins, nods, but Buck shakes his head and with one magnificent FAKE COUGH opens his fist blowing from it all the FIREFLIES he and his brother caught. It appears as if the RADIANT INSECTS have been expelled from his lungs. Laughing, all the children step into the smooth, soft sand and quickly stalk around the house. Twinkling, the FIREFLIES disperse. Grant faces Rawlins and McPherson.

GRANT

Good one, huh? I taught ’em that...

(hard)

Well?

RAWLINS

With Halleck in Washington, not only does that put you first in command in the field, but—

MCPHERSON

By default—

RAWLINS

By default, it puts you in command of the entire Western Theater.

MCPHERSON

Halleck’s gotten what he wanted. General, you can take what you want in Mississippi when you’re ready.

As the full impact of this hits him, Grant’s children and Combs come stalking around the house like hunters. Nellie and Jesse stop in their tracks at the sight of their own footprints now ahead of them. Someone is following them. Fred and Buck roll on the grass in FITS OF LAUGHTER.

GRANT

Boil coffee and find my Vicksburg maps, gentlemen.

(MORE)

GRANT (CONT’D)

I’ll be inside as soon as we settle whoever—or WHATEVER—it is that’s stalking my children!

Grant sits on the lawn and removes his boots, then stopping—

GRANT

Mac...where’s Sherman these days?

MCPHERSON

Memphis, General. Halleck’s made him Military Governor.

Grant nods. Thinks, then shakes his head.

GRANT

Cump’s had the bit between his teeth. When we start moving, he’ll want to be in the action. Get Sherman. Once I start this ball rolling, his army will be my main thrust down the Mississippi.

EXT. U.S. NAVY WHARVES—MORNING

WASHINGTON CITY—August 15, 1862

TIGHT ON: JOHANN MUELLER (19) disembarking a ship—a German immigrant arrived in America. His face is filled with hope.

A SERIES OF SHOTS—WASHINGTON HARBOR—DAY TO NIGHT TO DAY

Johann goes shop to shop for work. People barely understand him when he SPEAKS and he cannot find a job.

EXT. WASHINGTON SALOON—NIGHT

Outside the saloon, the penniless WILLIAM STEFFE (last seen when McClellan’s Army marched off) packs up the cart from which he rarely sells stringed instruments and hand-copied sheet music. A sign advertises violin lessons he’s never been lucky enough to acquire a student to teach.

At the saloon window, some DRUNKEN U.S. NAVY MEN notice him. Joking, they begin SINGING the Canaan’s Happy Shore/ Battle Hymn of the Republic melody...although with different words.

DRUNKEN NAVY MEN

Mine eyes have seen the glories of a winsome injun lass!

Steffe gives them a withering look. It only eggs them on.

DRUNKEN NAVY MEN

Her pelt was small but furry and she took me in the arse! Abe Lincoln’s in the White House, old Steffe can have the world—

Steffe can’t stand it. He coldly walks to the saloon door.

INT. WASHINGTON SALOON—CONTINUOUS

DRUNKEN NAVY MEN

I just want more injun girl!

Some break down with laughter, a few keep going with the GLORY, GLORY HALLELUJAH’S. Steffe waits until they have finished, then enters. The room falls silent. Among the other patrons, Johann Mueller sits with a DAPPER AMERICAN (40s) looking over some documents. All eyes focus on Steffe.

DRUNKEN NAVY MAN

The Lord write you any new ones, Steffe?

STEFFE

I believed Jesus wrote that melody... But Jesus did not.

DRUNKEN NAVY MAN

Not our version—that’s Daniel’s—but Jesus guided your hand when you first wrote it—right, Stef’?

For a moment, it appears Steffe will either get violent or burst into tears. But he controls himself and says something no one, not even himself, expected.

STEFFE

Jesus was just a man. They killed him only for being a slightly worse failure than I.

There is so much pain behind his quiet words that everyone in the bar—except for Johann—stares at Steffe in shame. Steffe walks to the bar. He lays down some coins.

SALOONKEEPER

What’ll it be, Bill?

The saloonkeeper pushes the coins back to Steffe.

SALOONKEEPER

On me, tonight.

Steffe doesn’t take them back.

STEFFE

For my tab. Goodbye.

Steffe exits. He goes to his cart and violently shoves it into the street—destroying it, scattering instruments and sheet music he’s handwritten—before walking away. As SCAVENGERS come to take what they can...

DAPPER AMERICAN

Wharves cough up all kind of nuts. The Bible-thumpers’re the worst.

Johann shrugs. Having figured out what’s transpired—

JOHANN

(heavy accent)

Does he not know the miracle of Jesus is that he was a man?

The Dapper American could give a damn...

DAPPER AMERICAN

As I was saying, Johann, you sign right here, I am qualified to take you to my office, give you fifty dollars and you will have the satisfaction of having joined a cause for freedom greater than anything ever fought for in all the European kingdoms combined.

JOHANN

Fifty American dollars?

DAPPER AMERICAN

Yessiree, Bob.

JOHANN

To fight the South Americans to stop the slavery?

Putting his pen in Johann’s hand and tapping the place for Johann’s signature on the enlistment papers—

DAPPER AMERICAN

No time like the present...

Johann signs. The Dapper American takes the enlistment papers and signals the saloonkeeper.

DAPPER AMERICAN

Mike, a lager for our new American friend!

The Saloonkeeper doesn’t like this man’s con game...but he pours the beer. The Dapper American retrieves it. Presenting it to Johann—

DAPPER AMERICAN

My honor, young man.

Johann takes the beer.

JOHANN

No lager for you mit me here?

DAPPER AMERICAN

It’s a gift. American custom.

Johann, about to drink, pauses. He shakes his head.

JOHANN

It is German custom to drink together.

He puts down his beer and walks back to the bar.

JOHANN

I celebrate to have joined your Army for the great fight.

As Johann speaks to the bartender, the Dapper American tucks the enlistment papers into his suit pocket and casually moves toward the doors. The drunken Navy men watch with amusement. The saloonkeeper, however, still feels badly about Steffe...

SALOONKEEPER

Son, you should know: it’s two hundred dollars to enlist.

JOHANN

No, I signed for fifty.

SALOONKEEPER

Yeah, and if you don’t keep your eye on your new friend right now, you won’t even get that.

Johann turns before the Dapper American can reach the door.

JOHANN

Where you going?

Caught in his escape, the Dapper American turns, grinning.

DAPPER AMERICAN

Saw a friend. Just giving a hi-di-ho.

He wanders back as the saloonkeeper pours the beer.

SALOONKEEPER

Five cents.

Johann doesn’t have it.

DAPPER AMERICAN

Thought that counts. C’mon, drink your lager and we’ll take a walk back to my office. Getcher money.

Johann looks from the Dapper American to the saloonkeeper. He puts a thick, farmboy’s finger on one of Steffe’s coins. The saloonkeeper nods his okay, then taking all the coins—

SALOONKEEPER

Would you like I keep ’em comin’?

JOHANN

Would very much like.

Carrying the Dapper American’s beer in one fist, he takes the con man’s shoulder in the other and guides him to the table. He picks up his own tankard and drinks it in one gulp.

JOHANN

Trinken—Drink!

The Dapper American sips cautiously...until Johann pushes the bottom of the glass upward, forcing him to chug it.

JOHANN

Zwei bier!

Two more beers. Johann pounds his.

JOHANN

Drink.

DAPPER AMERICAN

I’m good with one.

But Johann grabs him by the back of the neck and forces him to drink to the HOOTS and HOLLERS of the Navy men.

INT. WASHINGTON SALOON—NIGHT

Empty tankards litter the table. The Navy men have joined the game, now force-feeding the Dapper American whiskey. Johann, drunk himself, puts his arms around two of them.

JOHANN

I am American soldier now like you.

DRUNKEN NAVY MEN

Well, we’s seadogs, but, hell-yes you are—more’n this son-bitch.

One of the Navy men reaches into the Dapper American’s suit for Johann’s enlistment papers. The Dapper American attempts to stop this but is too drunk. Giving Johann his papers—

DRUNKEN NAVY MEN

Take this, boy, and collect your two hundred dolla’s... We’ll take care a’your friend.

Joyously pocketing the papers—

JOHANN

Two hundred dollars! Gott im Himmel! This is more than I could have made at home in two years!

SALOONKEEPER

You’ll earn it, Johnny. Now git.

Johann flashes his big smile all around, shakes hands, claps backs, then LAUGHING, plants a big kiss on the Dapper American’s cheek and goes.

INT. WAR DEPARTMENT TELEGRAPH ROOM—AFTERNOON

WASHINGTON CITY—August 29, 1862

Nerves run high. President ABRAHAM LINCOLN joins War Secretary EDWIN STANTON in the room filled with Union Army telegraphers. Major THOMAS T. ECKERT (32), chief of the Telegraph Office, broad-shouldered and tall, stands by as Stanton shows Lincoln a telegram.

STANTON

Received this morning from General Pope. Lee’s whole force is massed against his front.

LINCOLN

And what of McClellan’s Army of the Potomac?

STANTON

As of that message, they hadn’t arrived, sir.

LINCOLN

Is that possible?

They share a look: with McClellan? Of course that’s possible.

LINCOLN

Contact McClellan’s generals and contact Pope.

STANTON

The Rebels have cut all telegraph lines between us and the battlefield.

LINCOLN

Major Eckert, can we get word out by railroad?

Eckert soberly hands Lincoln another message.

LINCOLN

Number Six train fired into at Bristoe by a party of secesh cavalry five hundred strong... And?

ECKERT

I received that five minutes ago, Mr. President.

STANTON

Number Six was our last remaining engine the Confederates hadn’t destroyed, Mr. President.

LINCOLN

The only Federal army between the Rebels and the Executive Mansion is now engaged and we’re blind to Pope’s battle?!

STANTON

May the Lord help us.

LINCOLN

Invoking Jesus’ help is not the advice I need at this moment.

Stanton, a deeply religious man, bristles.

STANTON

According to your lack of faith, Mr. President.

LINCOLN

I’ve disrespected you. I’m sorry.

STANTON

Men are working to get the lines repaired as soon as possible, sir.

(gestures)

You’ve been without break for twenty-four hours. If you’d like to lie down in my office, I will wake you when we know more.

Stanton forces a smile, but Lincoln sees: his dismissal of Stanton’s faith wounds deeply.

INT. STANTON’S OFFICE—LATER

Lincoln sleeps, head overhanging one sofa arm, legs dangling over the other. He is awakened by Secretary Stanton.

STANTON

We’ve received fragmentary messages from the area of Manassas.

LINCOLN

(disoriented)

I was dreaming of my dead son, Willie. We were on a ship crossing a great ocean.

Still lying down, he rubs his face trying to rid himself of the unsettling dream of his dead child.

LINCOLN

Manassas, you say?

STANTON

Pope’s supply line at the junction has been looted and burned by Jackson. His army has been ruined.

LINCOLN

A second loss at Manassas... Did McClellan’s Army of the Potomac arrive?

STANTON

(furious)

Less than a mile from the battlefield his General Sturgis refused to move from his headquarters saying: I don’t care for John Pope a pinch of owl dung!

LINCOLN

Did you get this from Sturgis?

STANTON

Pope’s headquarters. Before they fled.

Lincoln sits up, runs his hands through his hair.

LINCOLN

(re: his dream)

I remember: Willie and I were dressed as we’d been for a theater performance we once attended.

STANTON

Mr. President, I’m not sure what your dream has to do with—

LINCOLN

Edwin Booth... He played Macbeth.

STANTON

Mr. President!

But Lincoln holds up his hand. Where at this point of his life he is not a practicing Christian, Lincoln holds a belief that there are messages within his dreams...

LINCOLN

Did you know Edwin Booth saved my son Robert’s life once in New York?

Stanton bites back his impatience.

LINCOLN

From an onrushing train. A singular act of bravery my family will always be indebted to him for... But it wasn’t that Booth on the cover of Willie’s program. It was the brother, John Wilkes...

Lincoln’s eyes light up, remembering more of his dream.

LINCOLN

I found that strange and examined the engraving more closely, but it changed. It wasn’t either Booth, but George McClellan as Macbeth.

STANTON

Macbeth?! I don’t doubt it, sir! At your word I will send a detachment of soldiers to McClellan’s home and place him under arrest for treason!

LINCOLN

(smiling grimly)

Even if the owl dung remark were proven Sturgis’s, what license does it give us to go after McClellan whose name-calling typically leans simian? Weighed against that is the knowledge that John Pope is a notorious and self-promoting liar.

STANTON

Mr. President,