Summaries

Synopsis

Set in 1858, middle of the American civil war in Virginia. John Wise (Luke Benward) is the son of the Governor of Virginia & is deeply influenced by his father's liberal leanings on the topic of slavery & the thought of America as a united nation. In his youth John witnesses a live slave auction in which a slave family is cruelly sold off to different bidders, leading to the family being broken apart.

5 years later, John was sent by his father to the Confederate Virginia military school. This is John's 2nd year at the VMI. The civil war is closing in on the location where the military school is situated.John's friends at military school are Sam Atwill (Max Lloyd-Jones), Jack Stanard (Zach Roerig), Garland Jefferson (Parker Croft), Benjamin 'Duck' Colonna (Sean Marquette) & Moses Ezekiel (Josh Zuckerman). Robert / Sir Rat (Nolan Gould) is a fist year recruit, whom John takes under his protection. Old Judge (Keith David) is the bakery manager at the school & has the ears of the school commandant.

In 1864, Gen Ulysses S. Grant (Tom Skerritt), meets Abraham Lincoln (Michael Krebs) at the White House. Gen Grant is known for his ruthlessness in dealing with the enemy. Grant espouses the use of extreme brutality to eliminate the enemy's ability to wage war, including taking away their food, their fields, their animals, the railroads, the industry, the ammunition, the steel, their youth and the armaments.In his meeting Gen Grant assures Lincoln that he will crush the enemy by taking away all hope of victory. Lincoln promotes him to chief of staff.

Confederates Major Charles Semple (Gale Harold) & Gen John C. Breckinridge (Jason Isaacs) study the terrain (Shenandoah Valley) around the town of New Market Gap, which they believe will be next battle between confederate Gen Lee & Union Gen Grant.Gen Breckinridge argues with Major Semple that he needs a new army in time to hold New Market Gap & to face Gen Grant. Unless he gets the new army in time, the confederates are headed for a certain defeat.

Union Gen. Franz Sigel (Werner Daehn) is leading the Union army in Virginia & is not very supportive of Gen Grant since he was promoted over his head. Capt. Henry DuPont (David Arquette) is providing artillery support to Sigel's army. Sigel believes DuPont is a spy from Gen Grant and refuses to integrate DuPont under his command.Gen Grant wants to take over the Shenandoah valley to cut off the Confederate food supply before the harvest period.

Gen Breckinridge is trying to gather his troops from every corner of the country but seems that some may not make it due to delays. Gen Breckinridge decides, under advice from Major Semple, that the Virginia Military School cadets will need to be called up as a reserve force in case the main forces fail to show up to defend New Market Gap. VMI cadets are ordered to March 50 miles in 2 days to reach New Market Gap. The cadets, numbering 257, were organized into a battalion of four companies of Infantry and one section of Artillery.Meanwhile Gen. Franz Sigel continues to ignore all counsel from DuPont to amass his troops near New Market Gap to counter the confederate advance.

During the march it is revealed that John is conflicted about the confederate cause (fighting to maintain slavery) and the need to defend his family, his friends & his school.Lincoln learns that Gen Grant is moving his forces through Virginia & closing up upon Gen Breckinridge's forces near New Market Gap. Gen Grant is operating without the support of Gen Sigel, but the Union forces are better fed, better rested and are up against cadets from VMI. All factors indicate a massacre of the Confederate army.

As things pan out on May 15th, 1864, Gen Breckinridge's main forces never arrive & he is forced to put his cadet forces into battle to face Gen Grant's professional troops.The cadet's maintain formation in face of heavy union artillery fire. They get right into the middle of battle holding the confederate lines, when John decides to take charge & charge the union artillery garrison on the other side of the hill. In an act of incredible bravery, the confederate cadet forces overtake the artillery guns of the union army & force the Union army to retreat.Many cadets lost their footwear in the freshly plowed soil, turned to thick mud after several days of rain. That section of the battlefield became known as the "Field of Lost Shoes". Ten VMI cadets died in the battle.

Cadet Sam Atwill, Jack Stanard & Garland Jefferson lose their lives (only 4 out of the 7 friends make it back home alive). Till this date the courage of those who lost their lives is remembered by the cadets of Virginia Military institute in a yearly parade.