THE PATRIOT

                         CHARLOTTE

          You have done nothing for which you

          should be ashamed.

INT.  CHARLOTTE'S BARN - MORNING

A drained Gabriel finishes saddling his horse.  He leads

the horse out to:

EXT.  BARN YARD - CHARLOTTE'S PLANTATION - MORNING

A surprised Gabriel sees Martin, standing next to a

saddled horse, with Charlotte and the other children

nearby.

                         GABRIEL

          Where are you going?

                         MARTIN

          We have some dispatches to deliver.

Gabriel simply nods, already carrying too much weight to

respond strongly.  Martin turns for goodbyes.  He embraces

Nathan and Samuel, then Margaret, William and Susan.

                         WILLIAM

          When will you be back?

                         MARTIN

          I don't know, William.

                         WILLIAM

          Tomorrow?

Martin winces.  Margaret puts her arm around William.

                         MARGARET

          No, not tomorrow.

Martin kisses them both, then moves on to Susan, trying to

coax a word out of the silent four-year-old:

                         MARTIN

          Goodbye?

She just looks at him.

                         MARTIN

          Just one word?  Goodbye?  That's all

          I want.

Susan shakes her head.  He sighs, rises and turns to

Charlotte.  They embrace.  Martin mounts up and heads off

with Gabriel.  Susan, unnoticed and unheard, whispers:

                         SUSAN

          Goodbye.

Martin and Gabriel ride away.

EXT.  CAMDEN ROAD - DAY

Martin and Gabriel ride past the signs of a small

skirmish.  Bodies.  Abandoned wagons.  Dead horses.  A

burning farm.

EXT.  CAMDEN HILLSIDE - DAY

Martin and Gabriel ride to the crest of a hill.  A vista

spreads out before them.  They see an awesome sight -- A

MASSIVE SLASH OF RED approaches a MASSIVE SLASH OF BLUE.

A battle is taking place about five miles away.  Gabriel

starts to spur his horse but Martin GRABS GABRIEL'S REINS

and YANKS, restraining him.

                         MARTIN

          No, it's too late.

Gabriel struggles with his mount, but Martin holds fast.

Gabriel stops, turning to the scene unfolding before them.

At this distance, the moving slashes of color are

beautiful.  The slash of red stops.  Martin and Gabriel

hear only a GENTLE WIND and some nearby SONGBIRDS.  Then,

from a black mass on the side of the red slash, a silent

eruption of white smoke.

EXT.  CAMDEN BATTLEFIELD - DAY

The NOISE OF CANNONFIRE AND SCREAMS IS DEAFENING as DOZENS

OF CANNONBALLS hurtle through the Continental lines...

Each eighteen pound steel ball cuts it own insane path

through the walls of blue-uniformed men, leaving a trail

of SCREAMING MEN, severed limbs, torn flesh and blood...

One cannonball -- crushes a skull, cuts three men nearly

in half, smashes straight through a wagon, slams into a

tree, killing four more men with a shower of splinters...

Another cannonball, fired low, bounces along the ground,

shattering leg, after leg, after leg, after, leg...

Another cannonball, careens madly, changing direction with

each bounce, passing harmlessly past scores of terrified

men, miraculously touching none...

Then, something hideous:  A CANNON FIRES CHAIN SHOT, a

pair of cannonballs linked by chain... cutting a six-foot-

wide path of bloody and mutilated men through the ranks...

A bank of CANNONS FIRE... the roar of the cannons is

drowned out by the SCREAMS...

EXT.  CAMDEN HILLSIDE - DAY

Martin and Gabriel see the blue slash silently quiver.  A

moment later the SOUND OF THE CANNONS, RUMBLES UP THE

HILL...

The RED SLASH STOPS moving.  It darkens as thousands of

Redcoats raise their muskets and the front rank kneels

into firing position.

Martin's eyes dart.  He knows what's coming.

                         MARTIN

          Break for the trees... break for the

          trees...

A MASSIVE ERUPTION OF WHITE SMOKE billows from the red

slash.

EXT.  CAMDEN BATTLEFIELD - DAY

Every single man in the Patriot front rank takes a massive

musket ball into or through his body...

Those in the second rank who are not killed by the balls

passing through the men in front, are blinded by a shower

of blood, flesh and shards of shattered bone...

Chaos... no advance... no retreat... nothing to do but

die...

EXT.  CAMDEN HILLSIDE - DAY

Martin and Gabriel see the blue line start to break up.

The SOUND OF THE BRITISH MUSKETS reaches them like the

pattering of rain.  The SMOKE OF INEFFECTIVE, SCATTERED

VOLLEYS erupts from the Patriot lines.  The red line holds

firm.

                         MARTIN

          Send them to cover!  Goddamn you!

But the blue line stays in the open field.

EXT.  REDCOAT COMMAND POSITION - DAY

Cornwallis, his eyes scanning, taking in every detail of

the battle, sits on horseback with his staff officers,

including Tavington.  With speed, efficiency and

surprising calmness, he gives orders to waiting riders.

                         CORNWALLIS

          Second Foot, wheel right, advance

          quick step...

Cornwallis points.  The riders gallop off to deliver the

order.

                         CORNWALLIS

          Second Brigade, Horse, charge at

          will...

                  (another rider goes)

          Colonel Tavington, have at their

          militia.

                         TAVINGTON

          With pleasure, sir.

Tavington smiles grimly and gallops off to join his men.

EXT.  CAMDEN HILLSIDE - DAY

Martin and Gabriel watch as fast moving green and red

masses move quickly onto the battlefield.  Cavalry.

                         GABRIEL

          Father, we have to do something...

Martin shakes his head, still holding Gabriel's reins

tightly.

EXT.  CAMDEN BATTLEFIELD - DAY

The British cavalry THUNDERS into what's left of the

Patriot lines.  Redcoats and Green Dragoons, armed with

sabers, hack and slash at the wounded, disoriented

Continentals...

One Patriot dismounts a Redcoat only to have another

Redcoat cut him open from behind...

Behind the cavalry, Redcoat infantry, including a BRIGADE

OF AFRICAN REDCOATS, advancing at a run, bayonets

leveled...

One after another Patriot is knocked to the ground and

trampled by the cavalry.  The SCREAMS CONTINUE...

EXT.  CAMDEN HILLSIDE - DAY

Martin and Gabriel see tiny bits of blue moving in every

direction, away from the masses of red and green.

                         GABRIEL

          Father...

                         MARTIN

          It's already over.

Martin turns his horse and heads down the hill, toward the

rear of the Patriot lines.  Behind them, the colors swirl

and dance silently on the distant field.

EXT.  AMERICAN ENCAMPMENT - NIGHT

A nightmare.  SCREAMS OF AGONY.  A few hundred battered,

Patriot survivors treat their wounded and prepare to move

out.

Martin and Gabriel ride into camp, passing nervous

sentries.  They dismount and walk past a field surgery

which is surrounded by pools of blood and amputated legs

and arms.

Gabriel notices something, stops and picks up a tattered

flag, Old Glory, covered with blood and mud and nearly

torn to bits.  A battered, WOUNDED CONTINENTAL limps by,

seeing Gabriel trying to piece the flag together.

                         WOUNDED CONTINENTAL

          Don't bother, it's a lost cause.

Gabriel considers the words, then sees Martin near HARRY

LEE, who is at a make-shift command post, barking orders,

trying to pull things together.  Gabriel stuffs the flag

into his haversack and hurries over.

                         LEE

          Lieutenant, detail men for

          outriders.  We move out as soon as

          the wounded are ready.

                         LIEUTENANT

          Yes, sir.

The Lieutenant rushes off.  Lee notices Martin and

Gabriel.  He jerks his head for them to follow him into:

LEE'S COMMAND TENT

Dark.  Once out of sight of the men, Lee loses his command

bearing.  Exhausted, he leans on his campaign table.

                         MARTIN

          I'm sorry I wasn't here for this.

                         LEE

          There's nothing you could have done,

          Gates is a damned fool.

                         MARTIN

          We saw.

                         LEE

          I begged him to stay in the cover of

          the trees but he insisted the only

          way to break Cornwallis was muzzle-

          to-muzzle.  Too many years in the

          British army.

                         MARTIN

          Where is he now?

                         LEE

          Last anyone saw, riding hard,

          northeast, his staff a hundred yards

          behind, trying to catch up.

                         MARTIN

          Who's in command?

                         LEE

          I am, I think.

                         MARTIN

          What are my orders?

Lee gives Martin a tired smile.

                         LEE

          Why the change of heart?

                         MARTIN

          Green Dragoons came to my home,

          killed my son, Thomas.  It was

          Tavington himself.

Lee winces and looks at Martin with silent sympathy.

then, taking his cue from Martin's hard expression, Lee

steps over to his campaign table and ROLLS OUT A MAP.

                         LEE

          We're a breath away from losing this

          war.  In the North, Washington is

          reeling from Valley Forge, running

          and hiding from Clinton and twelve

          thousand Redcoats.

                  (pointing)

          Here in the South, Cornwallis has

          broken our back.  He captured over

          five thousand of our troops when he

          took Charleston and today he

          destroyed the only army that stood

          between him and New York.

                         MARTIN

          So now Cornwallis will head north,

          link up with Clinton and finish off

          Washington.

                         LEE

          Unless we can keep Cornwallis in the

          South until the French arrive... a

          fleet and ten thousand troops.

                         MARTIN

          When?

                         LEE

          Fall, six months at the earliest.

                         MARTIN

          And you're sure the French are

          coming?

A VOICE speaks up out a dark corner of the tent.

                         DELANCEY (O.S.)

          Absolutement.

JEAN DELANCEY steps out of the shadows.  He's about

Martin's age and wears a French major's uniform.

                         LEE

          Benjamin Martin, Major Jean

          DeLancey, French Seventh Light Foot.

DeLancey nods coolly to Martin.

                         DELANCEY

          I know him by reputation.

Gabriel notes the comment.  Martin ignores it.  DeLancey

stabs the map with his finger.

                         DELANCEY

          The bigger problem is not if or when

          my countrymen will arrive, but

          where.  Our Admiral de Grasse will

          not sail north of your Chesapeake

          Bay for fear of early storms.

                  (shrugs)

          Navy.

                         MARTIN

                  (to Lee)

          So you're going to try to keep

          Cornwallis in the South until then.

                         LEE

          Not me, you and Major DeLancey.  I'm

          going north with every Continental

          I can find to reinforce Washington

          or he won't last six weeks.

Martin turns to DeLancey.

                         MARTIN

          How many men do you have?

DeLancey motions to himself.  Martin turns back to Lee.

                         MARTIN

          You expect Cornwallis to be held

          here by militia?

                         LEE

          Held, slowed down...

                         MARTIN

          They're not soldiers, they're

          farmers.  And you're asking them to

          hold a tiger in their backyard.

          They'd be better off letting it move

          on.

                         LEE

          They'd be better off, but the cause

          wouldn't be.

                         MARTIN

          How many men does Cornwallis have

          under his command?

                         LEE

          Four thousand infantry and around

          six hundred cavalry...

                  (beat)

          ... including the Green Dragoons

          under Tavington.

Martin and Lee lock eyes.  Martin nods.  Lee quickly

writes.

                         LEE

          I'm giving you a field commission as

          a colonel.

He hands the order to Martin.

                         MARTIN

          I'd like you to transfer my son,

          here, into my command...

                         GABRIEL

          Sir, no I...

                         LEE

          Done.

                         GABRIEL

          Colonel Lee, I believe I can do more

          good detailed to you...

Martin and Lee simultaneously turn to Gabriel with a

double-barreled glare.  Gabriel backs down.

                         GABRIEL

          Yes, sir.

EXT.  AMERICAN ENCAMPMENT - EVENING

Martin, Gabriel and DeLancey stand watching Lee and his

Continental regulars move out.  Gabriel turns to Martin.

                         GABRIEL

          I've been doing this for two years.

          I'm the best scout in the

          Continental Army, the best horseman,

          the best shot, the best scavenger.

                         MARTIN

          Is that so?

                         GABRIEL

          Yes, sir.  I could be of better

          service with the regulars.

Martin looks at Gabriel closely.  DeLancey listens.

                         MARTIN

          Where'd you learn all those things,

          riding, shooting?

                         GABRIEL

          My father taught me.

                         MARTIN

          He teach you humility?

                         GABRIEL

          He tried.  It didn't take.

                         MARTIN

          Well, he did teach you every deer

          path and swamp trail between here

          and Charleston, which is why he

          asked for your transfer.

                         GABRIEL

          Not to keep an eye on me?

Martin mounts up, having lost patience with Gabriel's

personal concerns.  He turns to DeLancey.

                         MARTIN

          Can you ride?

DeLancey looks at Martin with a tolerant expression that

says, with perfect clarity, "What the fuck do you think?"

DeLancey mounts up.  Martin shrugs.

                         MARTIN

          We put out the word.  We'll start

          along the south side of the

          Santee...

                         GABRIEL

          We'd cover more ground if we split

          up.

Martin holds his temper.

                         MARTIN

          It's safer if we stay together.

                         GABRIEL

          So I was right?

Martin sighs, his anger dissipating.  He rolls his eyes.

                         MARTIN

          Alright, Corporal, you take

          Bennington, Harrisville, Acworth and

          the farms along Black Swamp.  Major

          DeLancey and I will take the north

          side of the river.  We'll meet at

          Snow's Island.

                         GABRIEL

          Yes, sir.

They mount up.

                         MARTIN

          And, Corporal...

                  (beat)

          ... be careful.

Gabriel bristles.

                         GABRIEL

          Yes, sir.

Martin shakes his head at Gabriel's pigheadedness and they

ride off.  As they go, Martin turns to DeLancey.

                         MARTIN

          You have children?

DeLancey, stone-faced, pointedly does not answer.  Martin

notes that and shuts up.  They ride on.

EXT.  BRITISH FIELD HEADQUARTERS - CAMDEN - DAY

A massive British army field encampment.  Large

detachments of Redcoats march through endless rows of

tents.  Some are battle-worn, others are fresh troops

moving out.

TAVINGTON and his GREEN DRAGOONS, covered with dirt and

sweat, ride in.  Tavington and Wilkins peel off,

dismounting in front of an elegant mansion that has been

commandeered for British headquarters.  They stride in.

INT.  CORNWALLIS' HEADQUARTERS - CAMDEN MANSION - DAY

British officers, clerks and aides work.  They're in good

spirits.  Tavington and Wilkins enter.  LORD CORNWALLIS, a

proud man, comfortable with command, coldly notes one of

his officers slapping Tavington on the back.

                         CORNWALLIS

          Gentlemen.

Tavington rolls out a map for Cornwallis.  The officers

gather around.

                         CORNWALLIS

          Colonel Tavington, this is not an

          adequate map.

                         TAVINGTON

          We have better coming on the

          trailing supply convoy from

          Charleston.

                         CORNWALLIS

          A useful place for our maps.

Tavington swallows his anger.

                         TAVINGTON

          I'm sorry, sir.  It won't happen

          again.

                         CORNWALLIS

          See that it doesn't.  Gentlemen,

          celebration is premature.  We have a

          difficult campaign ahead of us.  We

          are in predominately hostile country

          and we cannot rely on forage.  As we

          move north, the bulk of our supplies

          will reach us by sea, through

          Charleston, which will give us a

          long and vulnerable supply line, one

          that can only be secured if the

          locals are loyal to the crown.

                         CORNWALLIS' OFFICERS

                  (multiple)

          Yes, sir.

                         CORNWALLIS

          Nonetheless, and I speak

          specifically to you, Colonel

          Tavington, we must remember that

          this is a civil war...

Tavington proudly holds Cornwallis' look.

                         CORNWALLIS

          These colonials are our brethren and

          when this conflict is over, we will

          be reestablishing commerce with

          them.  Surrendering troops will be

          given quarter and unwarranted

          assaults on civilians will cease.

Wilkins shifts uneasily.  Tavington isn't cowed.

                         CORNWALLIS

          I expect this war to be fought in a

          vigorous but civilized manner.

Cornwallis looks at his other officers.

                         CORNWALLIS

          Have I made myself clear, gentlemen?

                         OFFICERS

                  (multiple)

          Yes, sir.

Cornwallis shifts his eyes back to Tavington who was not

among those who spoke.  Tavington pointedly pauses a

moment, then says:

                         TAVINGTON

          Yes, sir.

Cornwallis turns his attention back to the map.  His men

gather around.  Tavington seethes.

EXT.  CORNWALLIS' FIELD HEADQUARTERS - CAMDEN - DAY

Tavington and Wilkins walk out.

                         WILKINS

          Hmmm, that was unpleasant.

                         TAVINGTON

          Did you know that Lord Cornwallis'

          father was a tenant on the estate of

          my grandfather?