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“In making Left for Dead, we
wanted to tell the heroic
story of a young man’s
courage and character,”
explained Mark Bussler, the
director. “At an age where
today’s young men are still in
school, this man formed a military unit and
fought in many of the
bloodiest battles of the
Civil War.”
Battle sequences
were recreated from Oscar Jackson’s diary entries
in his book, “The Colonel’s
Diary”. One powerful scene
in the production occurs
when Jackson describes
in his own words, “Looking
for the dead on the
battlefield was similar to
hunting for strawberries in
a meadow.” Vivid images like
these are brought to life
throughout the production.
Another
powerful scene is one in
which Jackson is
nearly killed by a
bullet in the face,
which penetrates well
into his
skull. In this scene
Jackson is leading his troops forward,
as he had already done quite frequently.
Suddenly, he is shot in the face by a
small caliber weapon. Stunned, he drops
his weapon and stumbles backward. He
puts his hands to his face attempting to
hold back a horrible gush of blood. He
falls to the ground, unconscious. Later,
he is found by other soldiers and tossed
on a pile of dead bodies, giving rise to
the film's title, "Left for Dead."
Historical
Accuracy
Based on
the book "The
Colonel's Diary"
(published by his
relatives in 1922) by
Oscar Jackson, the
historical accuracy of
both detail and fact is
assured by the script's
having been written by
Michael Kraus and David
Neville. Kraus was
military coordinator on
Ted Turner's (TNT) epic
movie, Gettysburg.
And he was recently enlisted as Military History Coordinator
for the new Miramax film, Cold Mountain.
Sets the
record straight on
the Burning of
Atlanta.
Left for Dead
accurately recounts
that the city was
captured intact by
General Sherman's
army, most civilians
having left well in
advance of the
occupation. The
main burning occurs only as the Union
army pulls out to
resume its movement
to Savannah,
Georgia, and the
Atlantic Ocean ("Sherman's
March to the Sea").
What happened was
this: Sherman
ordered Federal
engineers to level
Atlanta's Rail Road
roundhouse and
machine shops and to
burn them. The
fire spread to other
buildings and
eventually leveled
the city.
Another City
Burning
Accurately
covered is the burning
of another famous city,
Columbia, South Carolina, which
was captured without a
fight when the
Confederates decided not
to contest. After
a period of occupation
by the Union army,
Sherman pulls out to
head North to support
General Grant at
Petersburg. At
that time, the city
begins to burn and is
largely destroyed.
It is difficult to
assess blame as there
are multiple possible
causes, including
carelessness on the part
of looters. Civil
War Surgery
After
Jackson is found to be
alive, the regimental
surgeon, Authur Monahan,
attempts to remove the
bullet from Jackson's
skull. Shown are
Civil War surgical
instruments and the
probing for the missile
through the entry wound
beneath his eye.
The surgery is performed
by a veteran Civil War
surgical
re-enactor. After
the Civil War
Jackson
must carry the bullet
lodged his head for the
rest of his life, which
ends in 1920. But
this does not stop him
from having a great
career. After the
war, he returns to New
Castle, Pennsylvania and
becomes a lawyer.
Then he severs as
District Attorney from
1868 to 1872. He
runs for and is elected
to the United States
House of Representatives
for two terms (a total
of four years), 1888 and
1892. High Point of
Suspense
Suspense
reaches a
"fever" pitch
during the build-up to
the battle of Corinth,
Mississippi.
Having previously
captured Corinth,
General Rosecrans must
now defend it against a
Confederate counter
attack with 20,000
troops of the Union's
Army of Mississippi, the
63rd Ohio and Oscar
Jackson among
them. Confederate
Major General Earl van
Dorn's Army of West Tennessee
and the Army of General
Stanley Price attack
from the North on
October 3, 1862.
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