Courage made them heroes...
- Chamberlain's defense of Little Round Top. With Union officers dropping like flies, no reinforcements, and no resupply of badly-needed ammunition, he keeps his men at their post to prevent the Union line from collapse. And when his men have nothing more to fight with, Chamberlain deduces that the Confederates must be equally spent, the 20th Maine is at the top of the hill and their enemy is at the bottom, and they still have bayonets. In Real Life, Chamberlain earned the Medal of Honor for holding the flank at Little Round Top.
- "BAYONEEEEETS!" God damn. If enough senators watch that scene, Jeff Daniels might get a medal.
- The subplot of him dealing with mutineers ties into this, as Chamberlain’s sincerity, even-handedness, and eloquence gets almost all of the to join his command and fight at Little Round Top... with two of the last ones saving his brother Tom.
- Buster Kilrain being a Determinator after getting shot in the arm (an injury that would require amputation due to the bullet shattering bone). He continues to fire down the hill; since he can't use his arm well enough to reload, he picks up loaded rifles from fallen men to keep up the rate of fire.
- For Hancock, riding a horse up to the front of the battlefield with cannon shells falling around him to inspire his men. When a soldier, fearing for the general's life, begs him to get down, Hancock stays put and says: "There are times when a corps commander's life does not count."
- Pickett: "For the glory of Virginia, form your brigade." Watching 12,500 men emerge from the forest is a sight to behold. The fact that half of them will be dead, captured or badly wounded in the next 30 minutes makes this a Bittersweet moment as well.
- General Armistead just before the charge, an actual historical quote: "Virginians! Virginians! For your lands! For your homes! For your sweethearts! For your wives! For Virginia! Forward... march!"
- And when he spears his hat on his sword, points skyward, and leads his men to the Union position. That moment is Pickett Approved: "THAT'S THE STYLE, LO! THAT'S THE STYLE!"
- Being the one Confederate general to even reach the Union lines is a Moment for Armistead as well, as it's literally the High Water Mark of the Confederacy, but then the Union forces converge...
- On the Union side of that, the Irish Brigade holding the stone wall against a massed artillery barrage, followed by infantry. Where other units fell back, the 69th Pennsylvania held and pushed back.
- Buford's whole speech about the first day's upcoming battle, culminating in: "We will charge valiantly... and we will be butchered valiantly! And afterwards men in tall hats and gold watch fobs will thump their chest and say what a brave charge it was!"
- Especially when Buford's speech is turned around to the Confederacy on the third day.
- The Big Damn Heroes moment - complete with stirring soundtrack - of Union General Reynolds showing up to reinforce Buford's defenses and keep the high ground during that first day of battle. Reynolds will die later in that day, but his decision to engage here and to do everything possible to secure their defenses for the remainder of the battle proved key to Union victory.
- The extras. Watch the film, and then realize that virtually every non-speaking part is filled by an unpaid Civil War reenactor, who almost certainly is wearing clothes of their own manufacture, carrying their own personally-owned civil war firearms, all of which are more authentic than the costuming crew could ever make them. Remember that over 10,000 of them participated in the making of the film, for free, for over a month.
- The fact that Ted Turner- the guy who founded a bunch of cable channels, married Jane Fonda, created Captain Planet, and did a billion other things- funded this movie out of his own pocket, after ABC rejected the original pitch.
