Corrected entry: Shortly after the Christmas supper; Colonel Shaw returns to the Quartermaster for shoes: He says 600 shoes and socks are needed and shortly thereafter he says he needs 700.
Corrected entry: In their first real battle in the woods, Thomas is shot in the upper left arm, yet three days later, after volunteering to carry the flag if the first bearer falls, he is marching forward to attack the fort. In reality, even if the 50+ caliber, 500 grain minie ball (patched balls weren't used in combat) hadn't shattered his humerus, necessitating amputation, it, having struck the medial portion of the arm, would have destroyed the brachial artery or basilic vein, causing tremendous shock, and speedy exanguination.
Correction: Depending on the angle and exact entry point at which the projectile entered his flesh, caliber notwithstanding, very little actual damage may have been done. As he is shown in action a mere three days later, and not deceased from "exsanguination", this must be the case. He is very lucky, no doubt, but certainly not defying any laws of physics or biology for the sake of the film's plot.
Corrected entry: Just before the final battle begins, the shots pan several times from Shaw, to the sea, and then to the fort. When the camera angle is looking at Shaw, the sky is bright blue. When it shifts to the ocean, the sky instantaneously becomes brownish tan, and then becomes a dismal gray behind the fort.
Correction: The fort is being bombarded. Smoke and dust would be in the air around the fort and could be blowing out to sea. The staging area for the 54th was not smoked in so the sky is blue.
Corrected entry: In the scene where the 54th returns from the woods battle, they pass the white soldiers playing some music. The song they are playing is actually "Bonnie Blue Flag", a pro-South war song.
Correction: The tune is "Bonnie Blue Flag", but Unionists developed their own words to the tune, the most common of which was "The Irish Volunteer." This would have been one of the many camp songs commonly sung by Union troops. [Lyrics can be found at http://www.hauntedfieldmusic.com/Lyrics.html as song 1, and a performance can be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yavz9rzaOSY.].
Corrected entry: During the assault on Ft. Wagner numerous soldiers are sent flying by explosives. There are several times when you can see a soldier throw himself back without being anywhere near a blast.
Correction: There are two possible answeres to this. One: they were hit by a gun. Two: there is rocks and dirt raining down on them. Those rocks were coming down really fast. You can get knocked out or even killed from a rock to the head. And if you have 10 rocks, well you get the point.
Corrected entry: When Tripp lies face-down in a medical tent after the lashing punishment, his shoe is removed to show Col. Shaw his wounded feet from not having decent shoes. But the shoe removed looks perfectly fine, no holes in the sole, etc. Yet Tripp's foot is raw and extremely bloodied! (I can see having some blisters from no socks, but straw or cloth bits prevent that.) Why not treat his foot wounds first rather than placing the shoes back on, then show to Col. Shaw.
Correction: Trip left the camp to find shoes, which he did. That's why he's wearing undamaged shoes.
They don't appear to be period shoes either, and they are brown.
Correction: Yes, thank you, that makes sense. But what I don't understand now is this: why would they place brand-new shoes back on him -someone must have realised that none of the other 54th had brand new shoes (or any at all), but Tripp is allowed to keep this questionable item? Secondly, why place a shoe back on his foot anyway, when his feet required medical attention.
Corrected entry: When the 54th Mass is shown marching into battle the Sergeant Major is wearing private's leathers (traps). Noncommissioned officers (sergeants and above) had traps with detailed, rectangluar belt buckles, not the oval "US" buckle. This is most obvious when they are marching towards Fort Wagner.
Correction: This person is assuming that everything was available when someone was promoted. It could have been a battlefield promotion - it is well documented that soldiers who were promoted on the field had to wait for shipments of new gear.
The accoutrements mentioned were presented to him when he was promoted to Sgt major on the boat...he received his senior NCO sword, bayonet and belt...he had the accoutrements.
Corrected entry: The film's epilogue says that "the fort was never taken". While this is true, it is due largely to the fact that the Confederates simply abandoned the fort two months later.
Correction: Did you think this through? I mean, at all? You admit that the statement in the epilogue is accurate, yet still try to claim it as a "factual error"? It's absurd. Regardless of what subsequently happened, the fort was never taken. True fact, by your own admission.
Correction: Actually he says 600 shoes and 1200 pairs of socks.
He does say this, but the original entry is also valid. he says "700 union soldiers" a few seconds after he trashes the office.
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