Arizona Raiders

'The civil war was over but one infamous band of guerrillas fought on - Quantrell's Raiders.'

'They'd written one of the bloodiest pages in history by their savage raid of hate on Laurence, Kansas.'

'Wherever they rode they left a trail of destruction - pillaging, killing wantonly.'

'Their leader - a man wanted dead or alive by both north and south - Quantrell.'

'The men who followed him were a strange mix -

outlaws, gunfighters, Confederate soldiers displaced in the bitter aftermath of the war.'

No sign of cavalry ahead, Colonel. I suggest we post a rear guard.

Brady, detail two men.

Brady, detail two men. Yes, sir.

Did you find a place to rest the horses after the raid?

Did you find a place to rest the horses after the raid? Willie scouted that.

Did you find a place to rest the horses after the raid? Willie scouted that. A deserted farm west of town.

We'll take half the men and attack the town from the north.

We'll take half the men and attack the town from the north. I'll lead them, sir.

We'll take half the men and attack the town from the north. I'll lead them, sir. No, you'll stay with me.

Clint'll handle that detail.

All right, you men, follow me.

'Their mission - obtain guns, provisions and money. Their orders - shoot without warning.'

'Their objective -

a quiet, unsuspecting little town.'

I want every gun in town piled right here.

That's Quantrell! That's Quantrell!

Let them keep the change.

Look out!

Look out!

All right, men, let's get outta here.

You've got exactly a half-hour to feed and water the horses.

Post lookouts at both ends of the barn.

Post lookouts at both ends of the barn. Yes, sir.

'Hard on the raiders' heels

was the man ordered by the army to end their reign of terror -

Captain Tom Andrews.'

'For 30 days he'd followed Quantrell's bloody trail

but always too late to stop the slaughter.'

'Again the trail led to the north.'

Forward!

Hey, hey!

Hey!

I gotta talk to you, please!

It's the old Carson place, nobody lives there.

Take it easy, son.

I was hunting rabbits...

Just take it easy. What d'you see?

Just take it easy. What d'you see? They went in the barn. A whole lot of 'em, and they all had guns.

Where is this Carson place?

Where is this Carson place? Away back off the road.

Good boy.

That oughta hold you, Colonel.

That oughta hold you, Colonel. Yeah, that'll do, Clint.

Call the boys together.

All right, men, line up.

Montana, step out.

I said step out.

What is this - court martial?

You could call it that.

Not a sound outta you.

We're movin' on but you're not goin' with us.

What am I supposed to be guilty of?

You saw that sniper. You're responsible for this.

Colonel, if you're wrong, you'll lose one of the best men you've got.

I'm not wrong, Brady.

In a regular trial, at least you oughta have a witness.

He's got one.

He's got one. You're a liar!

No, I'm not, Montana.

You've been wanting to take over this command for a long time.

Now, I'll take your gun.

Quantrell!

You're surrounded.

There'll be time enough for this later. Get your rifles.

You don't stand a chance in hell. Throw out those guns.

Bluecoats.

Bluecoats. Let's see those guns.

I'm not bluffing.

Fire a volley.

Clint, you and Willie get those rifles we took today -

draw 'em out, we need time.

You two, up in the hayloft and cover it.

Quantrell, let's see those guns.

I'll take half you men out the front.

Brady, take the rest out the back.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. Let's all get mounted.

Quantrell, I'll give you till the count of five.

One,

two,

three, four...

Come on, let's get outta here.

Come on, let's get outta here. I'm not leaving till the old man's out,

but I'll open the doors for you. Good luck, Brady.

All right, now come on out,

one at a time, with your hands up.

Let's have it.

You coulda gotten away, Willie.

You coulda gotten away, Willie. We both coulda, hadn't've been for that Montana.

I shoulda killed him when I had the chance.

Agh!

'While Quantrell lay gravely wounded in a military hospital,

the captured raiders stood trial in this courtroom.'

Everybody rise.

Be seated.

Clint Stewart, William Martin,

you have both been found guilty.

At this time, sentence will be passed upon you.

Your honour,

Your honour, Yes, Captain Andrews?

I'd like to speak on behalf of these two men.

You were chief prosecution witness.

Yes, sir, but these two are different than the others.

How? They both rode with Quantrell.

They didn't join the raiders until after the war. They had no part in the Laurence massacre.

Why wasn't this testimony given at the trial?

Why wasn't this testimony given at the trial? I didn't find out about it until this morning, sir.

What difference does it make?

This is a northern court, we'll get northern justice.

This is a northern court, we'll get northern justice. You knew Quantrell's reputation.

We'd no choice - they wouldn't give a Confederate a job. Carpetbaggers took over the south.

There wasn't much for them to come home to.

I went home to a rock chimney and a pile of ashes.

The men in the Laurence raid were given life sentences

but because Captain Andrews has come to your defence

and because of the war and the confusion it left in men's minds,

20 years of hard labour.

This court is adjourned.

I'm sorry, I did my best.

Thanks for nothing.

Thanks for nothing. How do you know so much about us?

Got a letter from his brother.

Got a letter from his brother. Where is he?

Got a letter from his brother. Where is he? Hospital in Atlanta - wounded in action.

He's going to be all right.

This is for you.

He read about the trial and decided to write me about you two

and your fine war records.

and your fine war records. Nobody cares much if you're on the losing side.

I respect a good soldier no matter what the colour of his uniform.

I respect a good soldier no matter what the colour of his uniform. All right, move along.

I'll write your brother where he can get in touch with you.

The kid'd be better off if he forgot he ever had me for a brother.

Thanks anyway.

Match this.

I'll call you and raise.

All right, I call.

Sorry, mister, I got a pretty good hand.

Full house.

Wait a minute, I got a better one.

I been lookin' all over west Texas for you.

Glad you found me tonight, Brady.

All right, everybody out. Out!

Ha, Brady, good to see ya!

Where've you been?

Where've you been? Doin' a little penny-ante work till my arm healed.

How is it now?

How is it now? Faster'n I ever been.

Good. We'll find a better way to use your talent than this.

Good. We'll find a better way to use your talent than this. With you, any time, Brady. Here.

I ain't forgot how you stood up for me with Quantrell.

Quantrell dropped those charges.

He's dead.

Died in a military hospital about a week ago.

I hate to see any man go that way -

even Quantrell!

I wonder how many of the boys got away when we broke outta that barn.

I wonder how many of the boys got away when we broke outta that barn. I think the better part of the best of them got out.

I see what you're getting at.

Way I look at it, you're the natural heir to the gang.

The boys'd be eager to follow that gun of yours.

Brady, you got a head on your shoulders.

I'll put together a better gang than Quantrell ever had.

Let's drink to it.

As soon as we get the boys together we'll shake this Texas dust off our heels and light out for Arizona.

What's in Arizona we'd want?

Gold. Lots of it.

Every gold train on its way out of the mint in Washington passes through Arizona.

And no Texas Rangers around to stop us?

No.

'Again they rode, the men of Quantrell.'

'They rode for greed, defying what law there was, ravaging a territory helpless to stop them -

helpless until the night of June 17th 1866,

when Captain Tom Andrews, late of the US army, rode into Tombstone for a secret rendezvous.'

I'm here to see the governor.

I'm here to see the governor. Tom, come on in.

Good to see you, Tom. I wasn't expecting you for a day or so.

Sorry to interrupt your supper, sir.

Sorry to interrupt your supper, sir. Just finished. Sit down.

Your letter said urgent.

I left the day I was discharged from the army.

We need a man out here who gets things done.

You're going to need more than that.

You've read the papers?

Is it as bad as it sounds?

Is it as bad as it sounds? Worse. Four banks held up,

six gold trains captured in the last six months.

No-one knows yet who the outlaws are.

No-one knows yet who the outlaws are. I can make a pretty good guess.

No-one knows yet who the outlaws are. I can make a pretty good guess. That's what I was hoping.

They operate the same military pattern as Quantrell.

But you wiped out Quantrell.

But you wiped out Quantrell. Yes, but some of his men got away.

We don't have enough lawmen to fight them. Last week, the raiders challenged a posse to an open fight.