A couple of years have passed since Kevin Corcoran earned the nickname Johnny Shiloh at said battle and now he's got an honorary rank of sergeant like Lee Aaker did as corporal in Rin Tin Tin. He's also attached to General George H. Thomas's staff as a messenger. Johnny Shiloh's best friend Brian Keith hasn't done so bad either, he's gotten a battlefield commission and is now a lieutenant.
On a messenger mission they get separated and Keith is shot and Corcoran thinks him killed. He's captured by a Confederate outpost and is taken prisoner. The drummer boy from the Union Army is quite a celebrity and General Wheeler played by Dan Riss puts him in the special charge of young private Eddie Hodges.
The two unexpectedly bond as Hodges who is a dyed in the wool Confederate originally hates his duty. In the end that bond becomes important.
I doubt that a film that glorified the martial spirit could have been made later in the Sixties as this one was. Corcoran who at least for me can be annoying at times was good here and his scenes with Hodges have some special poignancy.
On a messenger mission they get separated and Keith is shot and Corcoran thinks him killed. He's captured by a Confederate outpost and is taken prisoner. The drummer boy from the Union Army is quite a celebrity and General Wheeler played by Dan Riss puts him in the special charge of young private Eddie Hodges.
The two unexpectedly bond as Hodges who is a dyed in the wool Confederate originally hates his duty. In the end that bond becomes important.
I doubt that a film that glorified the martial spirit could have been made later in the Sixties as this one was. Corcoran who at least for me can be annoying at times was good here and his scenes with Hodges have some special poignancy.
