How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation.
Quote #4
INTERTITLE: Piedmont scarred by the way. An irregular force of guerrillas raids the town.
Because most of the Civil War took place in the South, the region was indeed scarred more by the conflict than the North. Plenty of innocent civilians ended up in the crossfire.
Quote #5
INTERTITLE: War claims its bitter, useless, sacrifice. True to their promise, the chums meet again.
[The younger Stoneman nearly stabs the younger Cameron, who has just been shot, before being shot himself.]
This tragic moment has been building from the moment we saw the two youngest bros horsing around in Piedmont. Because we've grown close to both of these families and seen their close bond with each other, they become a symbol of the inherent tragedy of armed conflict.
Quote #6
While the women and children weep, a great conqueror marches to the sea.
[A family huddles in the woods as Union forces march below.]
This is another powerful depiction of the horror of war. General Sherman's March to the Sea was indeed a brutal military campaign, one that focused on not just military targets but civilian ones.