I was searching the MD web newspapers for a link to another story and ran across this.

[url]www.herald-mail.com/news/2001/12/13/local/Gods_and_Generals_filmi.html[/url]

December 13, 2001

Gods and Generals filming done

By LAURA ERNDE
[email protected]
Actor Bo Greigh recited one last line, telling a fellow Civil War soldier how to recognize the enemy: "Dang fool, shoot the man who's shootin' at you."

continued

Then Director Ronald Maxwell called it a wrap and champagne began to flow on the last day on the set of "Gods and Generals."

"To a great crew and great cast of a wonderful, wonderful movie, thank you for all your hard labors," Producer Ronald Smith said in a toast.

After today, there would be no more 15-hour days. No more lines to memorize. No more shouts of "quiet on the set."

Maxwell, who spent at least four years getting the $54 million to finance the movie, got it on film in 71 days.

Most of the filming took place in Washington County. Other area sites included Harpers Ferry, W.Va., and Martinsburg, W.Va.

On Wednesday, the crew set up its base camp of dozens of trailers along the C&O Canal towpath at the mouth of Antietam Creek.

Crew members filmed a scene in which two soldiers, strangers from opposite sides of the war, exchange tobacco and coffee in a chance encounter.

A camera crew in fishing waders captured the shot while standing in the Potomac River, which is supposed to be the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, Va.

Earlier in the day, local historian Dennis Frye got his chance in front of the camera.

Frye, who coordinated the 3,000 re-enactors who volunteered for the movie, portrayed a federal general's aide delivering orders to Gen. Joshua Chamberlain, played by Jeff Daniels.

Frye and Daniels crawled over the bodies of re-enactors who posed as corpses, using the bodies to shield themselves from bullets.

Frye said the last day was euphoric and sad at the same time. He will be saying goodbye to the cast and crew, most of whom don't live in the area.

As the daylight began to slip away, the long days seemed to be taking their toll.

Maxwell hurt his shoulder when he fell on a steep pathway along the towpath.

"We're starting to fall apart at the seams," he said.

Work on the movie will continue, even though filming is over for what is known as the first unit crew, which involves the actors.

A smaller crew known as the second unit will wrap up today at Blairs Valley Lake near Clear Spring.

Those scenes, which depict pontoons on the Rappahannock River during the Battle of Fredericksburg, are fitting because today is the 139th anniversary of the battle, Frye said.

Maxwell will edit the picture through March at his production office in Williamsport.

It will hit theaters in November after a week-long series of premieres, one of which will be in Hagerstown, he said.

"This is the end, but the beginning for Washington County," Frye said.