- George Armstrong Custer: You may be right about money, Sharp; quite right. But there's one thing to be said for glory.
- Ned Sharp: Yeah? What's that?
- George Armstrong Custer: You can take glory with you when it's your time to go.
- [the night before the battle, Custer asks Butler to take his last letter back to Fort Lincoln]
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Why are you asking me to go back with it?
- George Armstrong Custer: Well, for one thing you're an Englishman, not an American.
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Not an American! What do you Yankees think you are? The only REAL Americans in this merry old parish are on the other side of the hill with feathers in their hatr.
- George Armstrong Custer: You're probably right about that. But there's 6,000 of them... and less than 600 of us. The regiment's being sacrificed, Butler, and I wouldn't want to see a foreigner butchered in a dirty deal like this,
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Sporty of you to think of it that way. But I'll remind you, sir, I'm a member of the mess of the Seventh U.S. Cavalry. Fancy walking into the Service Club in Picadilly if the regiment... Get somebody else to post your blinking letter!
- George Armstrong Custer: Thanks, 'Queen's Own'. Just so long as you know.
- Ned Sharp: If the other outfits don't fight their way through, you're liable to have a lot of Sioux on your hands.
- George Armstrong Custer: Yes. Yes, quite a lot of Sioux, Sharp. But the greater the odds, the greater the glory.
- Ned Sharp: Where is the regiment riding?
- George Armstrong Custer: To hell, Sharp... or to glory. It depends on one's point of view.
- Crazy Horse: [raising his hand to start a peace conference] Crazy Horse, war chief Sioux, speak with Long Hair, war chief Great White Father.
- George Armstrong Custer: [raises his hand also] I listen to my brother.
- [California Joe is driving the wagon in which Libby is riding on the trek to Fort Lincoln]
- California Joe: [to one of the horses] Move over there, sweetheart, 'fore I cut the rest of your tail off!
- Elizabeth Bacon: [she looks at him, shocked] I beg your pardon.
- California Joe: I said move over, you dirty Ethiopian son of a blue-bellied Mohawk!
- Elizabeth Bacon: You mean the horse.
- [Custer addresses the officers after his arrival at Fort Lincoln]
- George Armstrong Custer: We're responsible for the protection of 100,000 square miles of territory. And against us are ranged thousands of the finest light cavalry on earth. I found that out this morning. It's a big job, gentlemen... and it's gonna need a fine regiment. Our job is to make this the finest regiment that the United States ever saw. I needn't tell most of you that a regiment is something more than just six hundred disciplined fighting men. Men die. But a regiment lives on; because a regiment has an immortal soul of its own. Well, the way to begin is to find it. To find something that belongs to us alone. Something to give us that pride in ourselves that'll make men endure - and, if necessary, die... with their boots on. As for the rest it's easy: since it's no more than hard work, hard riding and hard fighting. Thank you, gentlemen, I know I can count on you.
- Lt. General Winfield Scott: This Custer of yours is insubordinate alright-thank God for it. He's not marching on Round Top. He's attacking Stuart at Hanover!
- Maj. Romulus Taipe: He's attacking! He's attacking a whole Corps! Rather than hold his ground the mad fool's attacking!
- Lt. General Winfield Scott: If he turns us, Washington and Baltimore will fall.
- [Reads dispatch and recoils in horror]
- Lt. General Winfield Scott: Stuart! Stuart's Corps at Hanover? It's a mistake. Get verification at once!
- Cpl. Smith: It has been verified, sir.
- Lt. General Winfield Scott: He's on our rear. We're trapped. All that stands between us and total disaster is the Michigan brigade, a handful of volunteers.
- Maj. Romulus Taipe: But the Michigan Brigade's been ordered to Round Top! It's on it's way now!
- Lt. General Winfield Scott: Then stop it Taipe, stop it! Tell them to hold it's ground to the last man.
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: [upon entering General Custer's tent] You sent for me sir?
- George Armstrong Custer: Yes, Butler. I want you to take this letter in to Fort Lincoln, tonight.
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Me, tonight?
- George Armstrong Custer: Tonight - it's important.
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Must be. If it needs your bally adjutant to play postman at a time like this. Why are you asking me to go back with it?
- George Armstrong Custer: Well, for one thing you're an Englishman, not an American.
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Not an American? What do you Yankees think you are? The only real Americans in this very old parish are on the other side of the hill with feathers in their hair.
- George Armstrong Custer: You're probably right about that. But there's 6000 of them, less than 600 of us. The regiment's being sacrificed, Butler. I wouldn't want to see a foreigner butchered in a dirty deal like this.
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Sporting of you to think of it that way. But I'll remind you, sir, I am a member of the mess of the 7th US Calvary.
- [inserts monocle]
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Fancy walking into the service club in Picadilly with the regiment. Get somebody else to post your blinking letter.
- George Armstrong Custer: Thanks Queen's Own. Just so long as you know. I'll get someone else.
- [Custer barely misses being dismissed from West Point for fighting]
- Gen. Phil Sheridan: You know, Taipe, I'm glad it turned out this way. There's something about that fellow I like.
- Maj. Romulus Taipe: Yeah? Well I don't know what it is. If you ask me, he'll make the worst record of any cadet at West Point since Ulysses S. Grant.
- [California Joe is struck by an arrow at the battle of Little Bighorn and dying]
- California Joe: Ya dirty yella-bellied!... awhh, it looks like I'll never git ta...
- [after they first meet, Custer walks Miss Bacon to Gen. Sheridan's house]
- George Armstrong Custer: Do you think if I were to come strolling past your house around nine o'clock at night you might be just sitting around on the veranda?
- Elizabeth Bacon: Life is full of surprises.
- George Armstrong Custer: And if I did find you sitting on the porch perhaps you and I could go for a walk together.
- Elizabeth Bacon: [laughs] We seem to have been walking together ever since we met.
- George Armstrong Custer: Well, I can't imagine, ma'am - if I may say so - any pleasanter journey, ma'am, than walking through life with you beside me, ma'am.
- George Armstrong Custer: Tell me, how did you come to join the 1st Michigan?
- Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler: Well, I couldn't spell Connecticut.
- Gen. Phil Sheridan: Oh, I don't suppose you happen to know that Mr. Bacon is the father of a very pretty young woman?
- George Armstrong Custer: Oh, is that so?
- Callie: What's the matter with you, Miss Libby? You done got your wish and you're standin' there just like your feet is glued in molasses.
- Elizabeth Bacon: Callie, will you go into the kitchen, please, and bring us back some of those nice young green spring onions?
- Callie: Onions?
- Elizabeth Bacon: Yes, Callie, onions. You know I simply love them.
- Callie: I knows what you love, honey. It ain't onions.
- Elizabeth Bacon: I'm not really angry. I just thought I should pretend to be. I knew when you didn't come back that you had a good reason.
- George Armstrong Custer: Oh yes. You see, I had to report to Washington and I barely had time to catch the train.
- Elizabeth Bacon: And a train won't wait, but a woman will.
- Elizabeth Bacon: There. I've made my wish.
- Callie: You're gonna get that wish all wore out before it comes true.
- George Armstrong Custer: Why that ugly old fossil. He can't do that to her.
- Callie: That's what she yelled while he turned that lock. They had a difference of opinion about you. Now she's upstairs with her opinion and he's downstairs with his. Can ya climb?
- Samuel Bacon, Esq.: Get out of my house, sir! Go on!
- Callie: I'll - I'll - I'll show him out, Mr. Bacon. Right this way, sir, and good riddance. The idea of you aggravatin' quality folks like them! Mr. Bacon done ordered you out, and out you's goin' right now, sir!
- [quietly]
- Callie: But not for good. You is coming back. Nine o'clock at the gate.
- California Joe: More goldarn indians camped over on Little Big Horn than there is grasshoppers in a corn field.