GABRIEL MARTIN: Father, wherever you go, men buy you drinks because of what happened at Fort Wilderness. Strangers know more about you than I do. Tell me what happened.
BENJAMIN MARTIN: Your mother asked me that question — right about the time you were born. I was drunk and foolish enough to answer it. ... The French and the Cherokee had raided along the Blue Ridge. The English settlers had sought refuge at Fort Charles. By the time we got there, the fort was abandoned. They'd left about a week before. But what we found was...
GABRIEL MARTIN: ... Go on.
BENJAMIN MARTIN: They'd killed all the settlers, the men. With the women and some of the children they had... we buried them all, ... what was left of them. We caught up with them at Fort Wilderness. We took our time. We cut them apart slowly, piece by piece. I can see their faces. I can still hear their screams. All but two. We - we let them live. We placed the heads on a pallet and sent them back with the two that lived to Fort Ambercon. And the eyes, tongues, fingers, we put in baskets; sent them down the Asheulot to the Cherokee. Soon after, the Cherokee broke their treaty with the French. That's how we justified it. We were ... heroes.
GABRIEL MARTIN: ... And men bought you drinks.
BENJAMIN MARTIN: And not a day goes by were I don't ask God's forgiveness for what I did.
GABRIEL MARTIN: Thomas was my brother, as well as your son. You may not believe this, but I want satisfaction as much as you do. But not at the expense of our cause. There will be a time for revenge, but until then, stay the course.
BENJAMIN MARTIN: Heh, that's what your mother use to say to me when I'd - uh, get drunk or lose my temper.
GABRIEL MARTIN: She said it to me when I picked on Thomas.
BENJAMIN MARTIN: Huh.
GABRIEL MARTIN: Heh, yeah.
BENJAMIN MARTIN: I miss 'em.
