Lee was riding slowly ahead, without expression. Then Lee said slowly, in a strange, soft, slow tone of voice, 'Soldiering has one great trap.' “They rode for a while in silence, a tiny island in the smoky stream of marching men. ― Michael Shaara, quote from The Killer Angels The strange and marvelous thing about you, Colonel darlin', is that you believe in mankind, even preachers, whereas when you've got my great experience of the world you will have learned that good men are rare, much rarer than you think.” I'm not a clever man meself, but I know it when I run across it.

You are damned good at everything I've seen you do, a lovely soldier, an honest man, and you got a good heart on you too, which is rare in clever men. There's only one aristocracy, and that's right here - ' he tapped his white skull with a thick finger - 'and YOU, Colonel laddie, are a member of it and don't even know it. I don't know who me father was and I don't give a damn. I'm Kilrain, and I God damn all gentlemen. I'll be treated as I deserve, not as my father deserved. There's many a man worse than me, and some better, but I don't think race or country matters a damn. no two things on earth are equal or have an equal chance, not a leaf nor a tree. Where have you seen this divine spark in operation, Colonel? Where have you noted this magnificent equality? The Great White Joker in the Sky dooms us all to stupidity or poverty from birth. What I'm fighting for is the right to prove I'm a better man than many. Believe me, when you've seen them hang each other.Equality? Christ in Heaven. There's many a man alive no more value than a dead dog. “The truth is, Colonel, that there's no divine spark, bless you.

The killer angels by michael shaara