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Within the Enemy’s Lines
(1913) United States of America
B&W : Short film
Directed by Charles M. Seay
Cast: Augustus Phillips [Colonel Stafford], May Abbey [Mrs. Stafford], Yale Boss [Bob], Richard Peer [Ran], John Blaney [Charlie], Evelyn Blaney [Evelyn], William West [Uncle Saunders], Charles Sutton [Colonel Denby]
Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, production; distributed by The General Film Company, Incorporated. / Scenario by Thomas Nelson Page. / Released 19 December 1913. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: War.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? When the cheerful season of Christmas dawned on the bloody, hopeless years of the Civil War, Colonel Stafford’s home lay in the midst of a great Northern army. Colonel Stafford, C.S.A., was a soldier of iron nerves. He had firmly resolved that he would give his children a real Christmas and shrank not at all from the task ahead of him, although he realized the deadly risk, with the few gold pieces he had managed to get in exchange for the paper money in which his salary was paid, he bought the little uniform and doll for which he knew the children longed. Then, attired as a peddler, he started on his difficult way to his home. Colonel Denby, of the Union army had met Colonel Stafford when the Union colonel had been taken prisoner by the Confederates. He liked and respected Stafford immensely, but when he recognized him in the peddler’s garb, his duty forced him to only one action. In personal command of a file of soldiers he entered the Stafford mansion and told Mrs. Stafford that he knew her husband was in the house. Little Bob Stafford’s joy over the arrival of his father with the presents was instantly quieted by the arrival of the soldiers. From harrowing experience, he knew that unless his father were captured in uniform, he would be shot. Without a word to anyone, Bob slipped out of the house, swam the creek and ran over to the Union camp. The soldiers knew the little chap, and made no protest whatsoever when he went over to talk with the Confederate prisoners. Bob whispered a few words to one of the Confederate officers and the officer slipped off his uniform and put it on the boy, ostensibly on account of the latter's wet clothes. Bob raced back to his home and gave the uniform to his father. Then Colonel Stafford surrendered himself with all the rights of a prisoner of war. Colonel Denby, overjoyed at the happy outcome of his hateful duty, gladly accepted the Stafford’s invitation to Christmas dinner. In the midst of it a message arrived for him and he was able to assure the happy Stafford that he would be exchanged forthwith for a captured Union officer. A story that is bound to bring a glow of warmth to the hearts of all Americans and to make them remember that there is neither North, South, East or West where brave and loyal men are.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 13 September 2023.
References: Spehr-American p. 4 : Website-IMDb.
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