February, 1865, Columbia, South Carolina

Sherman’s army is destroying everything in its path as it blazes through South Carolina. Blake Winberry, a Confederate cavalry captain, is transferred from the Virginia front, determined to defend his home state. There he finds out his fiancée has left him for a profiteering draft-dodger, adding insult to jeopardy. 
 

Judith Rogers has lost her husband and her home to the war. A desperate journey through South Carolina poses new terrors when a group of marauders threaten to plunder the scant possessions and dignity she has left.

Blake saves her from unspeakable horrors and offers her the hospitality of his home. Still chaffing from his fiancée’s rejection, he asks Judith to marry him, an offer she hopes will bring her the home and stability she craves.  But he must leave the warmth of home and his bride to take on an unstoppable enemy, against hopeless odds.

As Columbia burns, Judith once again finds herself homeless, and Blake strives to maintain his humanity in the midst of war’s brutality.
Will Judith make Blake forget the fickle woman he still loves? Will she succeed, only to lose him in the next bloody battle?



  CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Judith Rogers….LIN LAFFITTE
Harry Bell….GABRIEL BAXLEY
Dink….MARK RINCK
Snipes….MATTHEW ADAMS
Blake Winberry….JIM HILTON
Matt Kirkland….CHARLES KIZER
Hunter Lightfoot….TRIPP COURTNEY
Captain Causey, CS….JERRY CHESSER
Major Yarley, CS….TERRY GATCH
Captain McCord, US….DAVID COON
Lexi Winberry Lightfoot….NICHOLE DYE
Martha Winberry….LYDIA HAWKE
Doctor Winberry….LAWRENCE FILZEN
Mr. Frank….EMORY FIVEASH
Mrs. DuBose….JENNIFER DYCHES
Sally DuBose….TOMME HILTON
Mr. Randolph….STEVEN HOWARD
J.C…..ROGER WANKE
Log Cabin Lady….REBECCA HOWARD
Federal Troop….CLAUDE LINDLER
Jimmy Caldwell….VINCENT WESLEY HANKS
Kyle….KYLE KILLIAN
General Butler, CS….EDWARD COURTNEY, SR.
Drunk Major, CS….BARRY CHEARS
Trellis….DAVE LONG
Battle Shack Soldiers….BRETT TRILLING
ARIN TRILLING
Preacher….HERMAN BOLAND
Morrison….JUSTIN KING
Young Woman in Closet….AMANDA CLIATT
Baby Joe….AVA CLIATT
Field Doctor….MARK PITTMAN
Whiskey-Hunting Yank….MIKE ATKINS
Mr. Baxley….PHILLIP H. LEMIEUX
Federal Scout….RICK GRANT
General Kilpatrick, U.S….BRAD OWENS
Fayetteville Woman….JOYCE KIZER
Mrs. Ames….DEBRA CARLSEN
Doctor Thompson….PETE PETERS
Captain Tucker, U.S…..CHRISTOPHER FORBES
Federal Sharpshooter….STEVE TONEY
Lige….MICHAEL SARVIS
Smith….RYAN DOMINY

FEATURED EXTRAS

VICTORIA S. ANANIA, SALVATORE V. ANANIA, SUSAN ANANIA, DENNIS ATKINS, MICHAEL GABIREL ATKINS, SHELLY ATKINS, JOHN “Jack” BAILIE, PENNY BATTEN, MONTE BINGLE, DANIEL R. BOYER, CLAUDE BRADDOCK, JESSE BROOKSHIRE,
KAREN D. BROWN, RYAN M. BROWN, RACHEL M. BROWN, HUNTER BROWN II, CHRIS BROWNING, MIKE C. BURROWS,
JAMES CAMPBELL III, KEAGAN CARLSEN, JERRY CAUTHAN, KYLE CLARK, NICOLE CLARK, SCOTT CLARK, CHARLES COMBS,
JESSIE COMBS, REBEKAH COMBS, ROGER LEE COMBS, SR., DAVID CONNOLLY, MARK A. COOK, THOMAS A. COOLIDGE,
ELAINE COON, BEN CREECH, WILL DARNELL, RYAN DAUGHERTY, CHRIS DAVIS, MICHAEL G. DAVIS, SHAUN DOBBS,
BLAINE L. FENDER, BENJAMIN FOGLE, ELIZABETH FOGLE, BRANDON GOODWIN, SHAWN GRANATO, MICHAEL GRAY,
DANNY GREGORY, CHRIS HANSEN, NOLAN HAWTHORNE, ROBBIE HAWTHORNE, JOSHUA HERRON, PERRY HERRON,
HUNTER HILTON, TAYLOR HILTON, JACK HULSEY, JANE HUTCHINSON, STEVEN IMBRIANO, ELIZABETH JACKSON,
CRYSTAL JAMES, HANNAH CLAIRE KITCHINGS, BILLY LITTLE, PHILLIP LITTLE, EDWARD MARTIN, MICHAEL R. McHAN,
BRIAN McGARRAHAN, JACKIE McGOVERN, MONTE McGOVERN, THOMAS DYLAN NELSON, RICKY D. PETERS,
ANGELIQUE PRICHETT, JASON RICHARDS, JOSEPH ROBINSON, REV. MARK A. ROBINSON, LAURA O. ROGERS, MARY SHEALY,
GRADY SIMMONS, FRANK K. SIMONS III, GERALD SMITH, JASON SMITH, BOBBY SNIDER, CHAD SOUSLEY, KRISTINE STONEHILL,
SAMANTHA STONEHILL, TAMMY STONEHILL, KATRINA TEAL, JOYCE TONEY, BRUCE TRILLING, RONALD UDELL,
ROY W. WATTS, JR., KRISTINA WILLIAMS, TYLER WINER, ROBERT WITTE, JONATHAN WRIGHT

COLUMBIA BURN SEQUENCE EXTRAS
 

VICKI ALBERT, TIMOTHY ALBERT, TIM ANDERSON, MARY LIN ASHLEY, MATTHEW S. AUL, KEN BACHAND, DWIGHT BACHMAN,
JACK BAILIE, CHRIS BAREFOOT, JULIA BARNES, JENNIFER BAUGHMER, STEVEN “Junk” BESS, MICHAEL BETHUNE,
BRUCE BLACKMAN, PAT BLITCH, TAMMIE BOWERS, JIM BOYD, CLAUDE BRADDOCK, GEORGE BRAGDOR, GRANT BREISMANN,
DAVID BRIDGES, MONTE BRINGLE, CHIP BROWN, SAMUEL BROWN, WOODY BROWN, RANDY BURBAGE, LEANN CALHOUN,
G. W. CARTER, KIRK CARTER, LYNN CHARLES, ROSEANNE CHRISTIE, H. G. CLAPPER, JAMES F. CLAPPER, MARK CLARK,
WAYNE CLARKSON, DAVID CLEMMONS, WILLIAM ROY CLONIGER, BRUCE M. CONKLIN, DANIEL C. CONTRELL, SAM COOPER,
WAYNE “Buck” CORLEY, JAMES CRAIG, BEN CREECH, DENNIS CROCKER, JOSEPH DEFERI, KENNETH DOBSON, SARAH DOBSON,
HARRELL DOCHERTY, JON H. DOCHERTY, RONALD DORGARY, DEAN L. EDDY, TAMMY ELSEY, RANDY ERSHINE,
KEVIN L. FINCANNON, FRANK FLEISCHMAN, JOSHUA FLEISCHMAN, MICHELA FLEISHMAN, DAVID FORBES, TOM FOWLER,
PAMELA FOX, STAN FULMER, THERESA GALLAHER, TAMARA GALLIMORE, LAURIE GERRITY, GERALD GOINS, STEVEN GOINS,
MALLICIAH GOODMAN, CHERYL GOODWIN, CODY GOTT, ARTIE GRAHAM, LOU GRAHAM, STAN GRAHAM, WILLIAM T. GRISSOP,
DELAINE GUNTER, DEWEY GUNTER, KENNETH JUSTIN HAMMONS, CAROL HARDMAN, WILLIAM HARGROVE, JIM HARMON,
JOHNNY HARRIS, KATHLEEN HARRIS, JAMES HARVEY, BRIAN HASWELL, JOHN R. HAWES III, ROGER HAWES, CYNTHIA HAYES,
DONALD HAYES, SUMMER HERRON, ALAN P. HILBURN SR., FREDDIE HILL, JIMMY HILLIARD, ADAM HODGE, TERRY HODGE, ROBERT W. HOLMES, LEE HONEYCUTT, CARL HOWERTON, VIRGINIA LEE HUNTSINGER, JAMES H. JACKS, KELSEY JACKS,
PAULA JACKS, MIRANDA JACKS, VICTORIA JACKS, PAUL JACKSON, DANIEL W. JARRELL, DONNA JARRELL, CARL C. JENKINS,
MONTY JONES, CLAY KEARNEY, SARA KERWIN, EDDIE KILLIAN, ROB KILLIAN, DAVID KIMMER, DEE KIMMER, ROBERT KRATZ,
JAMES W. “Jay” LAMB, KIM LAMBERT, STUART LAMBERT, JOHN LANE, VICTOR LARSON, ALLIE LEJOHN, JASON LEROY,
WYLIE LESSLIE, DONALD B. LLOYD, EDDIE LLOYD, RICHARD LONG, ALAN J. LOTT, KYLE J. LOTT, ANN MADDOX, BRAD MADDOX,
ERIC MARCUSSAN, DONALD MATHIS, KEITH MATTHEWS, STEPHANIE MAYFIELD, DAVID McLELLAN, PAULA McLELLAN,
S. L. McPHERSON, ANGELA METTS, GEORGE METTS, KATHLEEN METTS, BRUCE MILLS, MARK MILLS, ADAM MOORE,
KENNETH W. MOORE, ROBERT MOORE, ZACH MORRIS, KEN MURPHY, MICHAEL MURPHY, LOUISE MURRAY, BILL MUSE,
MARVIN NICHOLSON, BILL NORRIS, SHAWN D. NORRIS, TIM NORTON, ZACH NORTON, DAVID NUN, MICHAEL OSBORNE,
CALVIN OWINGS, JAMES OXENDINE, TIFFANY R. OXENDINE, WILLIAM PADGETT, FRED POLSTON, JOSH POLSTON, DALE PRESLEY,
HENRY PRICE, LYNN PRICE, WILLIAM PULLINS, BRUCE QUARLES, VICTOR QUICK, DONNY RABERN, VICTOR K. RABERN,
DANIEL RANDLES, KALLAN RANDLES, MICHIEL RANDLES, JONATHAN RAVELS, CONNIE REUTER, JOHN RICHARDSON,
MEG RITTENBURY, ALAN RUSH, PAUL M. SAIA, SCOTT SANDER, VICKIE SANDER, DAVID SATCHER, GEARY SCHAFER,
SAMMY SCOTT JR., CHRIS SHEALY, ARTHUR SHERRY, MIKE SHORT, CHARLES SMITH, ED SNYDER, ROBERT M. SPIGNER,
CASSIDY STIGLBAUER, COLLIN STIGLBAUER, KURT STIGLBAUER, DONALD R. STONE JR., MARK STONE, LELAND SUMMERS,
FORREST SWINEY, JESSICA SWINEY, VINCE SWINEY, ALICE TAYLOR, DONALD TAYLOR, THERESA TAYLOR, RICHARD THOMAS,
GEORGE THOMPSON, GARY TINGLER, VERNON TORRENCE, FRED TUK, MATHEW TUK, TONY TUK, BARRY TURNER, RON UDELL,
JOHN VAUGHN, RYAN VERHEGGE, BILL WALKER, LUDIE WATKINS, ROBERT L. WELTNER, JR., MARC WHISENAUT,
GEORGE R. WHITTON, JR., JOHNNY WILBANKS, DAVID L. WILLIAMS, WILLIAM HARVEY WILSON, DEBORAH WILSON,
LINDA WIMPEE, MARK WIMPEE, BOB WOLF, ELIZABETH R. WOLF, CHARLES D. YEAGER, GEORGE YOUNG, RUSSELL A. YOUNG

Visual Effects Compositor….
CHRIS MARTINO

Director of Photography….
CHRISTOPHER FORBES

Music Recording Engineer….
MARK PITTMAN

Script Supervisors….
TOMME HILTON
LAWRENCE FILZEN
MICHELLE ADAMS

Sound Recordist….
CHRIS MARTINO

Special Effects….
MIKE HARP

Key Grip….
RICHARD KELLY

Lighting and Grip Equipment….
INDIEGRIP.COM

Assistant Directors
LIN LAFFITTE
MATTHEW ADAMS

Camera Operators….
CHRISTOPHER FORBES
CHRIS MARTINO
LIN LAFFITTE
MARK PITTMAN
DAN KEATON
MICHAEL HENNESSY
JAMES WILLIAMS
BYRON WILLIAMS
STEVEN GILLIAM
MIKE HARP

Camera Assistants….
LIN LAFFITTE
TAYLOR HILTON
DEBRA CARLSEN
TOMME HILTON
JENNIFER DYCHES

Production Assistants….
VINCENT WESLEY HANKS
STEVEN ADAMS
MICHAEL ADAMS
VICTORIA ADAMS
CHARLES TIDWELL
KIM WANKE
HUNTER HILTON
CHARLES KIZER

Transportation Coordinator…LOUIS WILLIAMSON

Acoustic Guitar….KEN FORBES

Live Piano….KELLY FORBES

Photographers….TOMME HILTON. LIN LAFFITTE
 

Publicity Artist….STEVEN GILLIAM

Make-up….GABRIEL BAXLEY, MATTHEW ADAMS



SANDY RUN (COLUMBIA) CONSTRUCTION CREW:
DANNY GREGORY
CHRISTOPHER FORBES
JENNIFER DYCHES
GABRIEL BAXLEY
LIN LAFFITTE
JULIE JACKSON
MATTHEW HAWKINS
HOUSTON HAWKINS
JIM HILTON
ROGER WANKE
TRIPP COURTNEY
SANDY RUN FIREFIGHTERS:
HERBERT GEIGER
JACKIE FURTICK
GARY GEIGER
BRAD BOZARD
RICKY CHILDRESS
GARY HARDEE
JEFF COKER

BEECH ISLAND CONSTRUCTION CREW:
TRIPP COURTNEY
NICHOLE DYE
JIM HILTON
CHRISTOPHER FORBES

AIKEN CONSTRUCTION CREW:
VINCENT WESLEY HANKS
CHRISTOPHER FORBES
LIN LAFFITTE
JIM HILTON
BYRON WILLIAMS
TRIPP COURTNEY
SHAWN OGDEN

AIKEN FIREFIGHTERS:
RUSTY MANCINI
TRACY WOOD
ED LAMB
TIM BLEDSOE
KENNY BLEDSOE
JOSH OXIDINE
ED FIATT
LISA FIATT
MATT ALTMAN
SHANNON LABORDE
MATTHEW PHILLIPS
GEORGE A. LAIACONA III
GEORGE A. LAIACONA IV
JASON GOODWIN
JUSTIN GOODWIN
ERIC FERGUSON
WENDELL BYARS
JEFF ROGERS
CHRISTOPHER FILYAW
STEFANY RACIOPPO
CHAD COLEMAN
CHRIS GLOVER
MATT GORDON
CHRIS CLARK
MICHAEL NEW
BRIAN SIMMONS

ORGINAL SONGS BY BEAVER CREEK:
JENNIFER DYCHES
LINDA LOU LONG-CARNES
DAVID DERRICK
MARY R. WILLIAMS
THOMAS A. COOLIDGE

“FIRETRAIL”
Words and Music by
JENNIFER DYCHES
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Dyches

“MISSING YOU”
Words and Music by
JENNIFER DYCHES
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Dyches

“DON’T FORSAKE ME”
Traditional
Arrangement by BEAVER CREEK
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Dyches

“JUST AS THE SUN WENT DOWN”
Words by
Bert Mangum
Music by
JENNIFER DYCHES
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Dyches

“THE BALLAD OF HARRY BELL”
Words and Music by
JENNIFER DYCHES
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Dyches

“PICKLE”
Music by
THOMAS A. COOLIDGE
Copyright 2006 Thomas A. Coolidge

“CONFEDERATE CAVALRY”
Words and Music by
JENNIFER DYCHES
Copyright 2006 Jennifer Dyches

WAR HORSES
TINY
ABIGAIL
WALKER
GOLDIE
HONEY
PONCHO
COCOA
LUCKY
SANDY

HORSE WRANGLERS
JERRY CHESSER
CHARLES KIZER
BRETT TRILLING
ARIN TRILLING

DOG
DIXIE

Special Thanks to:
The City of Branchville, South Carolina
The City of Gifford, South Carolina
Anthony and Debra Perugini, The Pineapple House, Branchville, South Carolina
Miles and Becky Elliott, Robwood Plantation, Appleton, South Carolina
Lawton Maner and Anne M. Clardy, King Maner Plantation, Hampton, Garnett, South Carolina
James and Emily Goodman, Granville Plantation, Jackson, South Carolina
David Ennis, Ennis Saw Mill
John Culler
Claude Lindler
Sterling Laffitte
Edward Courtney, Sr.
Derrill Merchant
Sammie Infinger
Anne and Doug Reeves
The Battle for Columbia, Sandy Run, South Carolina
The Battle of Aiken, Aiken, South Carolina
The Battle of Broxton Bridge, South Carolina
The Battle of Sessessionville, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
The Battle of Waynesborough, Georgia

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON “FIRETRAIL”:
www.lydiahawke.us
www.forbesfilm.net

No animals were harmed in the making of “Firetrail”.
This Motion Picture Copyright 2007 Christopher Forbes





Exerpts from a review of “Firetrail”, August 14, 2008 The Eagle - Record, St. George, SC:
 

FIRETRAIL a hit with those who attended movie premier by Sheri Mizell
 

The movie begins with a sweeping scene of rural South Carolina and the soulful music of Beaver Creek, a bluegrass band based in the Sandy Run area. Five of the six songs performed in the movie were written by Jennifer Dyches. Jennifer also has a role in the movie as Mrs. DuBois, mother of Sally DuBois. The bluegrass banjo and haunting melodies throughout the movie makes it all come to life. Director Christopher Forbes and his production company, Forbesfilm, have done a remarkable job of bringing the past into the present…
The movie “Firetrail” has been dubbed the South Carolina version of “Gone With the Wind” and is based on the award-winning book by Lydia Hawke. The only difference is “Firetrail” gives a more real-life account of everyday lives during the Civil War. The characters in this movie are not independently wealthy, with slaves laboring in the fields. These people are hard workers that fight hard for what they have and lead simple lives. The author makes her movie debut in the book’s adaptation as Mrs. Winberry, mother of Capt. Blake Winberry. The three-hour epic takes place during Sherman’s march through the Carolinas and is not just another love story. Tossed into the love triangle of Blake, Judith and Sally, and the new love growing between Lexi and Hunter, you witness firsthand the brutality and torture that was the Civil War…
Books will tell you the story of this time in our history, but until you see this movie, you can’t possibly understand the horrors these people went through. Young women left widowed with no homes, having to pack what little belongings they could and escape to another part of the country looking for safety and stability; peoples’ homes being torched for no reason other than they were on the “wrong” side of the war; mothers fighting to protect their children, all the while watching their young sons enlist to fight and die in a war few people understood.
Typical of some independent films, I expected the acting to be minimal or half-hearted at best, the cinematography to be grainy and jumpy and the story line mundane. I was pleasantly surprised. The actors in this movie, most from South Carolina, are superb in carrying their storylines and make their characters unbelievably realistic. Anyone who has ever listened to Nick Nolte try to pull off a southern accent in “The Prince of Tides” will especially appreciate the authenticity of the dialect spoken in this film.
Handsome leading man Jim Hilton portrays Confederate Calvary Captain Blake Winberry, and has the slow, liquid movements of a young John Wayne and the baritone voice of Sam Elliott. He literally steps from the screen into real time and makes you believe he is Capt. Winberry and it is 1865 South Carolina. Lin Laffitte, a first-time big screen actress… is an Estill native and plays Judith Rogers, Capt. Winberry’s love interest. Her “plain Jane” persona plays in stark contrast to that of Sally DuBois, Capt. Winberry’s opportunistic fiancee. Sally’s character is much more colorful but it’s the demure character of Judith that makes her that more loveable and memorable. The part of Sally is played by Tomme Hilton, real-life wife of Jim Hilton.
The main villain in the movie is Yankee soldier Harry Bell, portrayed by Gabriel Baxley. This young man’s character is ruthless, vile, backstabbing and homicidal.



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