Sergeant Rutledge
(1960)
Lieutenant Tom Cantrell is sent to defend Sergeant Braxton Rutledge a black cavalry soldier on a charge of rape and murder. The story begins in a courtroom and the story is told through flashbacks. This is a story of how a black soldier in the face of danger from the Indians can be so easily mistaken as a criminal. Written by Christopher D. Ryan Circumstantial evidence suggests a first sergeant in a black cavalry regiment has raped and murdered a white girl then killed his commanding officer. When he makes the case look even worse by deserting, an old lieutenant friend is sent to get him back - and finds himself also quelling an apache uprising. The lieutenant then volunteers to defend the sergeant in court, where the full story starts slowly to emerge. Written by Jeremy Perkins