Respected black cavalry Sergeant Brax Rutledge stands court-martial for raping and killing a white woman and murdering her father, his superior officer.

Jeffrey Hunter
as Lt. Tom Cantrell

Woody Strode
as 1st Sgt. Braxton Rutledge

Constance Towers
as Mary Beecher

Billie Burke
as Mrs. Cordelia Fosgate

Juano Hernández
as Sgt. Matthew Luke Skidmore

Willis Bouchey
as Col. Otis Fosgate - president of the court-martial

Carleton Young
as Capt. Shattuck - prosecutor

Judson Pratt
as Lt. Mulqueen (court-martial board member)

Chuck Roberson
as Court-Martial Board Member (uncredited)

Chuck Hayward
as Capt. Dickinson (uncredited)
John Chard
Buffalo Soldier. It was alright for Mr. Lincoln to say we was free. But that ain't so! Not yet! Maybe some day, but not yet! John Ford's Sergeant Rutledge tells the story of a black man, 1st Sgt. Braxton Rutledge, a Buffalo Soldier of the 9th U.S. Cavalry who was up before a court-martial for ...