Synopsis for
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) More at IMDbPro »

The movie opens with Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) tending to his Missouri farm with his son, Josey Jr (Clint's real-life son, Kyle Eastwood). Josey's wife (Cissy Wellman) calls to the boy to return to the house. Josey hears the tramping of horses and sees smoke coming from his homestead. Running there, he witnesses marrauding cavalry from the Union Army, known as "red legs", killing his wife and son and burning down his house. Josey is struck with a sword by Captain Terrill (Bill McKinney) across the face and is wounded and left for dead. Still alive, Josey surveys the wreckage, buries his kin, and finds his gun in the smouldering ash. He spends some time practicing his aim in preparation for taking his revenge. Confederate officer Fletcher (John Vernon) and a haphazard band of Rebel soldiers, happen upon Josey's burned down farm and Josey joins them, since they are bent on the destruction of as many "red legs" as possible.

A montage sequence shows many hard fought battles.

The war has wound down and Fletcher addresses his weary troops on the conditions of their surrender to the Union and the promise of amnesty that have been stipulated by Senator Lane (Frank Schofield), the Union authorities. Among the troops surrendering is Jamie (Sam Bottoms). Josey is the lone hold-out, refusing to surrender, he stays behind in camp. The rebel troops turn in their weapons to the Union army. Fletcher then discovers that the notorious Captain Terrill is now the official federal authority representing Senator Lane in handling the surrender Fletcher's troops. Fletcher's furious riposte is met unsympathetically by Lane and Terrill. He announces to them that Josey Wales is the sole hold-out. Lane instructs Terrill to "curry comb the countryside" and take five men and go after Wales. Fletcher laughs at the idea of Terrill and five men taking on Wales. Lane offers Fletcher money to go after Wales and Fletcher declines.

The surrendered men are lined up to swear an oath, then are fired upon from soldiers hidden in wagons. Josey has observed what is going on from the nearby woods and smells the ambush. In the melee that follows, Josey wreaks havoc as most of the men are slaughtered. Jamie is the sole survivor of the surrendered (other than Fletcher and Josey). He is wounded, but he escapes with Josey. Fletcher is implicated in the plot and is forced to accept a commission from Senator Lane to stalk and kill Josey Wales.

Josey and Jamie set out under cover for Indian Nations, where Josie believes they can hide and where Jamie can heal up. Along the way, there are a series of encounters. The first encounter is a posse of "red leg" pursuers that the pair successully evade by hiding on a plain with their horses. There are a couple of amazing horse takes where Josey wrestles the horses to the ground so they can hide, and one where Josey mounts up as the horse stands up.

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Next the pair come upon bargemaster Sim Carstairs (William O'Connell) and his assistant, a carpetbagger (Woodrow Parfrey), and a storekeeper Granny Hawkins (Madeline T. Holmes).

Abe (Len Lesser),

Lone Watie (Chief Dan George)

shopkeeper Zukie Limmer (Charles Tyner) Little Moonlight (Geraldine Keams)

Boutiquier/Undertaker (Buck Kartalian)

Grandma Sarah (Paule Trueman) Laura Lee (Sondra Locke)

Ten Spot (Royal Dano) Rose (Joyce Jameson)

Ten Bears (Will Sampson)