Headscratchers / Glory

• Regarding the scene where Trip is whipped for apparently deserting: It's revealed afterwards by Rawlins that Trip was actually not deserting, but had only gone to find himself a decent pair of shoes. If Rawlins knew that the whole time, why didn't he tell Shaw this before the whipping was carried out, and cleared Trip's name? At the very least it would've prevented Trip from getting his back lashed again. For that matter, why doesn't Trip attempt to explain or defend his actions to Shaw when he's apprehended and brought back to base?
  • For that matter, why didn't Trip come to Shaw or at least Forbes with his problem and asked for their help in acquiring shoes instead of deciding to handle things on his own and leaving the base without permission or telling anyone where he was going, thus making himself look like a deserter? I can understand Trip not wanting Shaw's help out of contempt for the colonel's strict nature and being relatively unqualified for command, but there's no reason why he couldn't have asked Forbes, who had tried to be more lenient with the troops and had objected to Shaw's severe behavior.
  • For that matter, why didn't Rawlins go to Shaw or Forbes with the shoe problem if Trip was unwilling to? That could have kept Trip from going AWOL in the first place.
  • How does Rawlins know the truth anyway? Did Trip confide in him before going to look for shoes, or did Rawlins figure it out on his own?