When the soldier lost the water barrel over the side of the cliff, he was yanking on the wooden spigot several times as though it were a stuck cork that you have to yank out of the barrel. But it was not a cork, it was a wooden spigot that you turn to open. This was simply to add tension to that part of the movie, which had no action.
The movie is supposedly set in 1852 with both soldiers and Indians using repeating rifles that did not come along the 1870s.
Just before the two boats are put back in the river, the Indians attack and a trooper is killed. The dead soldier flinches two times during the rest of the battle.
So, not fully dead then.
So, not fully dead then.
The charges against Halliday are listed as being from 1868, charges that were from 'two years ago'. Consequently the film is set in the 1870s and repeating rifles were available.