git rebase --continue with goofy error

I am trying so, so hard to rebase a branch with updates made in master:

********* git rebase master *********

I get about 20 conflicts back, which I fix and do:

********* git add * *********

There were also many, many error messages after the rebase command, eg:

********* error: test/unit/missing_year_test.rb: already exists in index error: test/unit/axle_test.rb: already exists in index error: test/unit/body_style_test.rb: already exists in index error: test/unit/brake_test.rb: already exists in index error: test/unit/category_test.rb: already exists in index error: test/unit/comment_test.rb: already exists in index error: test/unit/company_comment_test.rb: does not exist in index error: test/unit/country_test.rb: already exists in index *********

but I ignore that error, because I have no idea what it means. If I were to guess, I'd say it's trying to copy files from master to my current branch. Of course.

So now I have added my conflict fixes, per the message:

********* Failed to merge in the changes. Patch failed at 0002.

When you have resolved this problem run "git rebase --continue". If you would prefer to skip this patch, instead run "git rebase --skip". To restore the original branch and stop rebasing run "git rebase -- abort". *********

So I decide to continue:

********* git rebase --continue *********

And I get the following:

*********
mymac:/Library/mydir/code/myapp me$ git rebase --continue
Unknown option: 1
Usage: head [-options] <url>...
     -m <method>   use method for the request (default is 'HEAD')
     -f            make request even if head believes method is illegal
     -b <base>     Use the specified URL as base
     -t <timeout>  Set timeout value
     -i <time>     Set the If-Modified-Since header on the request
     -c <conttype> use this content-type for POST, PUT, CHECKIN
     -a            Use text mode for content I/O
     -p <proxyurl> use this as a proxy
     -P            don't load proxy settings from environment
     -H <header>   send this HTTP header (you can specify several)

     -u            Display method and URL before any response
     -U            Display request headers (implies -u)
     -s            Display response status code
     -S            Display response status chain
     -e            Display response headers
     -d            Do not display content
     -o <format>   Process HTML content in various ways

     -v            Show program version
     -h            Print this message

     -x            Extra debugging output
Applying
You still have unmerged paths in your index
did you forget to use 'git add'?

When you have resolved this problem run "git rebase --continue". If you would prefer to skip this patch, instead run "git rebase --skip". To restore the original branch and stop rebasing run "git rebase -- abort".

*********

A google search of "git" and "Unknown option: 1" yields zero results. Notice I did not commit the adds. I didn't think it made sense to do that, since I imagine that is what the rebase is doing anyway?

This is on git version 1.5.5.3.

Should I upgrade git?  Will that break any repos that I have?

Thanks very, very much.