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Rogers Ramblings - Left for dead

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War is Horrible! To all of my friends and neighbors of Webster County and beyond, this week’s ramblings are not so nice! Let’s pause for a second and remind everyone where we are.

For more than two months now we have been going back into the past and reliving a story of a young couple before the civil war. The parents of our young couple were divided and each were fighting for their beliefs in their own way. Our young man {Johnny} joined the Union army and was soon attached to Company B of the 25’th Infantry.

Fast forward to January 2, 1863 we are now into the third day of a vicious battle with tens of thousands of soldiers trying to eliminate each other. Now we are caught up with the past. Let's check out where Johnny is and find out what is going on in his camp.

{It’s early morning} Sergeant Johnny has just received his orders from his Captain. He is going around camp getting all of the soldiers up. “Get up! Get up! Rise and shine another day to fight the rebels!” All of the men moaning and groaning get up and prepare for another day. Johnny stands up to address his soldiers. “I have our orders for the day. We must hold our position at all costs. Even if it means down to the last men. We have received info from our spies that the rebels are trying to flank us from the north and we are to be ready at any moment. Remember, In the heat of battle today, keep your bayonets attached and your guns loaded. Let’s get our cannons loaded and pointed north. Rest of you men check your weapons and take your positions! Be ready at any moment!”

(Ten minutes later) A screeching cannon shell comes down in camp exploding. Johnny yells! “Fire! The Johnny Rebs are attacking! We must hold our ground.” Our Johnny continues to put his own life in ultimate danger while going over the battlefield ground encouraging his soldiers to hold at all cost.

{Now let’s fast forward hours later} The battlefield is now quiet and all of a sudden Johnny wakes up in a daze. With blood covering his face from a bullet that grazed his head and afterward being rifle butted from a rebel soldier leaving him for dead. He notices his captain lying beside him gasping for air. “Suddenly, Johnny hears voices, the medical corps from the Union Army are burying the dead. Meanwhile, Corporal Kumawilder suddenly notices a couple of dying soldiers, “Hey Barkie look over here, looks like we have two live ones. Get your ambulance wagon over here. Johnny looks up through a mat of blood and dirt and in a dizzy fog and asks in a weak voice, “what happened?” Sir, you and the captain are the only two left on this ridge. The Rebels retreated after taking severe losses and decided not to attack again. Barkie, “Sarge, save your strength.

We’re taking you and the captain to the doctor. No one thought you Missouri boys could hold this position.” O K friends, next week are troubling ramblings concerning Johnny’s wife Mary Lou back home here in Webster County.

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