Eu-'rastus was 12 years old and barely tall enough to see cap'n A.E.Smith
of the 163rd New York Regulars, stand'n in Full Dress with saber.. and
talk'n of putting to hurt to the Rebs.. a Brass band played and the men
rushed forward to sign-up.. 'Rastus went with his older brother Zebb, and
came to the table..
The recruting officer signed Zebb and gave him his enlistment goldpiece
but turned to 'Rastus and said:
"How OLD are yee boy?..."
The boy straightened up.. "12 sir, and full of git! I am fully prepared
to lick Johnny Reb!"
The man chuckled.. "No doubt son, but this Co. is recruting MEN and that
means 16! Yur just a scranny chickenleged Farmboy..."
'Rastus's Bro..chimed in: "Sir I just signed the paper and where *I* go
my brother goes too..No need for yah to slight him, and accept me. We's a
team!"
The Officer who last week himself had escaped slopp'n hogs sat back..
"Now hold on..there's plenny war fer all to chop on.. I didn't say we
couldn't take 'em... them scranny legs just might run like the wind!
THAT RIGHT...You kin run? We'll make you a runner..How's that then you
can stick togather if you've a mind to.. SIGN THERE!"
...and so later that is how Eurastus and his bro. came to the field of
battle.
=======================================================================
Soldiers in the bloody scrap called to each other as they passed troops..
"Yah see the Elephant? Heheeee.." it was a call to say *Have you seen the
enemy, and seen his eyes and lived to tell it.!" ...for in small town
America, a circus could start the blood pump'n and folks would jump and
stand on sholders to catch a glimps of the parade..
...and this War, was the biggest shin-dig to skeedaddle too!
=======================================================================
"Rastus found himself running till that funny taste came to his mouth...
the smoke and sound and smell engulfed him, as he ran with a message to the
General.
He approched and passed the generals guard and came to a halt with a
sharp salute..and waited to be recognized...
The Union General looked down from his stallion and barely gave a glance
at the note...: "Tell cap'n Smith my regrets that i have NO MEN to spare.."
and crumpled the note and trew it on the ground.
"Rastus, saluted, turned and ran back as hard as he could... back the way
he had come..for he wanted to mount the trench with his brother, Zebb...
and tho he did not carry a gun, he wanted to go to war...
"Rastus ran but as he approched he saw the Co. had left allready and from
the field came a rag-tag band back without order.. He felt a flash of fear
and shouted: "Hey have you seen my BROTHER? Have you? WHERE IS HE?" but
the men had a far-away look.. and shook their heads no..."Rastus ran
somemore fearing his brother was fallen and wonded, alone.. when suddenly!
he fell on his face over an out streched leg...
"Boy git down and stay down! FOOL them'm Rebs is shoot'n fine today and
would shoot you dead!"
"But my Brother! he's out there..."
'Half the Co. and cap'n is out there, just wait..thaz all we kin do..
Suddenly the call came: "Fire! There's Fire!" and on the field full of
wonded men the grass stubble had caught fire and was sweeping their way..
"I gottah do SOMTHING!" and 'Rastus bolted from safety and ran like the wind!
accross the open he ran and as he approched the fallen men.. zzzzzzzing!
SOMETHING THEW HIM TO THE GROUND!
...a bullet had hit him in his belt buckle and knocked the wind out of him..
He rose again and wwwwwwwwwwwwwazzzzzam! something tore his coat!
THE REBS WERE SHOOTING....But, in fact it was the exploding cartrige belts
as the fire burned mens gear! Again he rose and moved and allmost stood
before a wonded Reb. tripped him..
"BOY HELP ME! ....hep me"
"Rastus thought..The ENEMY!"
But without hesitation he grabbed the man and lifted him and started to
dragg him to the Reb lines!!!!!
A Call rang out! The REBEL ARMY BEGAN TO SHOUT! Hep-hep Horray for the boy!
WAUGHHhhhhhhhhhhhh Hoooooooooooo!
and the Butternutcolored men stood and ran out to help...
"Rastus handed 'em off, and a brief exchange of looks told him that these
were men same as any..he didn't fear 'em close up.
He ran back and found his brother, wonded..laying against a Rebel officer..
"ZEBB! I found you!" His bro. looked up and said: "Rastus! I knew you'd
come..I knew you wouldn't leave me hear alone..I'm hurt bad.."
And for a moment as the fire sweep the field there was a mix of Blue and Grey
as each side collected the men of their charge... but as the Rebs picked
up the officer next to 'Rastus's Bro, the man stood straight up looked
Eurastus in the eyes and said: "Son.. Today you are the bravest man alive!
and I salute you.."
The brothers made it back to the lines and up came Cap'n A.E. Smith, wounded
with blood on his face.. "'Rastus..You did good today son! and he saluted!"
The 12 year old fell back in exhaustion thinking on things.. for today he
had met the Enemy and won favor and been true to his brother and been
honored for bravery...by BOTH sides!
He told the Cap'n: "Guess today I saw the Elephant!"
Cap'n chuckled.."Yep 'magine so... But not that it matters now..but what
did the General say?"
Like a lifetime had passed, 'rastus remembers the tall cold general...
"Well, Cap'n he said he had no men to spare us..."
The Union Officer grimised.. and replied:
"Well, seems like with MEN like you we don't need help! You go on now and
see to your brother...you've done a mans job today!"
-=A=-
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
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