War Cry Heal Union
The summer series finale (10 of 10)

Honoring Constitution Day 2014 and 1862


“Hey Gus.”
“Hey Reb.”
“Our Once Upon A Time chat got interrupted yesterday …”
“Darn Squeak.”
“… Right,” continued Reb, “and welcome to Somewhere.”
“I’d say it’s nice like Nowhere,” Gus observed, “– and thistles too.”
“It wasn’t always this nice.”
“So where is Somewhere Reb?”
“Antietam.”
“No shi-kiddding?”
“No kidding.”
“So, the Dandies of Harlem Heights.”
“Yeah.”
“I figure,” Gus began, “you wanted me to see the problem.”
“What problem is that?”
“The problem of who got me shot,” Gus stated, “so you brought me the story of the battle through the eyes of the Yankee Doodle Dandies.”
“American Rebels.”
“And to show me the similarities between Leitch and the other soldier, the one killed on the field.”
“Thomas Knowlton.
“Yeah him: I remember Leitch died thirteen days later ~ sort of one day for each Stripe.”
“Nice reckoning.”
“So where we at on Antietam?”
“An orientation perhaps?”
“Great ... and is it Constitution Day in Somewhere, I mean Antietam, too?”
“Eternally Gus …”

“You were here Johnny.”
“Yeah,” Reb panned, “the question is where were you in September 1862?”
“South Bend Indiana.”
“Indiana ‘eh.”
“Right, the 99th Volunteers were mustered into the US Army …” Gus paused: “I volunteered after …”
“After what?” Reb asked.
“… Antietam is the culmination of Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign.”
“You volunteered in August 1862, right?”
“Did: the 99th was mustered into service 21 August 1862,” affirmed Gus and added, “- I see your suggestion Johnny.”
“Still need that orientation Yank?”
“Not really.”
“Whatcha’ thinking?”
“All these citizens Reb … their lives for what?”
“The bloodiest day in our heritage.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there?”
“Generally …”
“The Potomac’s near.”
“Yes.”
“Can we go there?” asked Gus.
“For a moment …”

*In October, look for Ew Publishing’s mini-series, Whiskey 220: The Rebellion. Hosted on the BWB Blog, Whiskey 220 honors the successful conclusion to a domestic insurrection 220 years ago; it does so by highlighting President George Washington’s personal notes while traveling to inspect the State militias: the series includes a meeting with Virginia’s Governor Henry Lee III. Whiskey 220 begins Saturday, 11 October.

Thanks All!
~
Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Video:
Johnny Cash sings Civil War songs

War Cry Heal Union: The series (9 of 10)

Once upon a time …

“Hey Gus.”
“Hey Reb ~ Where we at?”
“Once Upon A Time.”
“Once Upon A Time?” Gus quizzed, “you said we’d meet Somewhere next time.”
“I did,” Reb confirmed, “and tomorrow's Somewhere …”

“Great … then what’s with the green bean?”
“It’s a kitchen Gus.”
“Okay …”
“There’s a Dandy story here,” assured Reb, “and it’ll make our Somewhere time better.”
“A dandy one ‘eh?”
“The Dandies of Harlem Heights.”
“No kidding?” crafted Gus, “… then what goes with Once Upon A Time?”
“Burners …” offered Reb.”
“Burners?”
“… They like art.”
“Who’s Art?”
“… C’mon Gus ~ this way.”
“Sure thing Reb ~ though who’s Art? …”

“… Hey Reb ~ wait-a-Sec.”
“What now Yank?”
“Are we in Art's dream?”
“You can say that.”
“Then how come you and I are different?”
“Whatcha’ mean Yank?”
“Once Upon A Time? …” thought Gus, “How’d you do this?”
“I’m a composite Spirit,” answered Johnny Reb, “and you’re an individual Spirit Gus.”
“Okay …”
“You get to do your Spirit thing, be that US Army Private, 99th Indiana Infantry Regiment - ”
“Volunteer.”
“Yes, Volunteer Augustus Kotka, killed skirmishing the siege of Atlanta, 11 August 1864.”
“And you Reb? … How’d you die?”
“All the Johnnies Gus.”
“All? … You mean all the deaths?”
“Yes ~ and all the lives too.”
“Which is why you can do more …”
“Right.”
“It’s like …” Gus reasoned, “you’re a Macro and I’m a Micro Spirit.”
“Right again.”
“One more thing … Is that a piñata?”
“… Gus ~ C’mon …”

“… Gus ~ Here we are.”
“What kind of flag is that?”
“’Merican.”
“The stars Reb …”
“Forty-eight.”
“Lots ~ so where are the Dandies?”
“Here, in the map.” [Richard Hanser, The Glorious Hour of Lt. Monroe, 1976:87.]
“Map’s too small Reb.”
“I know … I just wanted to say something.”
“Good ~ I like listening.”
“Sure you do …”
“I do ~ speak your peace Johnny.”
“The Stripes,” started Reb, “they represent the 13 Colonies in Rebellion.”
“Yes ~ and the Spirit of ’76.”
“And that Spirit had bodies … you know, humans.”
“Of course.”
“In the map are four American Rebels: a General, Colonel, Major and Lieutenant.”
“Officers.”
“Yes: Washington, Knowlton, Leitch and Monroe.”
“George and James for Washington and Monroe: who’s Knowlton?”
“Thomas Knowlton, Connecticut.”
“Say more …”
“Bunker Hill, 1775.”
“With ya’ now.”
“In the map it’s more than a year later,” Reb continued, “16 September 1776 and the New York Battle of Harlem Heights.”
“Who’s Leitch?”
“Andrew Leitch, Virginia … he’d been in New York four days.”
“Had been … what happened?”
“Washington has Knowlton’s Rangers skirmishing –”
“I know Skirmish.”
“– Against some Brits. Knowlton then leads the Rangers and the Third Virginia Regiment on a flanking movement. Knowlton is shot scouting the Brits; Major Leitch, as second in command, steps into the spot Knowlton was just in to assess the situation …”
“That’s the right move.”
“… Right Yank ~ ‘cept the Brits had the range and put three shots into Leitch.”
“Did they die? ~ Then I mean?”
“Knowlton on the field and Leitch thirteen days later.”
“Yankee Doodle Dandy Rebels ~ Knowlton and Leitch.”
“Yes, a Stripe for Connecticut …”
“… And a Stripe for Virginia.”
“Soldiers like Washington and Monroe,” Reb continued, “who give witness to such moments, often feel they were fighting …”
“For something.”
“… And not Against something Gus: Yankee Doodle Dandies fought For Free Speech and Enumerated Representation, you know, like our Nowhere chat,” Reb flickered, “~ Oh’oh …”
“What?”
“Time to go.”
“Already?”
“Heard a Noise.”
“Whatcha’ hear?”
“Squeak.”
“Who’s Squeak?”
“… Gus ~ Tomorrow's Somewhere.”
“I’m with ya’ Reb …”

Video: Yankee Doodle: Music of the American Revolution
~
*Tomorrow ~ US Constitution Day, 17 September 2014, the War Cry Heal Union summer series finale: Gus Kotka, Johnny Reb and Antietam 17 September 1862.    

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Excerpt from thereafter (Or, the crows of Wicker Park)
(2013)
The character “Ice” has an “es” (It (body)) experience
Part 1, 5a

Ice walked from the west-side art loft to downtown; he didn’t leave until 5:30 p.m., so he got downtown around 9:00. It was a beautiful evening; his trip took him to “Center-Camp” (Wicker Park’s six-corners) for a cup of coffee, down Milwaukee Avenue to Blommer’s chocolate factory, then east on Kinzie Street, which slopes downhill to railroad tracks, an underpass, and then a bridge over a branch of the Chicago River. That’s where “It” began …

Ice had been thinking of Major Andrew Leitch, KIA 16 September 1776, and how he “needed” Leitch in his life. Ice would get stubborn with the Unknown (overly doubtful Ice could be); the Unknown sent the spirit Leitch to watch his back. It’s a place in Ice’s mind where Leitch is real. Ice thought of how the Quran says if you die fighting in the Unknown’s way (in Allah’s way), you don’t really die. Major Leitch fits that definition: rebel volunteer from Virginia, fighting in New York, and taking three bullets to the chest in the battle called Harlem Heights. The battle is remembered (not all battles are) as the first day the British Redcoats turned and ran from the rebels. Ice was thinking these things and about how Major Leitch never got a homecoming – just like the dead Illinois Vietnam veterans Ice was walking to visit at the downtown memorial. (He goes there to read the engraved names aloud.) Ice also thought of the name of Leitch’s daughter, Sarah; he said her name and even shed a few tears. Ice continued to the memorial and read the names aloud for the last three months of 1967. The last engraved name from ’67 has an asterisk – which means the body didn’t return to Illinois. As Ice finished his ritual a family approached the wall and fountain – the father splashed the children with water and the mother told them to stop. Classic. Ice imagines/sees the dead vets sitting on the terraced grass as the family plays. He has a thought of soldiers seeing their deaths in meaning – a peaceful death dream. Ice leaves the memorial and heads-up to see the statue of George Washington (Leitch’s commanding officer, the one who ordered him into battle and to his death), and then back on the trail home. Ice has thoughts of walking to the House of Blues to see if anything is happening; the thought had been on his mind and he even looked for the bridge on his way to the memorial. He walks several blocks to find the bridge to the House of Blues. Upon finding it he notices some activity; two hippies are on the bridge, as well as two “moderates” standing to the side and talking on cells. The hippies are frantic and something is wrong; the male hippy, in brown dreads, is waving his hands over his head and exhibiting all the signs of a crazy hippy (which won’t work for long in downtown Chicago). The female hippy is pleading for her friend to calm down, but he can’t. Ice approaches and decides to get involved; he catches a glimpse of her eyes – “Hey, can I help?”

The woman spins and is bewildered.

“What’s up?” Ice asked.

“He’s having a diabetic low!” she rushed, “He doesn’t know what he’s doing!”

“I have a cookie – a cannabis cookie?”

“Great!” was her response.

Ice pulled a bag of cookies from his cargo-pocket and gave her one; the woman took the cookie and grabbed her friend by the arm – “Here Michael! Eat this!” Michael stopped waving his arms and paused. He looked at her, the cookie, Ice, and then grabbed the cookie; he tossed it into his mouth and took-off toward the House of Blues – once again waving his arms, screaming in agony and pulling his dreads. The woman began after him; Ice said go and that he’d watch the bags.

“Michael! – Michael!” she yelled as she nodded yes to Ice. He waited on the bridge for a couple of minutes. He thought of the moment, how he had thought the hippy was freaking out from a drug – just hadn’t thought it would be sugar. The woman returned without Michael. She tells Ice Michael’s run-off and she should follow him, that they’re in from out of town and Michael is embarrassed to take his insulin in public. Ice and the woman pick-up the bags and cross the bridge to the House of Blues.

She asks his name: “Ice,” he says.

“Sarah,” she replies.

(Ice learned that day just how fast It happens: from Sarah Leitch to “Sarah on the bridge.”)

The two walked down to Kinzie and then Michael found them; he was shaken but no longer ranting and raving. He remembered Ice and the cookie and thanked him for it. The three parted ways, with Ice walking west on Kinzie to the chocolate factory – that’s when he remembered he had been crying shortly before about a woman named Sarah he had never met – Major Andrew Leitch’s daughter Sarah.

Thereafter (2013)

A chorus excerpt from: thereafter ~ (Or, The crows of Wicker Park)
A 2013 novella

Today in George Washington's life: The Battle of Harlem Heights (16 September 1776)

"~"
“My name is from 16 September 1776,” said Virginia.

“How so?” Ice asked.

“George Washington ordered some American rebels to flank the British soldiers and it worked. Two rebel leaders were casualties during the battle; Colonel Thomas Knowlton died on the field and my namesake, Major Andrew Leitch of Virginia, died 13 days later. Washington ordered the call and response – the passwords – for the next day to be ‘Leitch’ and ‘Virginia’ – for the mortally wounded Major.”

“So your name was first spoken on 17 September 1776?”

“Yeah – I guess it was.”

"~"