Category: US Grant

A New Pamphlet: A Dissenting Opinion from Johnny Reb and Gus Yank about George Thomas

11/14/2018

Set and setting

While waiting for the sun to move again, the spirits Johnny Reb and Gus Yank (Kotka) are sitting at the New York monument on the Antietam battlefield. The two are discussing a dissenting opinion about Union General George Thomas; Johnny and Gus say Thomas was working with (not against) the Confederate States of America and its Anti-Republic cabal.

A Dissenting Opinion from Johnny Reb and Gus Yank about George Thomas
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*Next Up: Johnny Reb and Gus Yank continue the Somewhere On Our Way We the People series on 21 December 2018.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Thereat: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb, On Our Way Mosby

11/12/2017

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Thereat 1833

VII of XIII

“Reb?”
“Yeah.”
“Remember talking about Mosby?”
“Sure.”
“You said his book was published in 1917.”
“Mosby’s Memoirs.”
“And that he died in 1916.”
“Mosby was 82.”
“Was he born in 1833?”
“Yes.”
“So was I.”
“So was Jeb Stuart.”
“Didn’t think of them as my age.”
“Why?”
“Well, something like me and General Stuart, both passing in our early 30s, just hadn’t had that thought.”
“Stuart was a soldier, West Pointer.”
“I hear ya.”
“You were a Private.”

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Thereat Private

“Yes.”
“So was Mosby.”
“Mosby was a Private?”
“That’s where he started.”
“Reached?”
“Colonel; what happened to you Yank?”
“Not known.”
“There’s no evidence of you getting in trouble.”
“No evidence.”
“Maybe you just wanted to stay a Private?”
“Perhaps.”
“Volunteer right?”
“Yes – and you Reb?”
“Well, Mosby was a volunteer.”
“A lot of Johnny Rebs were conscripted.”
“That began in ‘62.”
“Forced to fight, so to speak.”
“It’s different than volunteering.”

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Thereat Higher

“Did Mosby know Lee?”
“He did.”
“And?”
“They got along; Mosby said Lee had only one complaint about him.”
“What was that?”
“That he kept getting shot.”
“Ouch.”
“Mosby thought highly of Lee Gus, and, even higher of Grant.”
“Higher?”
“Yes, higher.”
“Interesting. Didn’t they call Mosby’s partisan area of operations a special name?”
“Mosby’s Confederacy.”
“Did that include Berryville?”
“I would say so Yank.”
“Say more Reb.”
“Well, around Berryville …”

*Next Up: Sunday 19 November and Thereat part VIII, Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb On Our Way Around.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Union 2016: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Virginia Roam

3/4/2016

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Roam

Winter series part 9 of 13

The apples turn to brown and black, the tyrant’s face is red.

“- Johnny?”
“Yeah Gus.”
“The Story of Virginia,” Gus thought, “must be an old story.”
“It is.”
“Virginia is a woman’s name.”
“Correct,” noted Reb, “and Virginius is the masculine.”
“Like Augusta and Augustus.”
“True.”
“So it’s Roman?”
“Foundational.”
“Where’d you learn this story?”
“Lots of places.”
“Name one.”
“West Point.”

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Roaming

“That’s right,” paused Gus, “Johnny Reb the West Pointer would have had quite an education.”
“Grant was a West Pointer.”
“So were Lee, Longstreet and Jackson.”
“Add Jeb Stuart, Braxton Bragg and Jefferson Davis.”
“The Confederate President?”
“Yes.”
“Oh geez.”
“I know.”
“So what’s the story?”
“With Virginia?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s one of sacrifice.”

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Roamed

“Oh-oh.”
“Right.”
“What gets sacrificed?"
“Virginia.”
“Reb!?”
“That’s the story Yank.”
“I did ask didn’t I.”
“You did.”
“So there must be a bad man?”
“Appius Claudius.”
“Never heard of him.”
“Appius was a tyrant during the early days of the Roman Republic.”
“Appius sacrificed Virginia?”
“No, Virginius did that.”
“Who’s he?”
“Her father ...”

*Next Up: The Union 2016 winter series continues tomorrow, Saturday 5 March, with part 10, the Virginia of Rome.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Heal Union: Grant Sides With Lee: Gus and Johnny Track Virginia

6/13/2015

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The Heal Union spring series continues with INDIA.

Gus and Johnny Tracks

“Nice tracks Reb!”
“Right on Gus!”

“Virginia’s pretty – from a hobo’s perspective.”
“This is old Virginia Gus.”
“Whatcha’ mean Reb?”
“Remember the Monster Bridge?”
“Yeah,” Gus recalled, “we said we’d cross the river, the Potomac.”
“We did.”
“Where’s it at?”
“Back the tracks.”
“Back down the tracks is Maryland and Antietam – Sharpsburg.”
“Correct.”
“So we crossed over,” summed Gus, “and we’re in Virginia.”
“Not anymore.”
“You said Virginia was on the other side Johnny – and we was going there.”
“I did.”
“Then what’s up?”
“I was talking like an 1862 Johnny Reb.”
“Compared to …”
“An 1865 Johnny Reb.”
“Okay.”
“Like the one who wrote to Grant.” clarified Reb.
“Lee’s letter to Grant,” Gus followed, “seeking clarification on the terms of his surrender.”
“ – And the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.”
“Right.”
“Lee sought Grant’s help – ”
“We’re not in Virginia?” Gus interrupted.
“Not yet.”
“Can we rally at the Potomac?”
“Sure thing …”

Gus and Johnny Potomac Rally

“There’s that confounded bridge.”
“A different one,” Reb noted, “and over there is Maryland and a place called Ferry Hill.”
“Fairy Hill.”
“Right.”
“And we’re in?”
“Shepherdstown.”
“Virginia.”
“No,” Reb added, “not anymore.”
“West Virginia then.”
“Correct.”
“I get it,” Gus pondered; “the Johnny seeing Virginia was true, just with the war, this land became the star known as West Virginia.”
“In 1863.”
“What is this place?”
“A monument.”
“To Fairies?”

James Rumsey's Steamboat

“To Firsts.”
“How so?”
“Down there by those ruins …”
“Those Fairy stepping stones?”
“No, bridge ruins,” Reb offered, “down there a dude first powered a boat by steam.”
“Here on the Potomac?”
“Yeah.”
“When and who?”
“1787 by James Rumsey.”
“So it’s a monument to a Virginian in West Virginia.”
“Right.”
“True American.”
“We should be going.”
“Back on track.”
“There’re lots of people waiting.”
“Lots?”
“Sure,” confided Reb, “a receiving party even.”
“A party,” Gus gathered, “that’s special.”
“Ready?”
“Am.”

Gus and Johnny Virginia Land

“Welcome Home Gus!”
“Welcome Home Johnny! ~ These Virginians, eh?”
“They are.”
“Lots of em’ too.”
“Correct.”
“So Grant stood up for Lee?”
“He did,” explained Johnny, “as lots of people were in favor of punishing the leaders of the rebellion.”
“Punish men like Lee.”
“Right, so Lee reached out to Grant and suggested the terms of surrender excluded trials.”
“Grant agreed with Lee?”
“He did,” continued Johnny, “and Grant fought for Lee against President Johnson.”
“Grant and Lee working together.”
“President Johnson wanted to punish Lee and the others; Grant was livid and said no way, that he didn’t fight for the surrender of Lee’s army to then see it all blown on a trial.”
“Grant got mad?”
“Yes.”
“So what’s next Johnny?”
“We have a week pass Gus.”
“Weak?”
“Seven days.”
“Oh … and we’re off ‘til the 17th?”
“That’s it.”
“So a ‘hurry up and wait’ moment.”
“Soldier’s time.”
“Right on Reb ~ I’ll do some visiting …”
“Right on Gus ~ me too.”

*Next Heal Union: 240th Bunker Hill and Thomas Knowlton on 17 June.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Heal Union: The Republic Indicts Lee for Treason: Gus and Johnny Discuss

5/29/2015

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The Heal Union spring series continues with HOTEL.

Nowhere Light

Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah

We come from the land
Of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun
Where the hot springs blow

“Hey Johnny!”
“Welcome to Nowhere Gus!”

“It’s a snowy Nowhere Reb: very Northern of you.”

“It does suggest that doesn’t it.”

“You said we’d Nowhere rally for our Virginia trip.”

“Right.”

“So Robert E. Lee was indicted for treason?”

“He was,” Reb stated, “by a federal court in Norfolk, 7 June 1865."

"Just Lee?"

"And many others.”

“They hung John Brown for treason.”

Nowhere Snow

"In 1859,” Reb added, “for state treason, against Virginia: not federal treason.”

“And Lee’s was against the Union, the Republic?”

“It was.”

“That was like indicting the number one Johnny Reb.”

“Our General.”

“General Johnny Reb then.”

“Fair enough.”

“What happened?”

“Lee wrote to Grant, General Grant.”

“That was noble of Lee.”

“How so?”

“Reaching out to a former adversary,” Gus noted, “it’s a sign of greater value than himself; in doing so, Lee was supporting the Republic, and that was noble.”

“They might have hung him.”

“If so they wouldn’t have stopped there; the idea was to let the South up easy, right?”

Nowhere Berries

“Lincoln.”

“Lee and Grant saw the carnage," followed Gus, "and, like us, participated in it.”

“They did.”

"Then no back-drifting."

"Correct."

“Lee was great Johnny.”

“Just …”

“Just that it seems he got off track,” Gus lighted, “and found a way back.”

“Back to the Union.”

“Right,” Gus echoed, “back to what his father built.”

“Our Constitution.”

“What’s in Virginia?” Gus asked, “you know, where we going?”

“Lots in a name Yank.”

“We’ll find out, huh?”

“In June.”

“‘Lots in a name’ you say …”

“Time Yank ...”

Nowhere Snowberries

“Okay,” followed Gus, “and I’ll Nowhere fade today: gonna skirmish me some snowberries.”

“They’re in season.”

“See ya in Virginia Reb!”
“See ya in Virginia Gus!”

*Next Heal Union: 13 June and Grant agrees with Lee’s interpretation: no trials (and no pardon)
Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Synchronicity: Lee, Lincoln and Saving Our Republic

4/15/2015

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The Heal Union spring series continues with CHARLIE.

Lincoln in 1858

You fell into our arms
We tried but there was nothing we could do

After the surrender on the 9th of April, Lee met with Grant on the 10th; they talked for half an hour about the other Confederate forces still in the field. On the 12th Lee broke camp at Appomattox and started for Richmond; he bivouacs with Longstreet (his “Old War Horse”) in the evening and it would be the last time they spend together.

By the 14th Lee reaches his brother’s farm in Powhatan County; the house is full so Lee insists on sleeping in his tent. As Lee sleeps in his tent for the last time, Lincoln attends the theater and is shot.

On the 15th Lee rides into a burned Richmond and witnesses the damage. He rode by Bell Isle prison camp, now deserted of federal prisoners, and through a city-mile leveled by fire. A crowd had gathered and followed him (with applause and appreciation) to a place to stay, 707 East Franklin Street. Lee turned his horse over to an aide, entered a gate, and climbed a few steps; there he paused, bowed politely, and entered the house. Lincoln died on the 15th at 7:22 a.m.

Lee and staff: 16 April 1865

Anti-Republic energy killed Lincoln; they tried to kill the Republic by dividing it: they failed.

Like Lee, Lincoln appears to be someone you wanted on your side; in this case, unlike Lee, Lincoln lived his life for the Republic.

Nothing we could do
All evidence has been buried
All tapes have been erased
But your footsteps give you away

*Next Heal Union on 18 April: 240th Revere, Dawes and the speech of His Majesty’s subjects.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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A New Pamphlet: A Dissenting Opinion from Johnny Reb and Gus Yank about George Thomas

Thereat: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb, On Our Way Mosby

Union 2016: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Virginia Roam

Heal Union: Grant Sides With Lee: Gus and Johnny Track Virginia

Heal Union: The Republic Indicts Lee for Treason: Gus and Johnny Discuss

Synchronicity: Lee, Lincoln and Saving Our Republic

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