Category: Valkyrie

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Up

1/4/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank SOOW: Up

Part II of XIII

“Up is good.”
“It is Gus.”
“We’ve covered some ground here at Somewhere.”
“We have.”
“Quite a bit since Elmwood really.”
“Yup.”
“We talked of you killing me.”
“We talked of your Valkyrie.”
“Crate.”
“Is that her name?”
“Might as well be.”
“I like it Gus.”
“We talked of Kyd.”
“We talked of Special Lost Orders.”
“Orders lost to be found.”
“Planted.”
“We talked of Ambrose Burnside.”
“Fencers.”
“The Anti-Republic cabal.”
“George Thomas.”
“Bested by Grant.”
“Grant.”
“What about Captain Downs?”
“What about him?”
“What do you know Johnny?”
“Just a bit Gus, although …”

Next Up: 11 January 2019 and part III of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Touching Elbows.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Yank and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Strings

8/7/2018

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Strings

11 of 13

“… And let’s talk about Kyd.”
“I hear music sometimes Reb.”
“Happens.”
“Normal?”
“Fairly.”
“Thanks for the Valkyrie explanation.”
“Did you see her wings?”
“Seeing her … you know …”
“That was probably planned.”
“… If the plan was to stun me, it worked.”
“Up to that point, you had the drop on me and the other Johnny.”
“Once you fired, she started from behind the bullet and overtook it.”
“It hit.”
“I just remember jawing with you about ‘Who got me killed?’”
“Kyd time.”
“Go J.”
“I want to use you Yank to talk about him.”
“Go for it.”
“Lincoln asked for volunteers in 1862 after a string of Confederate victories in Virginia.”
“Lee.”
“Augustus Kotka, citizen from Valparaiso Indiana –
“Valpo!”
“- Volunteered.”
“Did.”
“While you were volunteering that September, Kyd was on Jackson’s staff.”
“Stonewall.”
“There’s more to the string of victories than I can say now.”
“Okay.”
“Kyd would have known what I know is my point.”
“So Kyd had things on his mind, maybe knew things about Lee and Jackson and 1862, that others didn’t know.”
“Yes.”
“Being a young staff officer, that’s like being a private.”
“Carry weight.”
“Kyd? Did he carry weight?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“To the right of the sunrise, maybe ten miles, is South Mountain.”
“Interesting name.”
“Beyond that, less than 20 miles, is Frederick Maryland.”
“What happened there?”
“We rested there for three days after crossing the Potomac and leaving Virginia.”
“Everyone heard of that crossing.”
“Right.”
“What’s the problem Reb?”
“Orders were …”

Next Up: Part 12 on 9 August of the summer series Gus Yank and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Kyd.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: More to Say

7/18/2018

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More To Say

9 of 13

“… Then it’s Kyd time.”
“Agreed.”
“More to say you said Reb.”
“Your Valkyrie story, it’s an explanation.”
“What does it explain?”
“You’re not only Augustus Kotka, Private, 99th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, killed in action near Atlanta, 11 August 1864.”
“So formal Reb.”
“Because of the Valkyrie, I think you’re ‘Gus Yank.’”
“Not so clear Reb.”
“You’re my counter-balance.”
“Balance?”
“Counter-balance.”
“What’s that explain?”
“Me.”
“You?”
“Me Gus.”
“Why (again) Reb?”
“If there’s no ‘Gus Yank’ composite spirit counter to Johnny Reb, then there’s no balance.”
“I hear that Reb, yet …”
“I’ll show you Kotka, I’ll show you this Gus Yank I speak of.”
“Where?”
“There.”
“The monument?”
“Ready?”
“Ready Reb, though I know what’s there, and it ain’t me.”
“You saying your Valkyrie made a mistake?”
“I saw her move Reb.”
“And?”
“I would not use the word mistake and her in the same sentence.”
“So you’ll hear me out?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go see then …”

Next Up: A 7/20 special on 20 July, In Honor of the Seventh Amendment: A Usurper’s Preamble.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Seeing Things

7/4/2018

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Seeing Things

8 of 13

“… What didn’t you see before Reb?”
“Haven’t you wondered why you’re here Gus?”
“Here Somewhere or with you in general?”
“Same thing.”
“Yes, I’ve wondered.”
“I have too.”
“What are you seeing now Johnny?”
“You Kotka.”
“Come on.”
“See how it looks like the cannon is firing on the eagle.”
“Yes.”
“A group, a cabal, tried to kill our Republic.”
“Cabals collude Johnny.”
“Collusion became treason.”
“Go on.”
“Our war, the US Civil War, didn’t start in 1861 Gus.”
“Of course it did Reb, when you all fired on the federals in Fort Sumter.”
“Try 4 July 1850.”
“I don’t see it Reb.”
“President Taylor Gus.”
“He died of cholera.”
“They say.”
“You saying something else Johnny?”
“He was killed.”
“Assassinated?”
“Others have said so.”
“Need to see some evidence Johnny.”
“I know the how Yank, but there’s more to say about you and your Valkyrie first.”
“When is it Kyd time?”
“Next.”
“What’s this how you speak of Johnny?”
“How the assassins killed President Taylor.”
“Say more.”
“You and the Valkyrie first.”
“Okay, though …”

Next Up: Part 9 on 18 July of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: More to Say.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Valkyrie

7/3/2018

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Valkyrie

7 of 13

“… It’s an old story from Over There.”
“What’s it doing Over Here?”
“You said once you were from Over There.”
“Just an expression Reb.”
“Your Valkyrie expression left an impression.”
“True.”
“Valkyries have a mission.”
“There’s more than one?”
“Story says so.”
“What does the story say Valkyries do?”
“Choosers of the slain.”
“Oh gee.”
“Valkyries watch battles and, according to the story, choose who lives and dies.”
“Then what?”
“The slain are divided, half to a field of peace, the other half to Valhalla.”
“I’ve heard of that.”
“At Valhalla, the slain rest and prepare for their next battle.”
“Next battle?”
“Next battle.”
“I’m done fighting Reb.”
“Me too Yank.”
“Then why Valkyrie and me?”
“Why not you?”
“Why me?”
“Yank, why not you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then maybe you.”
“Battle what?”
“That’s obvious Gus, I just didn’t see it before.”
“See what Johnny? …”

Next Up: Part 8 on 4 July of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Seeing Things.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Gus’ Peace

7/2/2018

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Gus' Peace

6 of 13

“… And I think I found an approach we can use Gus.”
“Whatcha’ got?”
“The story about Kyd, I thought I would provide the facts and you tell me what they mean to you.”
“Sounds like us.”
“Right.”
“And with 11 August Johnny?”
“Try the same thing.”
“Just tell you what I saw …”
“Yes.”
“… And you’ll tell me what you hear?”
“Fair?”
“Mine won’t take long.”
“Mine has phases.”
“Okay.”
“Go Gus.”
“Well, there I was minding my own business …”
“Skirmishing.”
“… Skirmishing was my business Reb.”
“What did you see?”
“You two.”
“Go on.”
“You two Johnnies were moving something.”
“A crate.”
“That’s not what I saw.”
“You saw?”
“A woman.”
“As the crate?”
“I suppose so. The other Johnny held her by her shoulders, you by her ankles.”
“Like we would have carried a crate.”
“You set your end down and peeled-off her top.”
“I tore-off the crate lid.”
“She wasn’t a normal woman, whatever that means.”
“What wasn’t normal?”
“It seems a light came on.”
“Shell burst.”
“The woman was … she was too pretty Reb.”
“Meaning?”
“Not like any woman I ever saw.”
“Spirit?”
“Probably, considering what happened next.”
“There’s more?”
“Yeah … and a bit weirder.”
“What?”
“With the light from the shell burst, the other Johnny sees me, alerts you, you turn and fire your pistol, I see the bullet coming at me …”
“And?”
“… The woman Johnny … she beats the bullet.”
“Gus, she may have been a Valkyrie.”
“Val-ker-ee?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well …”

Next Up: Part 7 on 3 July of the summer series Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Valkyrie.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Up

Gus Yank and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Strings

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: More to Say

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Seeing Things

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Valkyrie

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Somewhere On Our Way: Gus’ Peace

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