The Heal Union spring series continues with KILO.
Reb Yank Somewhere Sunrise Are we not wise enough to give all we are?
Surely we're bright enough to outshine the stars
“Morning Gus!”
“Morning Johnny!”
“Welcome back to Somewhere.”
“Thank you ~ and where we Somewhere at?”
“The Dunkard Church plateau.”
“Oh,” Gus noted, “a fulcrum.”
“Correct.”
“Antietam Creek is toward the sunrise?”
“Yes,” Reb followed, “and Sharpsburg a bit to the south.”
“Antietam was in 1862.”
“It was.”
“Then why Napoleon today?”
“Two hundred years ago -”
“- On 18 June 1815?”
“- Yeah, on 18 June, Napoleon was defeated for the final time.”
"Final time?”
“Right. Napoleon, after two decades of war, tried one more time.”
“Persistent fellow.”
“Sure.”
“What happened?” Gus asked.
“Here or there?"
Reb Yank Somewhere Peace “There.”
“Napoleon assaulted the British army while it was separated from its German ally.”
“And?”
“The French had the Brits on the ropes," Reb continued, "so much so that the British commander said something like ‘Only nightfall or the Germans can save us.’”
“Which did?”
“The Germans. They marched to Waterloo a day earlier than Napoleon had thought possible, assaulted the French flank and routed his army.”
“Oops Napoleon.”
“His Waterloo.”
Reb Yank Somewhere Sons “What happened here Johnny?”
“Humans went nuts.”
“Yeah?”
“That’s what the crows call it: The Day the Humans Went Nuts.”
“Seventeen September, 1862.”
“Yes.”
“Apt.”
“Antietam had phases Gus: this was the objective of the Republic’s morning offensive.”
“Confederate’s held this at first light?”
“There was artillery here, a battalion of cannon.”
“And later?”
“The Republic gained the ground.”
“Things got crazy?”
“They say blood cleanses.”
“Christian.”
“Then this place has been cleansed.”
“I hear ya,” Gus offered; “there’s a marker by the cannon.”
“There is.”
“Can we see it?”
“Sure …”
Reb Yank Somewhere Peace Sons “Sons.”
“True,” Reb echoed.
“Peace.”
“Peace.”
“That’s Dunkard Church.”
“Now and then.”
“A place of worship for German pacifists, right?”
“Yes,” Reb confirmed.
“God’s people.”
“Strange fulcrum Gus.”
“They usually are.”
"Time."
“Back to Virginia?”
“Mount Horeb.”
“Mount Horeb?”
“Mount Horeb Cemetery,” Reb clarified.
“Oh ... you mean, like ...”
“See ya tomorrow Gus!”
“See ya tomorrow Johnny!”
*Heal Union Finale: 150th Juneteenth and Aesop with Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb
Posted by Bryan W. Brickner
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