Bryan William Brickner - Blog

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Mount Horeb

3/22/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Mount Horeb

Part XIII of XIII

“… How’s this?”
“Feels like home.”
“Welcome home Gus.”
“Welcome home Johnny.”
“There wasn’t a horse before.”
“No?”
“It was people conveying the man.”
“Was there a child?”
“Yes.”
“Slave?”
“Represented.”
“Slavery, it means both: slaves and slavers.”
“Yup.”
“You bring the flag Reb?”
“I thought you did.”
“Not me.”
“Well then.”
“Well then what?”
“Let’s rally ‘round it.”
“Mount Horeb style.”
“Worked before.”
“Did.”

Thanks All!

*Next Up: Usurpation Day 2019.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: To Prevent Hogs Running At Large

3/15/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Burgess

Part XII of XIII

“… See here?”
“George the Burgess.”
“Elected 24 July 1758.”
“Who’s on the horse Johnny?”
“The founder of Winchester.”
“They all look happy.”
“They do.”
“Reb?”
“Yeah.”
“Says George: ‘poured out barrels of rum, wine and beer on Election Day.’”
“A rather traditional way of electioneering Gus.”
“Just it’s George getting them drunk.”
“Winner.”
“Loyalist.”
“True.”
“When did George marry Martha?”

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Winchester

“In 1759.”
“Ah hah!”
“Ah hah what Gus?”
“George begins his rebellion.”
“With Martha you mean?”
“Frontier George becomes Tidewater George.”
“From loyalist to revolutionary.”
“Martha.”
“Like a fulcrum?”
“Yes.”
“I get it.”
“What’s with the hogs Johnny?”
“George’s first contribution to new laws.”
“Keeping hogs from running at-large in Winchester?”
“To protect the drinking water.”
“Environmental George.”
“Shall we move on Yank?”
“Mount Horeb maybe?”
“Let’s …”

Next Up: 22 March and the winter series finale, Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Mount Horeb.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Survey

3/8/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Hello

Part XI of XIII

“… You weren’t.”
“Young George Gus.”
“It’s like he’s saying hello.”
“‘Hey Gus and Johnny.’”
“Hey George.”
“Like that Yank?”
“Just like that.”
“Seems so.”
“When did George own slaves?”
“Age eleven.”
“What?”
“His father, Augustine Washington, died and George inherited ten slaves.”
“Ten people.”
“At age eleven.”
“When did George get to Winchester?”
“Says here …”

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Surveyor

“… 1748.”
“Just a kid Reb.”
“Yup.”
“So before coming here, George had owned people for five years.”
“Correct.”
“Then the 16 year-old George went to Winchester, or Frederick Town, to survey.”
“Frederick was the eldest son of King George the second.”
“The future king?”
“Would’ve been, but Frederick died in 1751.”
“Colonial George was a loyal subject Johnny.”
“He was Gus.”
“Slaving, surveying and serving.”
“And then George was elected Burgess.”
“Is that good Reb?”
“Yes.”
“What’d he do?”
“Represented this area in assembly.”
“Early political career, eh?”
“Well …”

Next Up: 15 March and part XII of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: To Prevent Hogs Running At Large.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Truckin’

3/1/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Truckin'

Part X of XIII

“… Still playing Gus.”
“Folksy tune.”
“Grateful as well.”
“An intersection.”
“It is.”
“What do you call those things?”
“Horse-less carriages.”
“The crows call’em trucks.”
“Right.”
“Yup.”
“The crows are correct.”
“In the song Reb.”
“Yeah.”
“Why they getting their doors kicked-in?”
“Another war Gus.”
“Sounds like ‘Mericans, you know, in all them cities.”
“True.”
“Lightin’ issues, travelin’ tired, tryin’ souls …”
“… Sounds like kin.”
“Does.”

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Trippin'

“Look at George Gus.”
“What?”
“That’s older George.”
“Not Winchester George.”
“Right.”
“George had a strange trip.”
“Kept on truckin’ though.”
“Doubt he knew in the beginning what kind of trip it would be.”
“Just like us.”
“Just like We the People.”
“Agreed.”
“That song sings about gettin’ goin’.”
“‘Out the door and down the street.’”
“When did George get to Winchester?”
"Gus, there’s young George over there.”
“Don’t George joke Reb.”
“I ain’t.”
“Well …”

Next Up: 8 March 2019 and part XI of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Survey.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Washington’s Office

2/22/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Washington's

Part IX of XIII

“… More George Johnny.”
“Builder too.”
“George … working for The Man.”
“King George.”
“That might’ve rubbed.”
“Might’ve.”
“More Earl too.”
“The 4th Earl of Loudoun was George’s commander and governor.”
“Our George or King George?”
“Both.”
“Right.”
“The Earl wasn’t liked much in the colonies Gus.”
“Yet they named a fort for him.”
“Two in fact.”
“Two?”
“One here and one south of here.”
“Where Reb?”

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Office

“West of the Appalachian Mountains Yank.”
“Future Tennessee.”
“Cherokee then.”
“Who built that Fort Loudoun?”
“Colonies of Virginia and South Carolina.”
“What happened?”
“Built in 1756, defeated in 1760.”
“Cherokee?”
“Correct.”
“And this Fort Loudoun, George’s?”
“Not much Gus.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“That is soldiering sometimes.”
“Monotonous.”
“Yupper.”
“George was young then.”
“Twenty-four in ’56.”
“You hear that?”
“Do.”
“Let’s step this way Reb.”
“Let’s …”

Next Up: 1 March 2019 and part X of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Truckin’.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: 1756

2/15/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: 17

Part VIII of XIII

“… Oops!”
“Sign’s making sense now.”
“Sort of Johnny.”
“Like the Somewhere cannon Gus.”
“For show.”
“Not action.”
“We in Winchester?”
“Think so.”
“The sign mentions George.”
“Defending Fort Loudoun.”
“Twenty-years before becoming a revolutionary.”
“Subject George.”
“What’s a Loudoun?”
“Earl.”
“Never heard of no ‘Earl Loudoun.’”
“An Earl like a Duke Gus.”
“Courtly?”
“Right.”

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: 56

“Why we here Johnny?”
“Learn.”
“What?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“The journey shows itself?”
“Yes.”
“Why we out of season Reb?”
“Might not be us out of season Gus.”
“Who then?”
“We the People maybe.”
“How?”
“Taboo.”
“Taboo?”
“A thing you can’t discuss.”
“Reb, We the People ain’t taboo.”
“That’s the out of season part.”
“Glad it’s just a while.”
“With ya on that.”
“Look, another sign Johnny …”

Next Up: 22 February 2019 and part IX of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Washington’s Office.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Keep Off Cannon!

2/8/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank OOW: Keep Off Cannon!

Part VII of XIII

“… What the heck?”
“A sign Reb.”
“I see that.”
“What’s it mean?”
“That’s clear.”
“Don’t say ‘keep off cannon.’”
“Okay.”
“So you don’t know what it means?”
“It means keep off cannon.”
“Exclamation.”
“Right.”
“Why?”
“Need context Gus.”
“We lost Johnny?”
“No.”
“We just don’t know where we are.”
“That sounds about right.”
“Why the odd sign?”
“With its odd command?”
“Let’s move again Reb.”
“After you.”
“This way …”

Next Up: 15 February 2019 and part VIII of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: 1756.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Days Between

2/1/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank SOOW: Days Between

Part VI of XIII

“… The light’s moved Johnny.”
“Yet we’re out of season Gus.”
“This isn’t February in Maryland.”
“Correct.”
“Got comrades here.”
“Both kinds too.”
“Yanks and Rebs you mean.”
“Right.”
“We saw some names before.”
“And now some bodies.”
“Reb, it seems the music is coming from the church.”
“It does.”
“‘A hopeful candle lingers’ … ”
“… ‘In the land of lullabies.’”
“How shall we proceed?”
“Time to leave Somewhere I suppose.”
“To catch-up with the seasons?”
“That and ourselves.”
“Ourselves?”
“We the People Yank.”
“We the People ready Reb?”
“Ready or not …”
“Right.”
“Berryville?”
“How about Morgan in Winchester first?”
“Nice Gus.”
“And let’s talk about Sumter there.”
“Let’s …”

Next Up: 8 February 2019 and part VII of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank On Our Way: Keep Off Cannon!

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Tock

1/25/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank SOOW: Tock

Part V of XIII

“… How’s this?”
“Better.”
“That’s the East Woods Gus.”
“The preacher Reb, Comrade Lucas.”
“Yeah.”
“He was young.”
“Born in 1840.”
“And from Illinois.”
“Boone County.”
“Lucas was in my company, Company C.”
“An officer, lieutenant.”
“Then appointed Regimental Chaplain.”
“Right.”
“And who was Sumter?”
“From the fort?”
“Yeah.”
“South Carolinian.”
“Revolutionary?”
“Comrade of Morgan’s.”
“Does the light seem different Reb?”
“It does.”
“Did you hear the Tock?”
“No … though we didn’t hear the Tick either.”
“We just noticed it.”
“Right.”
“How to check?”
“Let’s go back to the cannon and see.”
“Let’s …”

Next Up: 1 February 2019 and part VI of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Days Between.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Comrades

1/18/2019

Johnny Reb and Gus Yank SOOW: Comrades

Part IV of XIII

“… These are comrades.”
“You Yanks used that word.”
“Rebs?”
“Not so much.”
“Rebs had camaraderie.”
“Yes.”
“We used the word ‘comrade’ all the time.”
“Your book shows that.”
“The 99th’s book comrade.”
“Right.”
“Who wrote it?”
“Regimental Chaplain.”
“Preacher?”
“Comrade Lucas.”
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Just-oh … what?”
“Just a mention of the preacher and you get a little oh-ee.”
“Comrade Reb?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s step toward the grass.”
“Changing subjects?”
“No.”
“Sure Gus …”

Next Up: 25 January 2019 and part V of the winter series Johnny Reb and Gus Yank Somewhere On Our Way: Tock.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner