First trip to the South

[gray]

I grew up in the South. My grandfather used to plow up minie balls as he farmed in Wartrace, Tennessee. The little town had been a training site for Confederate forces after the withdrawal from Stones River. A couple of small skirmishes occurred there the previous year. My Great great grandfather was the town doctor. He was treating wounded during a small battle at the edge of town. Someone kept shooting at him so he ran for the safety of the town buildings, holding his medical bag behind his head for protection. Afterwards the men of the town met to discuss what happened. The doctor related his story. As more men came to the gathering to share their experiences of the day one fellow, who just arrived, spoke of shooting at some yankee who had gotten away. Asked what he looked like, the man responded, " I couldn't tell what he looked like, he was holding a bag behind his head". Luckily, the good doctor survived and the story amused the town for the next hundred years. 

[Henry Moon]

That's a great, funny story, Gray, thanks.

Terry

[ole]

Have passed through, visited or stayed in every state south of the Mason Dixon line except Delaware -- unless you want to count New Mexico. (Does Southern Illinois and Indiana count?) First time was a drive to visit Sharpsburg, Harpers Ferry and Manassas, many winters ago.

At the time I wasn't aware that I was a damyankee. Of course, places like that live on the tourist, so I'd suppose they're very careful. And they aren't the deep south.

I was interested in nothing so much as seeing the ground and where this or that general had his troops defend or attack. After a while, you can't study the field without deciding which general was the better one, and was this one as bad a booby-head as everyone says? And then we're off to the races. (No pun intended.)

Before that, I lived in Missouri and visited Texas twice. Even when I lived in Missouri, I believed the war was fought in the east. When I think of what I missed!

ole