Fighting For Freedom
Final Draft
In memory of all Civil War Freedom Troopers and soldiers that sacrificed to have a better America.
Fighting For Freedom
Final Draft
Black And White For The Image Of Freedom
Fighting For Freedom
Refined 2 Edition
Hi! I am John Peterson. I am 18. I live in New Jersey with my family. I like to play the piano. Today, I have to share my Civil War experience with
Fighting For Freedom
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you. It was really adventurous but also dangerous and very wild. Let’s cut out of the talking and just start now.
The Union and the Confederacy is at war! The Union was losing the first few battles, they surrender. That means the Confederacy can now take charge of the imports and stopping them to arrive to Union states. The Union were at their stake of mercy.
Those peaceful days of New Jersey were no longer here, after the shots of Bull Run. The Confederacy took the position of Bull Run. There were no birds flying around now. They probably got shot by Confederacy snipers as training targets. The Union cargo ships were blasted by Confederacy cannons when passing by the
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channel. Because of the short limit of cargo that includes food, water and supplies, most people in New Jersey went poor. In our family, food was a great issue as we were all big eaters.
Now, every night, we
either ate potatoes or a little bit of bread. If we were lucky, we got some shredded meat. Now, since we were poor, my brother and I didn’t get to play piano anymore.
Some days later, we got a message. It was in a proper mail folder. It was a Union letter. The Union were recruiting America’s young boys to fight for the Union army, and I was one of them. So that day, I packed my bags and left home to the Union army camp.
Millions of guns hang in the barracks of the camp. Such a amusing sight. A sergeant came to me and said, “Heh, recruit? Join the others at the recruit training centre.” As I walked up, I noticed a sight where men were lined up to be assessed by the general and to be assigned what position you were in. When it was my turn, the general said “Recruit eh? Try for infantry!”
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It was painful to be an infantry man. sergeant’s boring gun safety lectures.
I didn’t like to listen to the
Finally, we got to shoot a gun as
training! I always shot right in the middle of the target. Therefore I was always the best in gun training.
It was time for dinner and we got beef stew. I whispered to a nearby soldier, “The beef stew is very good!” Well, I didn’t get a reply on that one. A friendly gunner approached me and introduced himself, “Hi, I am a Union gunner, I have been here for bout’ a whole month. “My name is Jim Larson but people call me Bridge, How bout’ yours?”, “My name is John Peterson,” I replied with a tune, “The Union camp is terrible but you will get used to it,” replied Bridge.
As time passed we were sent to many battles. One memorable battle was the Battle of Chancellorsville, I saw the famous Union general Joseph Hooker.
He was shouting to his men.
Suddenly, a cannon blast hit the
motors and exploded. I was blacked out.
When I woke up, I was in a dark cubic cage, “Bridge?” “Bridge?” “Bridge?” There was no reply. I knew I was alone. I finally woke up. I stood up and saw that I was locked in a Confederacy prison camp.
I had a
wounded leg but it was wrapped in bandages. I saw no one in the prison and a Confederate soldier came to me and said, “Union lad, eh? You are in the Virginia Prison Camp.”
At that moment, I missed home.
My family was
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waiting everyday for the door to ring, I even missed my piano pieces and training. I was full of hatred now. I ignored the soldier who was speaking to me. In a second, I wanted to hit him but I was behind the bars. “I have to get out for freedom and reunion with my family” I thought.
I was brutally treated.
Well, finally I found out I could get out by
breaking through the duct chute. One day, I saw a cart that looked like a food cart passing by. I slapped the catering person in his face then pushed him towards the storage room. “Bang!” The doors were shut loudly. Meanwhile, I found the keys and a pistol left on the floor when I slapped the catering person. I quickly unlocked myself and escaped using the food cart. “Well, that is very foolish! It is a trash cart. Awww, it stinks in here! I wanted to scream badly but I didn’t want to add attention to the Confederate Guards. My blue uniform was covered in black by dirty and smelly trash. “The Union wants us to fight. Well, they better pay us! I murmured to myself.
“I better get new clothes so the Confederacy don’t catch me on the streets.” Walking on the streets was terrible. No food, no water and no music to listen to! I acted like a poor beggar on the streets. “I have to get back to New Jersey Union Camp!” On the street, I met an 90 year old soldier that fought before the Civil War, “Ya want to get out of Virginia? When I was on duty, I found a sewage that was actually abandoned.
You could use that sewage to escape to the border of
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Maryland and escape back to the Union,” said the wise 90 year old soldier. I asked “How can I escape?”, “You just have to fool the guard that you are a confederacy spy and get his permission to get across the border. Also you have to avoid the Union guards or you either explain your story to them!” taught the 90 year old wise soldier. “Thanks a lot!” I said. It took about a thirty minutes talk with the Confederate guard to let me cross. Also, I walked for an hour before I arrived back to the Union border. The Union guard saw me and he was just about to shoot when suddenly a voice yelled,
“John, John, John!”
It was Bridge
calling me. “You left me in the Battle of Chancellorsville and you escaped yourself!” I yelled back. “Sorry, EMERGENCY CONDITIONS that time!” Bridge was running full speed to me and saved my life.
“I was
promoted to sergeant since the old sergeant died in the Battle of Chancellorsville,” said Bridge.
“Well, I had a totally different story,” I
replied.
Three years later, the civil war ended. I went to Austria to continue on my piano career.
Now I am a
disabled pianist since my right leg was badly hurt in the war but that didn’t stop me from playing the piano. As you can see, “Never give up on your dream!” I am now 88, living with my wife and two children. I
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always told my story to my kids, telling them not to give up.
Well,
Bridge became a great author and wrote a book about his life as a soldier in the Union. Well, his story was quite exaggerating about the bits when he proudly commanded his troops. No offense but he just likes to write about his positive things. We both got a good life.