Spake As a Dragon Read Online Free PDF

number of the soldiers turned their heads
as the hanged men kicked and gasped for air silently for a few
moments. Soon the thrashing and struggling ceased, they were
dead.
    What is the purpose of the execution
of these three men? Some say, the Colonel thinks they are Patriots
who have engaged in the battle. Clearly, dozens of British soldiers
watching the murder of these three innocent men can offer evidence
to the contrary. Others say it is simply retaliation for the ambush
that has taken place. Did the Colonel want this performance to
serve as a lesson to the rebellious backwoodsman? If so, it only
provides the frontiersmen with fresh resolve to defeat the
Redcoats; regardless of Colonel Wilcox’s intent, three good,
honorable men, swinging gently in the breeze, are now
dead.
     
    DREAM OR
VISION?
     
    Robert lay there semi-conscious, he
thinks, dreams or sees a vision: that is my family, little
Thomas is my father and he stood on that wooden bench his ears
receptive to the secret my Grandfather told him, I...I... am a part
of them ... he resolves himself to the fact that he is dying,
but life he realizes is nothing but a short journey with death as
its final destination, a destination, which he is about to
reach.
    Even though, Robert’s family once
fought bravely for the young United States of America. Robert along
with his sons Luke and Matthew are now fighting against this very
flag his forefathers fought, bled and died for. How can this be? This cannot be real , he thought but quickly realizing how
true it is as another Yankee bullet ricocheted off the rock he is
leaning against.
    The Battle of Gettysburg is indeed
very real it is not a dream.
     

Chapter Six
     
    DAY THREE OF THE
BATTLE
     
    Luke spends most of the morning of the
third day in the trees on Seminary Ridge. He is going man to man up
and down the line of rebel soldiers seeking information about his
father and brother. These grey-clad young men digging at the earth
with their bare hands were not concerned with the activities of
yesterday, Thursday the 2 nd of July. It is today, Friday
that worries them the most. Yesterday they were alive at the
setting of the sun today they figure they will not be. The
awareness of Death hovers over them like an evil fog.
    The remaining members of ‘E’ Company,
48 th Alabama Infantry have been moved from the vicinity
of the Devil’s Den and Little Roundtop and re-assigned to Major
General Joseph Pickett’s Division. General Pickett’s men are
situated on a hillside known as Seminary Ridge, approximately
three-fourths of a mile east of the Union lines, which are
concentrated on Cemetery Ridge. The Union forces now control the
high grounds. High grounds with a small stonewall fronting the
Rebels. In the early days of the Civil War, it was quickly learned
that any fortifications, even a small stonewall, was almost
impregnable to a force of unprotected foes. So it was to be this
day.
    The Rebs scratching at the earth with
their hands are war-weary veterans that have ‘seen the elephant’
many times before. In their bones, they know another terrible
engagement is at hand. They also know that many of them will not
see another sunrise. Fearing this beautiful July Friday would be
their last day on earth they are digging holes and hiding their
last earthly treasures – Luke watches as one soldier slips a
wedding ring from his finger, tears a scrap of cloth from his
shirt, wraps it around the ring and gently cover it with dirt.
Another folds a scrap of paper with a note to his wife and deposits
it in his hole. He knows it will be of no use giving it to one of
his friends for safekeeping, they probably will not be alive
either. Another hides a tintype picture of his wife and two young
children. The sadness of these feeble efforts by the men is almost
unbearable.
    As Luke walks among the brave young
heroes, he thinks, ‘ might this be my last July morning too?’ He doesn’t spend time digging holes; he has nothing of