more horses than men died at the battle of Lisbon, Ohio Saturday July 25,1863

more horses than men died at the battle of Lisbon, Ohio Saturday July 25, 1863

fiction
edward w Pritchard

These oral memories from former slave Rufus [ no last name] as archived for the works progress administration [wpa] April 1932.

State your name please

When I became a Christian in 1883 my name became Moses Win but while a slave I was called Rufus

Where were you a slave at

I was born in Virginia at Clarksburg [now West Virginia]. When I was six I was sold at auction in Wheeling [ WVA] where I was permanently separated from my Mother and sister. I was taken to Lexington Kentucky where I worked at a horse farm as a slave for the Allen family. In 1859 I was sent to Alliance, Ohio to care for Roswell Allen's dying aunt Miss Martha Allen. Although I was still a slave in Ohio [technically, legally?] during the course of the Civil War I became emancipated in 1866 [14th amendment].

Did you know Captain John Morgan in Lexington Kentucky?

Yes sir. Captain Morgan and his brothers bought many fine blooded blue grass horses from the Allen family and I often delivered the horses to Captain Morgan's riding stables in Lexington where he and his fellows of the Lexington rifles trained and practiced riding and shooting from 1857 till I left Ky in 1859. Later after the battle of Gettysburg I heard that Morgan's raiders were attacking Ohio [in July 1863]. I became a soldier in the Ohio  home guard near Lisbon, Ohio. I believe I was one of the first black soldiers to fight in the Civil War from Ohio.

Tell us about the battle there at Lisbon, Ohio July 26th 1863 against Captain John Morgan and his raiders

We black men from the area were fighting because we thought captain Morgan would send captured colored folks back south into slavery like had recently happened at the battle of Gettysburg on July 04, 1863 by General Lee's armies.The white persons in the Ohio home guard were fighting to defend their families from raiders. Captain Morgan and his men had robbed a few banks and businesses and more than once threatened to burn a town in Ohio or Indiana if a large ransom wasn't paid by ordinary people. We thought at the time, Morgan's raiders had ridden into into Ohio with 10,000 men and these soldier's were the best horse soldiers in America then, excellent shots with a rifle and were equipped with the the best horses. Then professional soldiers from Ohio were fighting in Virginia or in the West at Vicksburg or down that way. That's why we needed a home guard of volunteer amateur soldiers and how things became desperate enough to allow black men to fight. Also there were many pacifists in Ohio then, like religious Quakers who wouldn't fight and Copperheads,who were Ohio democrats against continuing the civil war. Many people said at the time that the copperheads would organize, rise up and help Morgan's men to subdue Ohio and negotiate an end to the civil war; allowing the Confederacy to succeed and slavery to continue. That's why I was willing to fight even though my wife was against it.

Please go on and explain what you mean by "more horses than men died at the battle of Lisbon, Ohio Saturday July 25, 1863?"

May I have a drink of water?

to be continued

[later]

Please Mr.Win go on

We started to march down to Lisbon, Ohio on Friday July 24th and arrived just North of town about 6 pm Saturday the 25th.There were about five hundred of us.We had marched about 36 miles in two days and I was tired from the walk although I was in good shape having always done manual labor. We did not have uniforms but most of us had good rifles because Mr Halley our captain had confiscated rifles from men who could not fight or pacifists in the Alliance area. That Saturday we setup camp in the woods along a long stretch of road on the Wellsville to Cleveland Pike which was
considered the most likely place that Morgan's raiders would pass through on their way to Northern Ohio or Lake Erie. At the time we thought that Morgan's raiders were invading Ohio with plans to attack Cleveland or Ravenna. The Wellsville road just South of Lisbon runs down a long steep hill for about half a mile and then as it enters the Salem, Ohio area up another hill close to a mile long. The area around the road there is heavily wooded,a perfect place for an ambush. We had an excellent supper as our wives and sweethearts had spent days cooking to send us to war fully provisioned. We were scared of Morgan's raiders as we did not know where they were, when they would come, and how many there would be.We did know they were excellent marksmen and had superb horses. My wife had just had a fight with me two days before, worried about me being  singled out to be killed by the confederates who did not accept the idea then of colored soldiers and we black men were sure they would take no colored prisoners should they overwhelm us. My wife had said to me afraid for my safety and in anger "Rufus your black face will be the first thing they shoot at". I hoped to prove her wrong and come home a hero to see her again and our little daughter.

After supper that Saturday night as usual the colored men got the worse jobs. Captain Halley our leader had us ten colored men select the best rifles with the longest range and then he had some of the men set four horses loose running down the Wellsville pike road. We colored  troops were ordered to shoot the horses as they ran from a long way off to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new rifles and  the practicality of shooting a horse,  a much bigger target than an enemy soldier charging down a hill during an ambush on a steep decline. I am sure I hit and killed one of the horses which troubles me to this day. We were all, the home guard soldier's, ordered should battle occur to shoot and aim at horses not men as the men would die from the fall should his horse be shot while charging.

The next day was Sunday July 26th and we saw no action during the capture and surrender of Morgan's remaining raiders about ten miles away from Lisbon at Salineville. Morgan's raiders were down to less than a thousand men at the time of the surrender. Since there was no confederate raiders killed at Lisbon and no battle of Lisbon on July 25th or 26th I believe I am correct to say that more horses than men died at the battle of Lisbon in the American civil war. I shot one of those horses, following orders. Although I was a member of the Alliance home guard for the next two years in the civil war I saw no more action. Much later in the 1870's I was a member of the black 10th cavalry fighting Indians throughout the American West. But that's something I don't talk about.

walk with your head bowed America

walk with your head bowed America

fiction
edward w pritchard

Union General John Sedwick was working with his men on a skirmish line just prior to the battle of Spotsylvania during the American civil war as Confederate marksmen began firing from about a thousand yards away with a new style rifle when suddenly the rank and file soldiers quickly dove for covering interrupting the pre-battle preparations. Chiding the men for cowardice, General Sedwick remarked" they couldn't hit an elephant at this range" as he promptly fell dead from a bullet under his eye. Sedwick the popular, competent Union General had died pre-maturely.

Walk with your head bowed arrogant America so many people far away still don't like us. Why are our leaders so arrogant? Don't be truculent, wait-wait the battle will come to you in God's proper time.

this is not really about Lebron James leaving Akron

This is not really about Lebron James leaving Akron

fictions
edward w pritchard

Since many, make that a few people tell author his writing is confusing this is not really about Lebron James leaving Akron for greener pastures in Los Angles California instead it is about author's oldest son recently getting married and moving to California.

Here is the confusing part.When Dante the Italian poet wrote about his not to secret love Beatrice sometimes to keep her identity secret from the world he would address his poems to another beautiful woman in Florence, Italy who he called his stage beloved. So for now Lebron James will be my stage son for a few hours and I will address a few lines to him about the small tired little City he left behind.

Mostly empty buses still run toward downtown despite the street repairs down that way and cars on the expressway driven by folks from the suburbs still drive very fast to avoid the downtown that is unless they are headed  to Quaker square which is dark and quiet but still a good place to find an excellent divorce lawyer.

The housing resale market here continues to lag although property taxes are rising steadily. A big housing project is planned in Akron at Gunther school where this author successfully matriculated.

Grand children are fine. Young kids still ride around on bikes donated by Lebron James.

Life goes on even though our hometown favorite took the last train for the coast.

the end

i found myself selling a house

I found myself selling a house

fiction
edward w pritchard

I found myself selling a house,
a house that Generals of invading armies never commandeered for strategic headquarters
or troops never pitched tents in the yard awaiting upcoming bloody battles
a house where no one ever awoke early Sunday morning to read the newspaper and drink fine teas with a friendly lady in a lacy red peignoir 
a house that no one ever entered without ringing the doorbell while waiting and waiting
it's a house that everyone secretly criticizes because it needs an update and makeover to be marketable,
a house but not a home
selling a house is difficult where no one wants to live in  modern times
a house where no one orders pizza on line and turns the occasion into a memorable party
a house where no pictures are texted to friends and followers of daily curiosities
because the house I occupy needs extensive expensive dental work
has a broken malfunctioning heart, a disappearing will
and lacks a sunny upbeat attitude
I found myself selling a house
a house in need of an update and overhaul, to be marketable in the world of an approaching future
each house stands silently alone, watching weeds of memories of vanished pasts
blot out the noise of busy carpenters and home builders making obsolete yesterdays
abodes, to make way for smiling future
for someone else.

It's always dark where I come from

It's always dark where I come from

fiction
edward w pritchard

I followed the jets crossing the sky
East to West, north to south
to the serpent mounds,
piling basket after basket of dirt and debris,
we made a hill
but waiting and waiting Jesus
never exited from behind the large stones
so down the dark hole
back to the source we slipped
in other words
it's always dark where I come from
open the windows
clouds block eternity

my Epiphany of Lebron James

my Epiphany of Lebron James

fiction
edward w pritchard

Nothing is so sacred to us ordinary people of  mundane places like Akron, Ohio than to look on famous and relevant people in reverence and awe.

I had my epiphany of Lebron James in game 1 of playoff number three versus Boston at the beginning of the second half of the playoff game in May of 2018.

If I an ordinary person can gaze viva television upon Lebron James I will acquire some of his power, some of his mystique, some of his je non sais quai.

I could transcend in fact my ordinary existence if when I see Lebron flying through the air I would by his image entering the portal of my soul through my gazing eye acquire his success and uniqueness.

By my  gazing on Lebron James  television image I would be transcended. As Lebron James  was no longer stuck as an unfortunate in the Elizabeth apartments under the viaduck bridge in Akron, Ohio so too I would no longer be stuck in my ordinary pedantic life.

the spaces in our togetherness

the spaces in our togetherness

fiction
edward w pritchard

The spaces in our togetherness [1] have expanded beyond space to the dimensions of time which is dark, frigid and unoccupied. I have moved so far from your shadow that I see neither the cypress or the oak tree only decaying leaves of forgetfulness. The silence is deadening. I yearn to speak to escape my thoughts of isolation but the strings of the lute are broken and I don't know which direction to whisper into to send you a message on the wind. The pillars of the temple have crumbled to dust and the shadow of your smile points in another dimension. No longer can I sing or dance and being alone from you so long brings me no joy and becalms the soothing winds of heaven. Love's bond of invisible string is stretched uselessly into approaching eternity.

[1] all thoughts reworked from Kahlil  Gibran's "the Prophet" concerning when love was new