A Country Divided : Through Blood United

The Battle of Gettysburg: Final Moments

"Guys!" I shouted toward my friends with Asher sprinting behind me. I was beginning to grow more and more used to my peg leg, and I was growing faster and faster with each passing day.

Asher and I just finished our battle at Little Round Top, and we greatly missed seeing our friends.

I hope they're all still alive.

To my amazement, the rest of my friends sprinted back toward Asher and I: Johnathan, Milo, and Asher's two brothers: Arthur and Atlas.

"I missed you so much!" Johnathan cheered as he scooped me into his arms and spun me around.

"I did too!" I managed to shout happily through a series of chuckles.

Once Johnathan set me down, I dusted off my jacket and glanced toward Asher.

Asher smiled and placed his hands on his hips like Colonel Chamberlain. "Guys, so we have the story to tell you."

***

After telling the rest of my friends about what occurred on Little Round Top, I instantly fell into a much-needed sleep on the impromptu tent that was hurriedly set up by Atlas.

The night, unfortunately, flew by quickly, and I instantly woke up without the sun poking its bright rays into my vision. I quickly leaped out of bed, my energy at his highest peak.

My friends were already wide awake for once, and they were all taking part in helping take down the large tent that protected us during the night.

"Why did you all get so early?" I asked all of them as I slid on my jacket.

I tied my hair in its regular low bun when Milo answered me. "Chamberlain told you guys, well-Asher and you-to hurry up and take the position in the middle of the 'fishhook'."

"Fishhook?" I echoed.

"Yeah," Milo laughed. "That's what everyone's calling our little arrangement since it looks so much like a fishhook. Anyway, the boys and I decided to hurry up and pack everything up early so we could all just go there together since we're all ordered to be in the middle of the fishhook, also."

I smiled brightly and glanced over at my friends who were packing up their last items into their backpacks. "Really? So we'll all be together then-" I paused and shot a deadly glare at Milo. He stepped back as if my stare really did puncture him in his torso. "Remember, Milo, as long as I'm in this uniform, I'm a man, and you should call me a man until I'm wearing something other than this uniform."

Milo simply nodded in agreement and turned toward everyone else. "Are you all, um, ready?"

When he noticed that all of my other friends smiled as if to say that they were ready, we all set out toward the midsection of the fishhook, where we hopefully would have a mostly relaxing day.

***

Asher, the Union infantry, and I assembled into two perfect single-file lines and marched with the rest of the army to our specific spot in the middle of the fishhook.

"Ten-hut!" Colonel Chamberlain barked.

The troops halted in place after hearing the Colonel's order. I snuck a quick glance to the side, and I managed to see the artillery rolling their cannons in line with the infantry. Through the soldiers with their bright red stripes sewn into their shoulders, I saw Arthur hauling one of the cannons-alone. He was behind everyone else, but he was surely getting the job done.

I then turned and looked at the other side, where the cavalry was just lining up. Johnathan and Milo sat proudly on their horses, and they both turned their heads toward the infantry, hoping that they'd catch a glance of me kneeling down in the grass.