Did I ever tell you about your fambly's military hero? Captain George, that would be. Amazin' how a man rises in rank after the service is over, idn't it? Waal, a course you don't have any idee whut I'ma talkin' about.
George was your Aunt Grace's grandfather. Oh, yes; that would mean he was your grandma's grandfather, too, so he is your great-great grandfather, if I count aright. At any rate, George was born around 1825, so by the time hostilities were a wamin' up atween us and Mexico, this strappin' young fella decide he is fit to fight, so he join th' army, an' the army in its wisdom ship him aroun' here 'n there, have him clerkin' mos'ly. Now I check this out with the archives, on account I had been tol' so many stories about the glory of "Cap'n George" when he serve in th' army. His record clearly show that he rise all the way to "Private" in the service, 'n that he had a spotless record, so far as performin' his duties.
So he get out the army 'n go on back home to Hawkins County, 'n I reckon on account he served the country honorably, folk begin to call him "Cap'n." An' it stick, twel his chilren and gran'chilren actual come to believe he was a officer in th' US Army. People begin to tell tales of his military exploits, 'n by the time Mary an' Grace are young women, ever'one know that ol' George was a mighty hero, a fightin' man, successfully engage th' enemy and live to tell about it.
Waal, sir, you know me. Ol' Jep Miller allus believe in honor to him to who it is due. But th' tales was jes' a gettin' too powerful to believe, 'n thet is why I research ol' George's military history. Now I want to take nothin' away fum th' man. Un'erstan' that he perform his duties as they was give to him, and thet he was a honorable man. But he never get farther fum home 'n Richmon', 'n he never engage anyone in combat, lessen he hafta protec' his personal gear in his quarters. I dunno about thet.
So Private George in the US Army get a mighty promotion to Captain George in private life.
© 2014 David W. Lacy 32
5 comments:
"The more things change, the more they remain the same" when it comes to the importance of being important. This happens in civilian as well as in military circles.
And thus another family legend is born.
Vee, indeed; being important is, well, important. *snicker*
Chuck, as, I suspect, are many family legends.
And that is how terrific family stories get their start!
Shelly, and it leaves future generations with the task of sorting fact from fiction. My wife grew up hearing tales of a greatgrandfather, "the riverboat gambler" and a grandfather from "the White Cliffs of Dover." The first may have seen a river boat when he ferried across the Ohio on his way from VA to IL, and the second was probably never farther than 90 miles from the spot where she knew him.
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