On a day in April, at the very beginning of the Civil War, Grandfather and his brother left their homes and families to do their part in the terrible struggle, and the two brothers had the great good fortune to be assigned to the same outfit.
That morning the order came to capture Mission Ridge. In order to bolster their own and each other’s courage as they pushed their way up the slope in withering fire, the men set up a fierce hollering and yelling.
Suddenly Grandfather was down, and unable to get up again, as his comrades kept on until the hill was theirs. Then he discovered a bullet had pierced his leg. He always claimed he never knew, in all the excitement, when he was hit. It was loss of blood that downed him.
Later in the day, lying there dazed with pain, Grandfather noticed a man down below moving slowly from fallen body to body, now and then turning one carefully as if seeking to find a certain person. This went on for hours, or so it seemed to the suffering man, until suddenly the searcher came near enough for recognition. Yes, it was his own beloved brother. And you can imagine that reunion. Neither were ever ashamed of those tears!
Mae T. McCaw
Hemet, California
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.
