Short Stories

The Snowball Fight of the Civil War February 25, 1863

The Snowball Fight of the Civil War

February 25, 1863

Snow fell in blankets as it coated the blood stained battlefield, and the frozen wind bit at our entire bodies. This war, including this battle, put brother against brother. The snow may have hid the blood shed that had occurred only days before but it did not hide the toll of war. We saw many soldiers fall as the life drained from their pain stricken eyes.

 This snow not our first snow but the first in many days brought happiness and wonderment to my troops. The younger ones still having one foot into the door of adulthood awoke with glee as they saw the snow covered field. The older ones all in the different stages awoke with the slowness of molasses. An idea formed in my mind as I sent for my fastest rider

The snow albeit cold and slightly painful filled my troops with wonderment and happiness. The younger ones already waking up and engaging in some juvenile fun, while the older ones on looked and reminiscence their on youthful memories. From our position we could see or more easily hear the other side’s troops having the same joy and folly. Then an idea came to mind, one that may rekindle the brother ship at least for today. I grabbed my troops easily calling them into attention.

“Gentleman, I have a task for you. I am going to split you up into groups and you will work diligently. You,” I stopped and pointed at the left side of my troop, “will go and make small barriers out of the snow. Go now no questions ask go all the way until about 3 meters of the line we held yesterday. Hurry.

“The Rest of you will be making snowballs, no rocks inside just snow. Clean and fun. Go now, all of you this is an order,”

I smiled as I watched my troops scramble around the field doing what I told them. I watched them at first making sure they were doing what I had said. And then I joined helping in every way I can. We used extra sheets to carry all the snow balls that they had made. I grabbed a private and wrapped a white sheet so that he could go across the line. As well as handed him a note for the other Head over on that side, my cousin Arnold.

The note simple read: Arnold, let’s see with snowballs how our troops do. We have set up and you have two hours to set up your own. We will be waiting. Good Luck, Richard

We waited as my private went into the lines his white showing extremely well against the snow. When we heard cheers and commotion coming from the other side I had a smile grow. The private came back with a note and my cousin’s seal was easily seen on it. I turned it around and read, my troops quiet wonderment flashing in their eyes.

I smiled folded the letter and turned to my troops, “What are you waiting for? We have a snowball fight to win. We need to make sure that we have enough snowballs! So, get to it!”

I smiled as my troops smiled. It was simple fun; maybe not the right thing to do in the long run, but a right thing to do now.

We won that war, and we won that snowball fight. I don’t regret letting my troops play even as I lay in my death bed. I know that joy lived their hearts and helped them sleep at night. I know war isn’t a child’s game, but we are all children in the end.