{"id":6975,"date":"2019-08-27T08:19:35","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T13:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/?p=6975"},"modified":"2019-09-10T10:32:29","modified_gmt":"2019-09-10T15:32:29","slug":"elias-tucker-goes-to-war-well-sorta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/2019\/08\/27\/elias-tucker-goes-to-war-well-sorta\/","title":{"rendered":"Elias Tucker Goes to War… Well, Sorta"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Elias Tucker Goes to War… Well, Sorta<\/h1>\n

BY DALE GRUBAUGH<\/h2>\n

On the bank of Wilson\u2019s Creek the battle lines had been drawn. We advanced a few feet, then upon command, we retreated a few. Moments later we were ordered to advance back to our previous position only to be pushed back to where we had started. This see-sawing of position happened several times throughout the day.<\/p>\n

\"\"

PLATE 2. Infantry obscured by rifle smoke.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u201d were the spectators who had gathered at Wilson\u2019s Creek to watch the reenactment of the Battles of Wilson\u2019s Creek. Our adversary was the crowd control folks who couldn\u2019t make up their minds were “we” were supposed to be.<\/p>\n

I began to think there was going to be a real fight that was not going to be pretty or choreographed (quite frankly I was about ready to lead the charge).<\/p>\n

It was a classic case of too many generals and not enough privates.<\/p>\n

At one point of our waltzing back and forth a feller dressed in a colonel\u2019s uniform told us to move forward again. I told him he had best check with the general, saying, \u201cShe just walked by and seemed to have a different idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anyway, we finally got set and the re-enactment began.<\/p>\n

\"\"

PLATE 3. Map of the events.<\/p><\/div>\n

Soon the birds\u2019 song, the buzzing of insects and babble of the creek was replaced by the roar of cannon fire, the beating of drums, bugle calls, the pounding of horses\u2019 hooves and the sound of musket fire.<\/p>\n

The air was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and smoke.<\/p>\n

From the sidelines it all seemed so grand.<\/p>\n

Watching the opposing sides \u2014 the Union and Confederates \u2014 in their authentic uniforms and regalia, marching in formation and attacking in gentlemanly fashion, was awe inspiring.<\/p>\n

The realism was uncanny but there seemed to be something missing.<\/p>\n

After the morning battle was over and the armies marched off the battlefield to the sounds of cheers and applause, I walked with the rest of the spectators across the bridge to the commons area. There was lots to see and do. There were sutlers selling their wares, food vendors, refreshment stands, bands playing, a beer garden and large tents to sit and visit while you ate or rested.<\/p>\n

It was like going to a carnival.<\/p>\n

\"\"

PLATE 4. Supplies arriving amidst carnival tents.<\/p><\/div>\n

It was while strolling through this area that the \u201cwhat was missing\u201d finally struck ol\u2019 Elias.<\/p>\n

We had the sounds of war, the smells of war but not the reality of war. A battle of emotion was being waged in my heart and head.<\/p>\n

On August 16, 1861, over 500 American lives were lost at the actual Battle of Wilson\u2019s Creek. It was a bloody and deadly battle here on American soil between Americans. Unlike the reenactment I had just witnessed, the dead did not get up and walk off the battlefield. And those who survived did not march off the field with pomp and circumstance. They went running for their lives.<\/p>\n

\"\"

PLATE 5. Cavalry, infantry and the fallen.<\/p><\/div>\n

As we were getting positioned for the afternoon re-enactment, about a dozen current-day soldiers \u2014 clad in their fatigues \u2014 went running across the battlefield waving and smiling as we cheered them. As I watched them, tears began to roll down my face. Someday soon, those young soldiers would be on another battlefield. They would not be met with cheers and applause, but with hatred and real enemy gunfire.<\/p>\n

If they fell then, they would not get up and walk away to fight another day.<\/p>\n

\"\"

PLATE 6. Sunset.<\/p><\/div>\n

I realize the historical significance of such reenactments, but ol\u2019 Elias walked away from Wilson\u2019s Creek that day with some new realizations.<\/p>\n

War is not a game. War is not a picnic. War is not a party. War is real. It is horrible, it is deadly, and it is for keeps. War must never be entered into lightly. If we must fight, then, we must. But, we must also remember this:<\/p>\n

War has a great price tag. Life.<\/p>\n

\u2019Till next time,<\/p>\n

ELIAS TUCKER<\/h3>\n

Originally published SEPTEMBER 11, 2011<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE COLUMNIST:<\/h3>\n

Dale Grubaugh, writing as \u201cElias Tucker from The Holler\u201d is a valued contributor to State of the Ozarks. He is a man who loves his Ozark culture deeply.<\/p>\n

As a Southern Baptist preacher and pastor, Dale has dedicated his life to the people of these hills.<\/p>\n

Also, he has worked hard in many facets of the Branson show industry. And he has lived the Ozarks, fishing, hunting, appreciating the wilds that are so close \u2014 but so closely forgotten.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joshua Heston, editor<\/p>\n

PHOTO CREDITS: J. HESTON, AUGUST 13, 2011. STATE OF THE OZARKS \u00a9 ARCHIVE.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Elias Tucker Goes to War… Well, Sorta BY DALE GRUBAUGH On the bank of Wilson\u2019s Creek the battle lines had been drawn. We advanced a few feet, then upon command, we retreated a few. Moments later we were ordered to advance back to our previous position only to be pushed back to where we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[945,955,582,581],"tags":[971,188,909],"class_list":["post-6975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-darkozarks","category-hillbillyhistory","category-sotoarchive","category-sotofeature","tag-battle-of-wilsons-creek","tag-civil-war","tag-elias-tucker","category-945","category-955","category-582","category-581","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6975"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6986,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6975\/revisions\/6986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}