RIFLES FOR WATTIE Language Arts 11 June 4, 2001 RIFLES FOR WATTIE Jeff was working in the fields getting ready to plant seeds again. The hot Kansas sun was shining brightly and very hot. His dog Ring was at Jeff's side wanting to play. Jeff being only 16 had already eaten his lunch that his mother had packed away. It was only twelve o'clock, and Jeff was really hungry when he heard the bells that his younger sister Mary was pulling. The only time that his family ever rang those bells was in a case of emergency. Immediately Jeff rushed to the house to see what was the matter? To Jeff's surprise he saw two horses standing outside his house. Two bushwhackers stepped outside to see who was home. Jeff was told to go inside and wash up for dinner. To his astonishment, one of the bushwhackers had his gun pointed directly at Emory Bussey (Jeff' dad).
Jeff Francis
Jeff Francoeur
Artillery Battery at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.Out of fear, Jeff leaped in the air with his fists flying hitting one of the bushwhackers on the head. That's when the whole Bussey Family joined the fight.
Jeff woke a couple of hours later in a cold and damp place. He was lying in the family smokehouse. He was told that he was hit on the head by one of the bushwhackers. That is when Jeff talked his family into him joining the Union Army. Jeff left later on that day walking north on the Kansas Road to Fort Leavenworth. On his way he passed a couple of his friends' houses. The first one that Jeff talked into going with him was John Chadwick; he was two years older than Jeff but really wanted to join the Union Army. The second recruit that Jeff got was a kid the same age as Jeff (16) David Garner. The three really wanted to join the Calvary but none of them had a horse, so they joined the Kansas Volunteers. The unit that they joined had already had three days of training. Jeff thought that he wasn't going to be able to fight against the Rebel Army because of all the training they were going through.
Finally the first battle came, Jeff was told to go back to the artillery and tell a general to hurry up. Jeff was very disappointed, he got right in Captain Clardy's face and said something about killing an old woman for her money during the Mexican/American War. Clardy's face reddened and asked Jeff to be friends. Jeff disliked Clardy so much that he refused and then went to the end of the line to tell artillery to hurry up.
Jeff was arrested and put on ditch duty for lack of cooperation with a General. Three weeks later Jeff was released from ditch duty and rejoined his unit. Having Jeff miss out on his first battle really disappointed him. He thought that he would never fight in a real fight. The army then marched into a town called Tahlequah in Cherokee Country. There he was asked to assist the captains in dining. Or as Jeff thought of it, watch them as they eat. This beautiful young woman opened the door; she was 100 % rebel to the backbone as she put it. In Jeff's eyes, she was the most beautiful person he has ever seen. She let them in and fed the captains. The house that the Union Captains were eating at was the family of the Washbourns. The most elegant, most respected, and very wealthy family in all of Cherokee Country. Jeff's company had to move out so Jeff had to leave.
Jeff was then assigned to be a scout, he was given a horse, and some rebel clothing to fit in with the rebel public. He joined the Wattie outfit and fought against his own army. Right after he found out some important news about what the rebel army was doing, he got malaria. He was in bed for three weeks, the first time he tried to get up he fell on his face. He rejoined the rebel army, and found out some more interesting news.
The next week he went back to Fort Scott to tell his commanding officers the news that he had overheard. After the war was over, he went back to Tahlequah to marry Lucy. He did and they both moved back to Linn County, Kansas to live happily ever after.
Jeff Dunham