LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

turn gangrenous and would eventually result in amputation. The men would wear their socks and underwear until they fell apart. Toiletries were non existent in the field.

Many a night, the men slept outside in the ran or snow without any tents or covers for that matter. When they did have tents, the officers generally commandeered them for themselves.

Many a soldier found out the hard way what ticks and chiggers and other insect bites were all about. Food and water was scarce on the field of battle most of the time.

Dysentery was the leading cause of death among the soldiers besides being killed during battle. It was a very bad condition of diarrhea with blood in the intestinal track (sic). This was mainly caused by unclean sanitary conditions. Medicine was scarce.

Many times when the soldiers were wounded, the doctors would just cut a leg or arm off before the men woke up instead of sewing them up and letting them heal.

I wrote this because I wanted to let everyone get small idea of what the Civil War was really like. It is hard to put it all to paper in 500 words or less.

The next time that you have an occasion to go and watch one of these Civil War reenactments where all these men come from all over the country to “play war” in their pristine uniforms, just remember that this was not a game. Men and women all over the country lost their lives and their property. Many of them lost their arms and legs and their sight.

This is why you will never see me at one of these plays. You never see little children taking part in these grown up games. We did all of this to our own countrymen.

Wednesday, March 25

10 a.m. — New Meadowbrook E.H. Club of Garfield, First Baptist Church of Garfield

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. — Story Hour, Pea Ridge Community Library, 801 N. Curtis Ave.

Thursday, March 26

6 p.m. — Pea Ridge Lions Club, Heritage Building

7:30 p.m. — Garfield AA, Brightwater Methodist Church. Open meeting and no smoking; for information, call 359-3734.

Friday, March 27

6 p.m. — Seligman, Mo., Senior Center, Potluck supper and Bushwhackers; for information, call Jo Ann Corn at 417-662-3749.

7:30 - 10 p.m. — Ridge Rockers Square Dance Club, regular dance, Pea Ridge Middle School; for information, call 531-2043.

Saturday, March 28

11 a.m. — Go7 Pea Ridge, Emergency Services Building

11 a.m. — Easter Egg Hunt registration; begins at noon; treat bags for everyone; prizes for boy and girl in each