My mother came from southern Missouri and my father came from Washington county Arkansas. they lived in Missouri for awhile then settled in Washington county. I had older brothers but the age difference between us was severasl years so I basically grew up by myself. My family was farmers raised stock and grew crops. Well that was not for me. I developed a skill that was much in demand, that being the likker buisness. I made korn likker, rye whiskey, several different varieties of wine and a couple of beer recipes thrown in for good measure. Buisness was very good, particulary in the Indian territories west of here. The five civilized tribes were just that civilized, but you did not want to hang around the Osage very long after they started drinking. They would just as soon skalp a white man as look at him when they got a belly full of likker. Alot of folkes say that my likker was like a good medicine for them, it made them remember things. I am not sure about that it sure made folkes say things that they normally would not say. Problem is after a night of drinking they forgot everything they said and did the night before. But I called it memory medicine anyway because it increased sales about 10%.
Some time in the 1850s after the Dred Scott decision and Uncle Toms cabin a man named Hinton Rowan Helper started stirring up a fuss trying to cause an insurrection among the darkies of the south. He advocated that the darkies need to kill slave owning men and their families. Even though I am not a slave owner, I have family in Missouri that are, and if I could get that man in my sight I would send him to the beyond. His radicalism has caused border ruffians from Kansas to burn an pillage parts of Missouri including family members of mine. This infuriated me to no means and then the yankee started a war. I promptly enlisted in the 16th Arkansas as a private. I served under the good Captain JR Lister (may he rest in peace) As time went on I proved myself in battle and leadership and was promoted to 2nd Sgt, then to 1st Lt. When the Captain was killed trying to secure some much needed supplies for the company I was handed command. Now it is war and I will lead the 16th to victory of death for surrender is not in our vocabulary.
God bless the 16th, God bless the south. Deo Vindice
Captain Abner Frazier company G
Private Claghorn Curry, cousin of Cap'n Abner