Personal Narrative Essay: The Battle Of Gettysburg

One foggy, dark, silent night I woke up in the middle of the night because I heard someone talking outside. I looked outside and saw my mom and dad talking to what looked like a general. It sounds like a stereotype about southern people but, during the war, many of the soldiers fighting for the confederacy did not have shoes, as most of the shoe factories were in the North(“The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863”) The general made his way inside not caring for mom and dad and expressed to me “ Hello Noah I’m General Stockton of the North and you need to come with me and serve in the army.”

I thought to myself, how is this happening? Why me? We rode a carriage to an army base and he lead me to a bunk,”This is where you’ll be staying for the rest of

the war.”
“War, what war?” I croaked.
General Stockton looked at me in confusion and just left. I started to make my bed when all of a sudden a guy who looked about my age stumbled upon me. “Are you Noah” the guy asked
“Yeah, why?’ I answered.
“Well I’m Jack and I am going to be your bunk mate” Jack boomed.

I don’t know how a boy could be this happy for a war. I welcomed him in and just continued what I was doing and before I knew it I was asleep.

“Wake up gentlemen” yelled General Stockton, “We’re going to Gettysburg.” In any battle where an estimated 50,000 people were killed or wounded, some people are going to have some very unpleasant fates (“Gettysburg National Park”).

I woke up and Jack was already packing up. I started to do the same and then went outside. “ Okay men twenty in each wagon, get a move on” snapped General Stockton.

Nine of the 120 generals at Gettysburg died, more than at any other battle (“Interesting battle of Gettysburg facts”).

“Uhh, Jack, are you scared?” I mumbled

“Why of course I am but my paw told me to be brave like he was when he was a soldier so I can handle this.” replied Jack. Ten roads led into Gettysburg, which is a main reason that the battle was fought there, it was easy to locate(“Interesting Battle of Gettysburg facts”). I thought to myself, man how is he not that scared of going to war. We rode silently the rest of the way to Gettysburg. Everyone hopped out of the wagons and formed a line.

“What’re we doing” I asked Jack.

“Maybe General Stockton will tell us” Jack

whispered.
“Okay soldiers, today you must fight for your life, for your country, and for your loved ones. If you die you will die in honor. So, here’s what we’re going to do. Go with your bunkmate and fight until you can’t fight anymore. Okay split up!”
I don’t know what me and Jack are going to do. He’s a good soldier but I’m not. He even said I don’t look like a soldier because of my hair and I’m tall and skinny. Please don’t die, please don’t die I repeated in my head. We were in the woods and I heard someone move.
“Jack, someone is here” I implied. He didn’t answer then all of a sudden. BOOM! It was like glass shattering. My chest was the glass. I fell to the ground struggling to get air and Jack was screaming and saying something but i couldn’t hear him. My vision started to blur and the whole world just went black.
I woke up and we were still in the woods. I was in pain. I saw Jack and he said id been out for two days but the battle was over. Jack and I set off to find General Stockton. Jack was carrying me and I didn’t know he was this strong but I guess he is. We found the wagons and just waited there for what felt like hours but it probably wasn’t. General Stockton was back and they got me to a doctor. While giving one of the most concise, humble, heartfelt, and celebrated speeches in American history, Lincoln was actually suffering from smallpox(“Gettysburg National Park”)