She arrives at the Manassas National Battlefield. It is a bright sunny morning with a slight chill in the air. She walks onto the grass and takes a few steps, but she stops. She looks down at the grass. She looks around her at the green field. She sees the statue of ‘Stonewall’ Jackson in the distance. She sees the rolling hills before her. She sees the line of cannons. She looks down at her feet. She slips her foot out of her shoe. She lifts her leg, and she touches the grass with the sole of her bare foot.
“Boom! Bang!” The air is filled with smoke. She hears the guns being fired. She turns and watch as soldiers are frantically loading their guns. “Boom!” She turns and see smoke coming from a cannon as soldiers frantically reload to fire again.
She lifts her bare foot, and she sees a peaceful green field with only the sound of the wind with the branches of a nearby tree shaking. She lifts her foot to wipe the mud from the bottom of her big toe. She sets her foot down.
“There he stands like a stone wall.” She sees General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson on his horse looking at the enemy. She hears the trumpets being blown and the pounding of the drums. “Ready! Aim! Fire! Boom! Ready! Aim! Fire! Boom!” She heard the men shouting. She saw the men struck by the bullets and dropping dead before her. A cannonball strikes the ground before her knocking her off her feet flat on her back.
She sits up and see a green peaceful field. She peeks at her bare foot and sees a little mud between her big toe and the toe next to it. She slowly gets up with the sole of her bare foot touching the grass.
“Hip, hip! Hooray!” Sounds of celebration surround her as she watches the Confederate soldiers gather around ‘Stonewall’ Jackson as he climbs off his horse. He looks at her, and he salutes. She salutes back. She stands and lifts her foot.
It is an empty, peaceful, green field. She stares at the statue of ‘Stonewall’ Jackson. She slips her foot back into her shoe. She understands what it is truly like to feel the First Battle of Manassas with her sole.
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